MechaCore

aryanprabhuin-ship-it·MechaCore·PCB/Mechacore.kicad_pcb

About the MechaCore PCB

MechaCore is an open source RP2040/RP2350 PCB design by aryanprabhuin-ship-it, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 298.8 × 136 mm, with 128 components from 14 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the RaspberryPi_Pico, from the RP2040/RP2350 family. By type, the board carries 66 switches, 61 diodes and 1 module.

It belongs with the keyboards designs in this gallery.

From the project

A Fully Custom-Built Keyboard with Striking Style

MechaCore is my custom 60% (61 key) wired mechanical keyboard, its built around a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 and a completely hand routed 2 layer PCB.

so basicaly i wanted to make a keyboard where i didnt just download somebody elses pcb and put switches in it.. i wanted to actualy understand the matrix, diodes, stabilizers, routing, plate tolerances and how the pcb fits inside a real printable case. i designed the layout, schematic, pcb and the full case from scratch using kicad + fusion 360 and ngl the case part took way more trys then i expected lol

MechaCore, from the project README — From the project README

Main components on the MechaCore

RaspberryPi_Pico

MechaCore bill of materials (BOM)

128 components, 14 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

Qty	Part	Footprint	Refs
1	RaspberryPi_Pico	RaspberryPi_Pico_Common_Unspecified	A1
46	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_MX_1u	SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8 +38
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_Cherry_MX_PCB_2.00u	SW14
2	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_MX_1.5u	SW15, SW28
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_MX_1.75u	SW29
2	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_Cherry_MX_PCB_2.25u	SW41, SW42
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_Cherry_MX_PCB_2.75u	SW53
7	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_MX_1.25u	SW54, SW55, SW56, SW58, SW59, SW60, SW61
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	SW_Cherry_MX_PCB_6.25u	SW57
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	STAB_MX_2u	SW62
2	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	STAB_MX_2.25u	SW63, SW64
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	STAB_MX_2.75u	SW65
1	SW_PUSH_45DEG SW_Push_45deg	STAB_MX_6.25u	SW66
61	1N4148W D	D_SOD-123	D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 +53

MechaCore design files

The KiCad project lives in the aryanprabhuin-ship-it/MechaCore repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

MechaCore: common questions

What microcontroller does the MechaCore use?

The MechaCore is built around the RaspberryPi_Pico, from the RP2040/RP2350 family.

How big is the MechaCore PCB?

The MechaCore measures 298.8 × 136 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the MechaCore?

128 components, from 14 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the MechaCore design files?

From the aryanprabhuin-ship-it/MechaCore repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the MechaCore design in my own project?

The repository has no license, so all rights stay with aryanprabhuin-ship-it. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.

Can I test firmware for the MechaCore without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug RP2040/RP2350 firmware against it before you order a PCB.