SS Centurion a 39 keys, col staggered, 34 or 25 mm trackball keyboard
Thank you 
for sponsoring my wonderful StarShip Centurion design which tooks me forever to get it right. PCBWay is your one stop PCB prototype service. Their PCBA service is top notch. Whenever you are thinking of prototype your brilliant keyboard pcbs, PCBWay is your answer.
This keyboard is inspired from Le-Chiffre and Orbital. I never had the chance to print the Le-Chiffre pcb and always wanted one but with more features like a trackball integrated to it. The SS Centurion has more pinky stagger than the Le-Chiffre or the Orbital. The trackball location is located at the thumb area in order to make the keyboard more smaller profile and more compact. The trackball PMW3360 sensor VIK module is attached by hot glue or acrylic glue to the 3DP trackball holder from the bottom. PMW3360-XS VIK module is designed by Sadek of Fingerpunch and the 3DP trackball holder is designed by @ma_po_daisuki and his designs are being sold at his Booth store which cost around $10 cad. Go check it out and support him. The height of the trackball is adjusted using M2 standoffs and connected to the keyboard pcb by a ribbon cable to the VIK trackball module. This keyboard pcb is not VIK certified since I removed a couple of the pin connections in order to save myself the headache of routing those pin connections. The SS Centurion also have 20 RGB lights along the cut out "slots" of the case to make it look more like a starship. No encoder was added because the QMK code allows scroll lock for the trackball and I find the scroll lock is more used than the encoder itself and save some space to make the keyboard look more compact. The build of the SS Centurion requires a lot of DIY fixes so be warned if you decided to print is out and build your own. It is not perfect and don't expect it to be perfect. Print at your own risk and no support will be given. Also the 3DP trackball module screw holes are edited from the original in order to accomodate the M2 hot inserts. There are lots of workarounds for this build. I discovered them during building but the issues were fixed and is working.
Collaborated with Philip Lalonde (https://github.com/lalondeph/StarShip-Centurion-deskpad) to help design a keymat using SS Centurion's pcb outline and design it so that it has a FTL spaceship look. Go check out his other keymat works as well. This guy is very talented. The SS Centurion keymat is free for you guys to print at any shops that does custom keymat printing. I get mine printed at Aliexpress shop. Below are some keymat pictures:
For QMK firmware, use the Ploopy version since it has been tested and works smoothly. The code is less complicated compared to Aki27 Bally's. I have uploaded the Aki27 but I have not tested it. It does compiles with no issue. Test at your own risk.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1-lobTvvmZ/?igsh=d3Zudndwd214cmZk
RGB Lights - I used Costco parchment paper and glued it inside the case for the RGB slits to give it a warmer look or else super sharp and bright for the eyes.
Trackball Setup. Janky but works.
Workaround for miscalculated USB C port opening:
Sadek VIK XS Trackball Module PCB Required: Recommend SMD hot plate soldering. Manual hand soldering might cause you to rage quit.
For the SS Centurior build, orientate the PIN 1 to the bottom right corner. So the VIK connector will be on the other side. Another oversight. Unless you can manipulate the QMK code to have it rotate like the pic then kudos to you:
Test Fitting the Sadek's VIK XS pcb to the base of ma_po_daisuki trackball support holder
Hot Inserts DIY Fix. Insert Halfway to the side.
Switch Plate:
Pre-production Pics:
Top Case
PCB Renders
Fusion360 Renders
Mock Keycap Height Vs Trackball Reference
Pre-Chamfre Case
Sketch
KLE Mock Up
Physical Prototype Test
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StarShip Centurion by ProtieusKeebs is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0