Minimal 65% custom keyboard with dual encoders, OLED.
It all started when I was bored of the flashy, RGB-overloaded prebuilt boards. I didn’t want anything too loud or gamer coded just a clean, minimal board that I could carry, code on, or chill and type without distractions. So one night, while playing around on EasyEDA, I decided to just go for it.I started off by drafting a clean schematic. Nothing fancy—just sixty-something keys, standard matrix setup, and a few extras. I placed footprints for 61 hot-swap switches, 1N4148 diodes, and rotary encoders on the right. I also added an OLED screen bang in the middle top so I could use it to show layers, typing speed, or whatever random pixel art I wanted.
Once the schematic was locked, I poured around 5 hours laying out the PCB manually. I kept the traces tidy, respected the row-column rules, and made sure the diodes weren’t flipped—because trust me, debugging that later is a headache. I used the Pro Micro as the brain again, because it’s affordable and works well with QMK. For extra support, I added mounting holes around the edges, just in case I decide to go screw-mount later. Once done, I exported the Gerbers and sent the board off to JLCPCB with a matte black solder mask. It cost me peanuts for 5 boards.
This board has a solid layout that feels like a cross between a 65% and a productivity board. I kept the encoder knobs top right they’re handy for media, volume, or layer switching. The OLED is 0.91" and uses I²C, wired directly to SDA/SCL on the Pro Micro. It’s compact, but adds a lot of charm. Just seeing something on screen makes the board feel alive.
For the enclosure, I opened up Fusion 360 and made a simple two-part shell—just a base and a low-profile top. I left cutouts for the encoders and OLED, and slots on the side for USB access
ive added a cool pattern for base , and added a secret code on top which says keval is cool
| Component | Source & LinkLink | Qty | Total Cost (INR) | Total Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateron Blue Mechanical Switches | CosmicByte.in | 61 | ₹2,250 | $27 |
| PBT Keycaps (Black) | Neomacro.in | 61 | ₹2,300 | $28 |
| Kailh Hot-swap Sockets | Neomacro.in | 61 | ₹1,275 | $15 |
| Rotary Encoders | ShaarviElectronics | 2 | ₹350 | $4.2 |
| Encoder Knobs | ShaarviElectronics | 2 | ₹200 | $2.4 |
| 0.91″ OLED Display | Amazon.in | 1 | ₹600 | $7.2 |
| Pro Micro (ATmega32U4) | Amazon.in | 1 | ₹850 | $10.2 |
| 1N4148 Diodes (100 pcs) | ShaarviElectronics | 1 | ₹85 | $1 |
| Custom PCB (5 pcs, Black) | JLCPCB | 5 | ₹2,450 | $29 |
| Shipping | JLCPCB | 1 | ₹420 | $5 |
| Total | ₹11,330 | ~$129 |
uhmm running a custom QMK build with:
- Layer 0: Standard QWERTY
- Layer 1: Media controls, encoder scroll
- Layer 2: Function + macros
- OLED: Layer display, typing animation
- Encoders: One for volume (tap = mute), one for scroll (tap = layer toggle)
QMK source files are added