Ergodox EZ neo

This is an implementation of the German neo-layout for the QMK firmware for the Ergodox EZ Keyboard.

Features

Neo:

• no userland neo layout required
• supports Caps-Lock via pressing both Shift keys at the same time
• supports lowercase ß and uppercase ẞ
• supports Unicode (neo layers 5/6) on Linux via ibus
• keypad on Layer 4 sends keypad keycodes

• Num-Lock is always enabled
  • if it is disabled, it'll be enabled again by sending a Num-Lock key press
  • required by neo layer 4 keypad

• sends Win+Shift+(1-0) instead of Win+Neo2 characters to support i3-wm move to workspace
• on layer 5 writes capital Greek letters if CapsLock is active
• button to switch sent keycodes to support both userland de and us keyboard layouts

QWERTZ / QWERTY:

• qwertz for gaming such that key remapping isn't required for each game
• qwertz / qwerty switch (via same switch to toggle de / us for neo)

Steno / Plover:

• layer for English stenography
  • requires userland-driver Plover
  • uses GeminiPR protocol for English
• support for both English and German (English via TX Bolt and German via GeminiPR?)

• (onboard translation not possible due to very small flash of the keyboard)

Others:

• F1-F12 Keys, Media Keys and Mouse Keys on extra layer

• NKRO enabled
• correct tri layers for neo layers 5/6 (manually implemented, not using update_tri_layer_state)

• Applies the qmk/qmk_firmware#2710 patch to allow rolling <> and similar
• Switch between UC_WIN and UC_LNX
• Compose onboard

RGB Matrix / Lighting:

• different RGB light per layer
• for the F-Media and Steno layers only light up used keys
• add special lighting for qwertz / qwerty

Build

1. Install an environment for AVR or/and ARM development as described in https://docs.qmk.fm/.
2. Clone the Ergodox EZ fork of qmk_firmware by zsa, making sure to also fetch submodules (--recurse-submodules) from https://github.com/zsa/qmk_firmware/.
3. Copy this repository's src folder to qmk_firmware/keyboards/ergodox_ez/keymaps/neo-oberien.
4. Change directory to qmk_firmware.
5. Setup QMK's environment by following the instructions at https://docs.qmk.fm/#/newbs_getting_started?id=set-up-your-environment.
6. Test that the environment is completely set up by running make ergodox_ez:default.
7. Actually build this repository's firmware by running make ergodox_ez:neo-oberien.
8. Install and set up the flash tool by following its guide at https://ergodox-ez.com/pages/wally.
9. Flash the firmware

On Arch Linux:

pacman -S base-devel gcc unzip wget zip avr-gcc avr-binutils avr-libc dfu-util arm-none-eabi-gcc arm-none-eabi-binutils arm-none-eabi-newlib git dfu-programmer dfu-util
git clone https://github.com/zsa/qmk_firmware/
cp -r src qmk_firmware/keyboards/ergodox_ez/keymaps/neo-oberien
cd qmk_firmware
sh util/qmk_install.sh
make ergodox_ez:default
make ergodox_ez:neo-oberien
pikaur -S zsa-wally
zsa-wally

Related Work

QMK Links:

• QMK Features
• QMK Documentation

Keyboard Layouts:

• coderkun_neo2: neo-layout with userland driver active; writes qwertz characters to be mapped by the userland driver (the PMN layer writes neo directly); Layers 1/(2)/4

• neo2--tschulte: neo-layout in firmware; Layers 1/(2)/3/4

• osx_neo2: Neo2 for OSX; All in all pretty good; Layers 1/2/3/4, QWERTY, Fn

• not-quite-neo: Defines neo for both Planck and Ergodox Infinity with tradeoffs; A lot of macro magic; Layers 1/2/3/4, Fn

• Discussion around Ergodox Neo2

• Neo for the Maltron

• German: default German keyboard layout for the Ergodox EZ