I hinted at the release of a new product in the last blog post, and while the release took a few more weeks than I anticipated, it's finally here: the Halcyon Series. Let's dive right into what's new since the last update!
This post has gotten big enough that it warrants a table of contents, brace yourself for some keyboard lore:
- Halcyon Series
- USB cables and adapters
- New documentation site
- New Composer
- New Firmware Finder
- Closing words
Want to receive your items in time for Christmas? Be sure to order by Thursday, December 19th with DHL Express or FedEx Priority. You'll be able to see the expected transit times during checkout. We'll keep shipping items until Tuesday, December 24th. We do not have an order backlog, so we don't expect delays in packaging orders, though shipping carriers may be busier than expected during these days.
We'll be unavailable over the holidays between December 25th and January 5th. If you place an order within this time, your items will ship once we resume shipping on January 6th.
I'll still try to keep up with the support tickets in the meantime. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Halcyon Series
Let's quote this piece from the Halcyon Kyria product page, before I dive into more detail:
The Halcyon Series is a series of keyboards that combine what we've learned about split keyboards since 2019 into a unified premium range. That means that you can depend on great quality, complete documentation and shared features such as hot-swappable switches, per-key RGB and RGB underglow, USB C interconnect, and much more.
Unique to the Halcyon Series are its modules, which enable you to add functionality to your keyboard without having to solder. You can choose from a color LCD TFT display, rotary encoder or even a Cirque trackpad! All keyboards in the series use the same standard, so modules can be reused across them, and more modules will be released as we expand the series, which will be backwards compatible.
The Halcyon keyboards come with wired controllers based on the RP2040 chip, which support QMK and Vial firmware. They are cold-swappable so they can be reused, replaced or upgraded in the future. You can read all the specifications further down this page.
Let's break that down. What is the series, actually? What did we learn about split keyboards, and why is this our next step? And what will the series ultimately be?
What is the Halcyon Series?
The Halcyon Series consists of three parts which together form a whole:
- It's a series of keyboard circuit boards which form the basis of a Halcyon keyboard.
- It's a cold-swappable controller which is used across all Halcyon keyboards.
- And it's a series of modules, which can be used across all Halcyon keyboards.
At the moment, there's one controller available, based on the RP2040 chip. This means that all Halcyon keyboards can only be used wired, using USB C to C cables.
Designing a wireless controller might be possible. We designed the circuitry in a way as to (theoretically) support a wireless controller. Development on a wireless controller starts in 2025. However, I cannot guarantee that Halcyon keyboards that are available before the eventual release of the wireless controller will be backwards-compatible with it. I also cannot guarantee that a wireless controller becomes available at all. For now, let's assume the Halcyon Series keyboards will be wired only–if that happens to change in the future, that would be a nice bonus!
What we learned
I started splitkb.com in 2019. Together with my coworkers, we've designed, sold and supported a number of products, including DIY kits, preassembled kits and even a few group buys. There are many lessons that we've applied to the new Halcyon Series. Here are the most important ones:
- Many people want keyboards, but they can't or don't want to solder. To meet that demand, we released the Elora last year, and ultimately manufactured two production runs. Because the release of Halcyon was drawing closer, we held off on restocking it, because the next version will be the Halcyon Elora.
- Modules are neat, but they need to stay simple. The Elora introduced the Myriad system with it, which enabled you to swap out a module without having to solder. However, the Myriad modules required their own on-board memory, delicate and sophisticated firmware support, and drastic hardware changes to the keyboard. Adding Myriad support to a new keyboard would take multiple months, and as a very small company, we have neither the time nor money to invest in such projects.
- Standardisation is key. We released the Aurora Series in 2022, which provided DIY kits with a common feature set, a common set of parts, and a common process to assemble and use them. Being able to consolidate our efforts proved to be very important in being able to keep up with orders, support efforts and inventory management. It made the kits easier to understand for people, and easier to manage for us.
- First time right saves a lot of time. The Elora release was a bit rushed. It released without complete documentation, and the initial firmware contained some bugs that we really should have caught in testing. A lot of time had to be spent to support our customers and ensure that everyone had a working product, which could all have been avoided had we invested more time up-front.
- ESD damage is rare, but real. Electrostatic discharge is something that happens without you knowing it. Sometimes you do feel a zap, but it happens even if you don't feel it. Zapping your keyboard can cause it to stop working as expected, leading to a key, row or column not working overnight. I'm glad that it doesn't happen frequently, but I wanted to take this chance to see if we could eliminate the problem once and for all.
- Audio jacks cause pain. The Elora used TRRS jacks and required the use of TRRS cables, while the Aurora Series only require TRS cables to connect both halves of the split keyboard together. Both cables suffer from the same design flaw, which is that they cause electrical shorts when you unplug them while you have the keyboard plugged in. Back in the olden days of using AVR-based controllers for keyboards, that was only a small issue, as they were designed to take a beating. The new ARM-based controllers such as the RP2040 are more fragile however, and frequently died when "hot" unplugging a keyboard. Despite warnings in the manual and build guides, the mistake is easily made and happens to the best of us.
How we applied what we learned
Of course, just learning isn't very useful: we need to apply what we learned so you (and ourselves) can experience the benefits.
We ruthlessly filtered the requirements of the project. I asked myself for each aspect of the keyboard: is it necessary, and is it the simplest way to do it? Is it elegant? The simplest solutions only seem simple in hindsight, and we really did have to go through the release of the Aurora Series as well as the Elora to be able to arrive at the end result that is now the Halcyon Series.
We greatly simplified the specifications of the modules. They now no longer come with on-board memory, which was used by the firmware to detect which module was used. Instead, you'll need to flash a module-specific firmware file to each half. To make it easy for you to find those files, I programmed a new Firmware Finder tool which helps you find the right file in just a few clicks. Removing the on-board memory saves costs, but more importantly it saves a lot of complexity in both the production process (as a unique file had to be flashed to each module) as well as the firmware (which now only needs to support a single module at a time, instead of all of them).
We designed the modules with all Aurora Series keyboards in mind. Where Myriad required an M.2 form-factor card, and thus required a lot of space, the Halcyon Modules are small: exactly the size of a Pro Micro, which is what most DIY kits were based on. This means that the new modules can be applied to any keyboard that uses a Pro Micro now.
The modules use an existing standard: VIK. Sadek Baroudi designed a standard for modules so that they can be shared across keyboards. It's very powerful: the standard itself is easy to implement, doesn't take much space on a keyboard or module, and doesn't add costly parts either. While the standard is by far not as powerful as Myriad is, it's more than capable enough to provide useful, cool and unique modules. In other words, Myriad was overengineered for what it needed to do, and the price was having to abandon it earlier than I hoped to.
We documented the development process. Instead of making a keyboard that supports modules and figuring out the rest later, we ensured that we are able to apply the Halcyon process to more keyboards over time. As such, we thoroughly documented all the steps we have to take to make a Halcyon Series keyboard, from its initial design all the way to firmware support. We already have working prototypes for the Elora with MX switches, and prototypes for some other keyboards are currently in production, proving that this new process works!
We kept the complexity to the controller. Similar to how DIY kits rely on the controller for most of the complexity, we did the same for this series of preassembled keyboards. It's essentially a simplified version of a Raspberry Compute Module. This allows us to design new keyboards more quickly, but it also allows us to cope with changes in the future: instead of having to redesign all keyboards, we can now update only the controller, and still have it work across all keyboards.
The controller is now ESD resistant. Electrostatic discharge is a complicated thing, especially for what is ultimately still a keyboard kit. The zaps travel through conductive parts and even a short distance through the air. To fully prevent zapping the sensitive bits, we'd have to fully enclose the keyboard with a case and enough air between the case and the circuitry. We weren't able to do that yet, but we did do the next best thing: we applied specific circuitry to negate the effects of ESD damage on each input and output pin, including the switch matrix as well as both USB ports. We also added a component that grounds the top plate to the circuit board, giving zaps an easier path to pass through which we can protect better.
We now use USB C to connect both keyboard halves together. Made possible by preassembling the keyboard as well as a rigorous semi-automatic testing process, we now use USB C connectors both to connect each half together as well as to connect the keyboard to the host device. The cables can be plugged in and out at will, preventing the shorting issues that affect TRS and TRRS cables. We made sure that it's safe to plug in the cable wherever, too: if you connect the interconnect cable to the computer instead, it'll simply not work, instead of causing damage.
Phew, that's a lot! And it wasn't even everything, but I don't want to write a book here. Let's keep it at that 😉
The future of Halcyon
I've broken the news on this new series on our Discord server a few weeks ago. Someone had a valid point of feedback: the Elora was released only a year ago with its own module system, and now it's essentially dropped in favour of the Halcyon Series. What gives?
And to that I say, you're right! It's rather painful to put in the effort of creating a new keyboard and a set of modules, ensuring they're all supported, only to then drop it a year after. The development of the Elora along with the Myriad system took a little over three years, after all. What a waste!
The core issue was rooted in development costs. Taking multiple months to port a module system to a new keyboard might be okay for a flagship product, but we sell many different keyboards, and those have various versions at that. It's not doable to spend months on all but the most popular keyboards.
By standardising the process and making sure that we're able to port the module system over to a wide range of keyboards, we greatly lowered the investment needed to add more keyboards to the Halcyon Series. In turn, this sharply decreased the barrier to start adding more keyboards to the series, which is exactly what we're busy with at the moment.
The future of Halcyon is bright. I can see us supporting many more keyboards in the series, with the Halcyon Elora (MX) releasing in early 2025, and more keyboards will follow after (like the Halcyon Kyria Choc, and the Halcyon Corne).
As we're busy adding more keyboards to the series, we'll want to add more modules, too. We have a big wish list of possible modules, from simple ones like a nav-hat (a 4, 5, 8 or even 9-way button) to more complicated ones such as gesture sensors, and I'm sure we'll be able to realise more of them over time. The best thing about the modules is that they can be used with any Halcyon keyboard, so the more keyboards we add to the series, the more likely it is that developing a new module is worth it.
Next to adding more modules, I'd like to provide better firmware support for existing modules in the future. In particular, the TFT LCD display has a lot of possibilities that we haven't explored yet. Where it currently displays the status or an animation, it could do much more. I'm excited to see which customisations the community will work on, and I'm excited to see what we'll be able to do ourselves in the coming years!
USB cables and adapters
The Halcyon Series use a USB C to C cable to connect the halves together. USB C interconnect has been a much requested feature, and has been on our own wish list for a long time, too. We're glad to have it! However, we used to only stock TRRS cables, so where do we get new USB C cables from?
It turns out that USB C to C cables that are fit to use with split keyboards are hard to find. They're often too long, don't have angled connectors, or are simply too expensive - it's not hard to find a USB cable that costs upwards of €15.
I decided to have our own USB cables made. After a few trial runs with different manufacturers, we were able to settle on a manufacturer that provides consistent quality cables, all with a consistent and matching finish, bundled with a velcro cable tie and packaged in a way that's easy for us to handle. All of this resulted in nice nylon braided cables, with almost no packaging and handling waste. I'm pleased with the results!
We now stock a small selection of cables, all in black (black is the new black, after all):
- USB C to C cables with elbow connectors, meant to connect the two halves. It's available in 25cm for a nice and short cable, and in 50cm for when you require more flexibility.
- A USB C to C cable with straight connectors, mean to connect the keyboard with your host device of choice. It's 1 meter in length. It can of course be used to connect both keyboard halves too, though it's a little long for that.
- A USB C to A adapter, for when your host device of choice doesn't have a USB C port, but does have a USB A port. Simple and effective.
New documentation site
Hinted at in the last blog post, the new documentation site has been live for the past few weeks and has seen some slight updates in the meantime. It's easy to use, and overal I'm very happy with how it turned out.
As part of the migration, I've updated all of the documentation pages with extra information, made my recommendations more accurate, and made many pages easier to find. Like just about all the announcements in this post, arranging all of it was rather a lot of work, but I find the end result to have been very much worth the effort!
The new documentation site features many quality of life improvements. Most noticeable are the new search feature, a table of contents on every page, being able to link to headings by clicking on them, zooming in on images. A big one for us: we're now able to nest folders multiple levels deep, so now the build guide, schematics, changelogs and other relevant documentation is all kept together with the product it belongs to. Finally!
New Composer
A new composer! At the time of writing, it only supports the Halcyon Kyria, but I'm very close to finishing support for the existing Aurora Series keyboards as well.
The new Composer is built dynamically, meaning that it grabs all product information directly from the shop (from Shopify, through their GraphQL API), including their relationships, capabilities and requirements. This means that I'll no longer have to manually update the code whenever a product gets added, changed or removed. What you see in the Composer is the full range that's also available through the shop itself, so you won't be missing out anymore!
Aside from the technical aspects, the new Composer offers printable layout testers for all supported keyboards, provides frequently asked questions and answers for each step, and has many quality of life improvements such as dark mode and full keyboard navigation. I'm hyped to see the new version replace the current one within the next few weeks!
The new Composer can be used at its current temporary location. Within the next few weeks, it'll replace the current version, and become available at composer.splitkb.com as you're used to.
New Firmware Finder
The new Composer also has a new Firmware Finder within it, which helps you... find the firmware file you need. It's that simple! The current site did the job, but with the new Halcyon Series requiring a separate file per half depending on the keyboard as well as the installed module, I figured it was time for an upgrade.
By answering a few questions, you can find and download the appropriate file. It skips any questions that wouldn't impact the number of results so you can find the file in just a few clicks. Quick and easy!
Closing words
This Winter update was action-packed for sure! We've been working on the Halcyon Series since September 2023, so it's been a little over a year in the making. I'm so happy to finally be able to show you what our efforts have resulted in!
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the people who have worked with me, both on this project and within splitkb.com itself:
- Leah spent her last few months at our company to lay the groundwork for the wired Halcyon controller. It took a while, but it's here! 🎉
- Harvey spearheaded the efforts to create the first Halcyon keyboards, documenting the development process in the... process 😎 He also developed the firmware support on top of QMK and Vial, and wrote most of the documentation for the Halcyon Series available on our documentation site.
- Nicole is invaluable in our day to day work by answering most of your questions and handling administrative work. She also made the pictures for all the Halcyon product pages!
- Monique is the driving force, as she makes, kits, picks and packs just about all of your orders with equal love and care.
- The contributors to QMK, Vial and ZMK for providing the basis on top of which we can support our keyboards. It wouldn't be possible without your continued efforts!
Last but not least, I of course need to thank you! Ultimately, you're the one we're doing all this work for, so I hope you'll enjoy our new keyboard series for many years to come.
If you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask them on our Discord server, or send an email to support@splitkb.com. We're always happy to help!
Thank you for reading all this, and see you at the next update! ❤️
