Sanity Check Please - QMK capability confirmation

Hi all,

TL/DR: Ergo Split 36-key with per-key RGB and 2x 2 inch TFT screens, run by 2x BlackPill. Can QMK handle this?

I’m hoping someone can sanity check this for me before I go printing a PCB only to find there is no software capable of doing what I want without major code involvement.

My plan is for a split ergo keyboard with 36 keys (6 rows of 3 per hand, including the thumb cluster). Each key would have an SK6812-MINI-E RGB backlight, and would be run off a BlackPill controller in both sides. I was going to make the connection using a CAT6 patch cable, understanding I don’t need all 8 of the cables, but also that a patch cable clicks into place so a reduced chance of shorting anything by disconnecting the sides while still powered.

The gotcha is that I want to run 2x 2" OLED displays, one on each side. Specifically, they are the ST7789V GMT020-02 from Shenzhen GoldenMorning Electronic Co.,Ltd via AliExpress. I know that QMK has Quantum Painter LVGL Integration, and this should support a display. But can I run two independently of one another, one driven off the first BlackPill and the other off the second?

Feedback would be greatly appreciated on this! I have all of the hardware, other than the PCB and case. Before I spend too much time designing the PCB, I want to at least hear that it should be possible, as opposed to hearing that for a variety of reasons it’s an absolute non-starter.

TweetyDaBird,

Only thing to note is to check qmk docs if the screens controller is supported by default. If it is, it’s easy. If not it takes more work.

Construc_,
@Construc_@lemmy.world avatar

something people havent mentioned yet but that i ran into as a problem: qmk doesnt support per-key lighting in the sense that you cant have specific colours for each key. it supports per-key lighting in the sense that you can do effects, but you cant set the alphas to be a different colour from the ergo keys, for instance.

nydas,
@nydas@lemmy.world avatar

Ah good to know. But honestly, it’s just a bit of coloured back lighting I’m looking for.

TweetyDaBird,

Yes you can. But you have to address the rgbs as a true matrix which is a fair bit more work.

hazel,
@hazel@keeb.lol avatar

Yeah, this shouldn’t be a problem at all. tzarc’s Djinn is an example of dual screens.

nydas,
@nydas@lemmy.world avatar

Awesome, thank you!

nekusoul,
@nekusoul@lemmy.nekusoul.de avatar

As far as I know that’s how it should work by default. The functions for handling OLED displays are running on each half separately.

At least that’s how it worked when I recently built a Zygomorph 3 with a 128x32 I2C OLED display on each side. Shouldn’t be much different from your plan, except for the self-designed PCB of course.

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