HardLabs

Apex

HashirX-ux·Apex·pcb/apex-pcb_design.kicad_pcb

Apex PCB layout, top view — open source Nordic nRF board by HashirX-ux

About the Apex PCB

Apex is an open source Nordic nRF PCB design by HashirX-ux, published on GitHub under the MIT license. It is a 4-layer board measuring 516.6 × 112.1 mm, with 478 components from 23 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the nRF52840, from the Nordic nRF family. Other key parts include the ER_OLEDM0.91_1x-I2C, USBLC6-2SC6, MCP73831-2-MC and 74AHCT125. By type, the board carries 225 diodes, 121 capacitors, 113 switches, 8 resistors, 5 ICs and 2 connectors.

It belongs with the keyboards, iot & wireless and power & battery designs in this gallery.

From the project

Apes is a wireless keyboard built for productivity.

Apex is a custom 112 key full size wireless mechanical keyboard I designed from the ground up after building a macropad and deciding a store bought board would never feel like mine.

The PCB is designed in KiCad, the case in FreeCAD, and the firmware is on ZMK.

On top of a standard full size layout it adds:

- a 0.91" SSD1306 OLED (128×32, I²C) for layer / battery / connection status - an EC11 rotary encoder with push switch (volume and extras) - an onboard buzzer driven by a 2N3904 - per-key SK6812 Mini E reverse mount RGB

Apex, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Apex

ER_OLEDM0.91_1x-I2CUSBLC6-2SC6MCP73831-2-MCnRF5284074AHCT125

Apex bill of materials (BOM)

478 components, 23 distinct parts.

QtyPartRefs
1
ER_OLEDM0.91_1x-I2C
U1
1
USBLC6-2SC6
U2
1
MCP73831-2-MC
U3
1
nRF52840
U4
1
74AHCT125
U5
1
2N3904
Q1
1
32MHz
Y1
1
USB_C_Receptacle_USB2.0_16P
J1
1
1500mAh
J2
1
Buzzer
BZ1
1
500mA
F1
112
SW_Push
SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8 +104
1
SW_Push
SW114
112
1N4148
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 +104
1
LED
D113
112
SK6812MINI-E
D114, D115, D116, D117, D118, D119, D120, D121 +104
2
12pF
C1, C2
119
100nF
C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10 +111
3
10k
R1, R2, R8
2
5.1k
R5, R6
Show 3 more
QtyPartRefs
1
1k
R7
1
1k
R9
1
330R
R10

Apex design files

The KiCad project lives in the HashirX-ux/Apex repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Apex: common questions

What microcontroller does the Apex use?

The Apex is built around the nRF52840, from the Nordic nRF family.

How big is the Apex PCB?

The Apex measures 516.6 × 112.1 mm, has 4 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Apex?

478 components, from 23 distinct parts. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Apex design files?

From the HashirX-ux/Apex repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout and the schematic; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Apex design in my own project?

Yes, under the terms of its MIT license, which HashirX-ux chose for the repository.

Can I test firmware for the Apex without the hardware?

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

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