More updates time:
Testing case design changes: I was hoping for completely tool-less PCB fitment into the case, but getting that working well and also not being odd to work is taking some effort. I may just give up the tool-less dream and use screws after all.
Controller: I’m still making it ProMicro footprint, but the “official” controller of the board is going to be Adafruit’s KB2040. RP2040 supports KMK via CircuitPython and in soon™ territory for QMK support, USB C go brrr, and (most importantly) it’s actually available. I’m planning to offer these as an option to order alongside the rest of the kit. Also the pink is pretty sick.
Firmware: I’m now aiming for KMK as the default option because it’s easier/less involved than QMK to put it on a board, and I think most people will be plenty happy with being able to just change keycodes in a text file with no compile needed.
PCB: Here’s where I’ve been hung up since last update. As mentioned, QMK didn’t technically support the nonsense used to make the previous design work, and I’m too much of a Python scrub to translate it over to KMK myself. So the answer is I’m now migrating the hardware design over to a more “normal” encoder layout for the closest four and an IO expander for the rest. This also got interrupted when the first two options I wanted to use are just impossible to buy right now, so I’m on my third hardware change there. Good news is these are actually pretty cheap, and I’ll probably go with DIP so they’re easy to hand solder. The number of solder joints on the board actually drops a good bit with the diodes disappearing.
As always, feedback is appreciated and I hope to have more updates this coming week as I continue trying to get the PCB and case nailed down.