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0 pointsfluffything5y ago0 comments

I think OP meant "Why does this keyboard need so much computing power". Most keyboards you can program use an AVR chip, which is more than enough, and you can also program that from Rust.

The jump from that to this ARMv5 CPU is similar to that from this ARMv5 to an Intel Xeon. And sure enough, if someone were to build a keyboard with an Intel Xeon, you could also program that from Rust. But the question still remains: why would anybody do that ?

0 comments

steveklabnik5y ago

So, this is 100% speculation, but....

Specifically, this has a STM32F303xC. Looks like (depending on quantity, of course), you're looking at $3 to $5. Their other well-known keyboard, the Ergodox EZ, uses an ATMEGA32U4-AU. It's also $3 or $4 on Mouser. I don't know what the actual BOM looks like in total, but it seems like this isn't significantly different in price? Especially at the likely volumes here?

I'm still new to this game, so maybe I'm missing something.

fluffythingOP5y ago

Thanks, this is an interesting discussion. I thought the arms would be much more expensive: https://www.reddit.com/r/olkb/comments/6wt6mi/evaluating_mcu...

steveklabnik5y ago

Nice, thanks for that link!

steveklabnik5y ago

EDIT: oops, you edited substantially from when I replied with what's below.

------------

That's correct, yes. I guess I didn't say that explicitly, but that's another decent reason to advertise this, it's not exactly the norm.

(And for my personal quest, the latest Rust nightlies do work on AVR!)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsfluffything5y ago0 comments

I think OP meant "Why does this keyboard need so much computing power". Most keyboards you can program use an AVR chip, which is more than enough, and you can also program that from Rust.

0 comments

steveklabnik5y ago

So, this is 100% speculation, but....

I'm still new to this game, so maybe I'm missing something.

fluffythingOP5y ago

Thanks, this is an interesting discussion. I thought the arms would be much more expensive: https://www.reddit.com/r/olkb/comments/6wt6mi/evaluating_mcu...

steveklabnik5y ago

Nice, thanks for that link!

steveklabnik5y ago

EDIT: oops, you edited substantially from when I replied with what's below.

------------

That's correct, yes. I guess I didn't say that explicitly, but that's another decent reason to advertise this, it's not exactly the norm.

(And for my personal quest, the latest Rust nightlies do work on AVR!)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse