Riptide – The Infinitely Expandable Keyboard

My Massive Glowing Submission to Highway

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Renders

Visuals because everyone loves eye candy.

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What is this?

It's a custom keyboard built for infinite expansion through its module ports! It uses an Orpheus Pico, QMK firmware, and even more LEDs. The expansion modules could be literally anything! From a screen, a rechargeable battery, a buzzer, or even more LEDs!

Features:

• Keycool84 Layout – Possibly the best?
• Rotary Encoder – Twist for volume, scroll, or secret hacker functions.
• Clickable Encoder Button – Because sometimes, twisting isn’t enough.
• 61 SK6812 Mini LEDs – ✨Almost blinding✨
• Literally Infinite Expandability – Custom designed module slots that support chaining submodules together!

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How It Works:

The infinitely expandable modules were built using an I2C bus! Also since the Orph Pico knows which modules are plugged in, certain modules could unlock further functionality from another! Like a button module being able to activate a haptic feedback (vibration) module. (This isnt built in yet // Software still WIP)

Each module slot has a 5V, EN, GND, SDA, and SCL lines. After a module is plugged in and ready to work it will pull its EN line high to 3.3V, letting the Pico know there is something there in that expansion slot!

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Why?

I built this keyboard for Highway—an awesome Hack Club YSWS project mainly run by Alex Ren. (I helped run this event as one of the project reviewers!) I wanted to create something that wasnt just useful, but also super cool! Thats why I went with creating my own expansion support instead of just adding a USB hub and calling it a day.

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BOM

All the bits and pieces needed can be found here.

| Name | Amount | Price | Source | |------------------------|------------|--------|--------| | PCB | 1 (5) | 33.74 | JLCPCB | | Keycaps | 1 | 24.99 | Amazon | | Gateron Red Keyswitches| 1 | 34.99 | Amazon | | Gateron Clear Stabs | 1 | 11.99 | Amazon | | Diodes | 85 (100) | 6.99 | Amazon | | 11"x14" Acrylic | 1 (2) | 11.99 | Amazon | | SK6812MINI-E LEDs | 61 (65) | 3.84 | LCSC | | PCA9555D | 1 | 1.75 | LCSC | | X6511FRS-05-C85D30 | 14 (15) | 2.46 | LCSC | | 18ga Steel Plate | 1 | 0.00 | PRICE Industries | | Orpheus Pico | 1 | 0.00 | Me | | OLED | 1 | 0.00 | Old Hackpad Kit | | EC11 Rotary Encoder | 1 | 0.00 | Old Hackpad Kit | | M2.5 10mm Standoffs | 12 | 0.00 | Me | | M2.5 3mm Screw | 12 | 0.00 | Me | | 4.7K THT Resistor | 2 | 0.00 | Me | | Shipping | N/A | 11.26 | LCSC | | Total | — | 130.00 | — |

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Contribute

Want to make it better? Open a PR, suggest a feature, or just yell at me on GitHub.

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Disclaimer

This project is 100% free, open-source, and powered by vibes. If it breaks, explodes, or opens a black hole, that’s on you.