Play along - create a PinePhone keyboard

[Undvik]

So far the best one for me is the keyboard of F(x)tec Pro1 - I use it as my daily driver.

Just checked this out, definitely looks like the best of both worlds. Pine64, go for this design!

I agree, please use something like this. Slider keyboard is the way to go

[PhoenixLandPirate]

So far the best one for me is the keyboard of F(x)tec Pro1 - I use it as my daily driver.

Just checked this out, definitely looks like the best of both worlds. Pine64, go for this design!

I agree, please use something like this. Slider keyboard is the way to go

I don't think this would work with the current PinePhone, the thing with the F(x)tec Pro1, is that most of the hardware is in the keyboard section of the hardware, rather than the screen, where as with the Pinephone, they would have most of the hardware in the screen section, this messes around with weight distribution and size.



However hopefully with this experience, and from seeing the F(x)tec and what people are interested in and want, perhaps the next pinephone will take that in to account, and have a keyboard like the F(x)tecs in the PinePhone Pro.



Plannet Computer have also been working on switching from a clam design with the cosmo, to a sliding keyboard with the Astro Slider, so to me it does seem that the future is slide out, however I just dont think this can be done on the PinePhone well, but if Pine64 start designs with the plan of having a keyboard, than they can make it a slide out keyboard, and make it work really well.





I know depending on the route they go down, it might be harder to open things up, replace them, etc, but I recon you could easily put the hardware switches in an easier place on a physical keyboard, and you could still take the back off to replace components, its just how the screen would work would be a bit more complex, and if you wanted a different keyboard layout, its harder to exchange, currently Pine64 could offer you several different kinds of add-on keyboards on the website, so not only could it be a choice between QWERTY english, Japanese, Hebrew, etc keyboards, you can also buy a different style, are you gonna use the keyboard at a desk? you would probably want to buy the astro slider styled keyboard, however if youre the type who wants to type with your phone in your hand, stood on a train, or waiting for a bus, then  the F(x)tec styled keyboard is more right for you, but If the keyboard is already a part of the phone, then its harder to offer these alternatives.



However, I think I'd rather a keyboard that's average that I can't change, but is there with just a flick, and when I need to use it as a phone, I can put the keyboard back without having to stop, take the keyboard off, hope that I didn't forget my real back for the phone, put that on, find a place to put the keyboard in my backpack, then carry on.



It's a lot of extra effort, so I hope the PinePhone Pro does go with a F(x)tec Pro 1 or Astro Slider style keyboard, qwerty styled without being weird about where some keys are like the original F(x)tec was, so the PinePhone pro with a keyboard could be just slightly thicker than the current PinePhone and have easy access to the keyboard whenever.





However if I had to choose between the F(x)tec Pro 1 or the Astro Slider keyboards for the PinePhone Pro, I think the wiser idea is to go with the F(x)tec Pro's design, because from looks, it look's like you're less likely to accidentally click on a key when you're sliding your thumb to the middle, and it looks like its a lot easier to get to every key, and if you're using a keyboard thats integrated into the phone, you're more likely to use it in a place where you can't just place the phone down to type, such as stood at a bus stop, or sitting on the train with no table in front of you, for moments where you do have a desk, there are plenty of portable bluetooth keyboards that you can fold out to give you a better typing experience than you'd get from having your fingers in the way of your screen on a cramped keyboard on the Slider.



TL;DR Please make the PinePhone Pro with a slideable keyboard by default, and please make it the f(x)tec style, I want to easily be able to use my phone keyboard when I'm waiting for someone to finish there shopping, I don't care to much to use my phone keyboard, at a desk when I've got a huge keyboard in front of me or can just get out my bluetooth foldable keyboard which takes up less space in my bag than a book.

[captainmorgan]

TL;DR Please make the PinePhone Pro with a slideable keyboard by default

What's a PinePhone pro?

[PhoenixLandPirate]

TL;DR Please make the PinePhone Pro with a slideable keyboard by default

What's a PinePhone pro?

Its what a lot of people are calling the next PinePhone, the PineBook's successor was called the PineBook Pro so it's logical to just call the next PinePhone the PinePhone Pro as it syncs up with previous naming schemes.

[deedend]

I don't think this would work with the current PinePhone, the thing with the F(x)tec Pro1, is that most of the hardware is in the keyboard section of the hardware, rather than the screen, where as with the Pinephone, they would have most of the hardware in the screen section, this messes around with weight distribution and size.

Honestly, I don't see how a slide keyboard would be worst of a clamshell one in regards of the weight distribution; I actually think that it would be better to have it slide for that matter, because a slide keyboard it's usually more usable on the go, keeping the phone in hand, compared to a clamshell one, that "force" you to put on something, to be used comfortably. The centre of gravity of the clamshell keyboard it's usually more distant to the one of the phone, compared to a slide one.

[hiimtye]

every slide phone I've ever used has had it's slider crap out and I ended up with basically two phones.

also, I'm a 6'5" construction worker with gorilla hands.

[DrewTechs]

https://www.ti.com/product/TCA8424

https://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tca8418.pdf

https://www.sprintek.com/en/products/key...px?ad=bing

Will we theoretically be able to design a keyboard with this component? I wish I could just get one I can insert onto a breadboard but these i2c devices seem to only be for PCB boards which means that I would need a development board for it. Once I got that I can test a circuit setup on the ATmega328PB and/or on a Raspberry Pi.

There is a kernel driver for the TCA8418 and I have used it with the Raspberry Pi. This chip should work just fine with the PinePhone. My dts overlays used for the raspi are at https://mozzwald.com/raspi/ and there is a spreadsheet there I used to help figure out my matrix for the dts.

I have a QFN24 breakout board available on OSH Park that you can put the TCA8418 on and use it with a breadboard.

I got the PCB Board delivered but do you have a schematic for the PCB Board?

[Corfromleuven]

Is it not more interesting to use a E-Ink display instead of a physical keyboard? If you do it als a slider it would be quite innovative as well. It offers a lot of advantages: everybody could design their own key layout. When not used as a keyboard, you could use it to take notes with a e-pen or read e-books. Some e-ink displays are even quite good at displaying basic colors and there exist backlit versions as well. It also is quite impressivly lean on energy to keep it going.

[ryo]

Maybe like this?

[Jame5]

I have a design I'd like to submit, where should I submit it?