No, analog keyboard PCBs are not trivial at all. You have to keep a lot of things in mind when routing your analog VS digital tracks. Especially if you've got per-key RGB LEDs right next to your hall effect sensors (can be a lot of noise if you don't do it right).
Not only that but you also have to figure out how to get loads of analog sensors into a microcontroller that may only have 4 analog pins (e.g. RP2040). In a way that can be scanned fast enough for 1ms response times (again, without generating a ton of noise).
It's not so simple like an electromechanical keyboard PCB which is quite trivial.
> For an example of complex design one can look at such things as almost any dynamic RAM implementation, from SDR to DDRn. Timing, signal integrity and power integrity are a big deal and can make a massive difference in performance and reliability.
...except 99% of all PCBs aren't that complicated. You don't need to know the specifics of RF in order to design a board that controls some LEDs.
> No, analog keyboard PCBs are not trivial at all. You have to keep a lot of things in mind when routing your analog VS digital tracks. Especially if you've got per-key RGB LEDs right next to your hall effect sensors (can be a lot of noise if you don't do it right).
Sorry. This isn't meant as an insult at all. Yes, this stuff is trivial. I know it might not seem that way to you because you are not an EE. I get it. That does not make it complex. For you, maybe. Not for me or any capable EE.
Yes, having designed plenty of challenging analog products I can definitely say that analog has its own set of challenges. Designing keyboards with hall effect switches isn't in that category.
In fact, I could easily make the argument that high speed digital is actually analog design.
> You don't need to know the specifics of RF in order to design a board that controls some LEDs.
I would like to see your boards pass FCC, CE, TUV and UL certification.
Look, there's nothing wrong with being a hobbyist and having a great time designing stuff. Bravo for having learned enough to have done what you shared. That is definitely something to admire. Just understand that your experience does not give you the ability to fully grasp professional EE reality.
I don't really see why you would create a keyboard in this way.
> ...except 99% of all PCBs aren't that complicated. You don't need to know the specifics of RF in order to design a board that controls some LEDs.
There is a difference between creating something that works, which is easy enough to do, and creating something that is competitive on the consumer market, i.e. that BARELY works. This is the difference and why you would pay an EE to do this job.
No, analog keyboard PCBs are not trivial at all. You have to keep a lot of things in mind when routing your analog VS digital tracks. Especially if you've got per-key RGB LEDs right next to your hall effect sensors (can be a lot of noise if you don't do it right).
Not only that but you also have to figure out how to get loads of analog sensors into a microcontroller that may only have 4 analog pins (e.g. RP2040). In a way that can be scanned fast enough for 1ms response times (again, without generating a ton of noise).
It's not so simple like an electromechanical keyboard PCB which is quite trivial.
> For an example of complex design one can look at such things as almost any dynamic RAM implementation, from SDR to DDRn. Timing, signal integrity and power integrity are a big deal and can make a massive difference in performance and reliability.
...except 99% of all PCBs aren't that complicated. You don't need to know the specifics of RF in order to design a board that controls some LEDs.