HardLabs

Hexboard

hephaestushex·HexBoard·pcb_right/hexboard.kicad_pcb

Hexboard PCB layout, top view — open source Nordic nRF board by hephaestushex
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About the Hexboard PCB

Hexboard is an open source Nordic nRF PCB design by hephaestushex, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 121.4 × 97.6 mm, with 39 components from 5 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the XIAO-NRF52840-SMD, from the Nordic nRF family. By type, the board carries 19 switches, 18 diodes, 1 IC and 1 connector.

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

From the project

A split keyboard designed by HephaestusHex.

A wireless split keyboard designed by HephaestusHex. It uses the SEEED Studio XIAO nRF52840 for wireless bluetooth connectivity

I made this split keyboard because it was a great project for learning PCB design, ergonomics, case design, keyboard firmware, and more. I wanted to make a split keyboard specifically because during my research, I found it's better than a regular keyboard because of ergonomics that I won't get into. Ben Vallack has videos that gets into the details.

Hexboard, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Hexboard

XIAO-NRF52840-SMD

Hexboard bill of materials (BOM)

39 components, 5 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
XIAO-NRF52840-SMD
XIAO-nRF52840-SMD
U2
1
CONN_01X02_PIN
Conn_01x02_Pin
J1
18
SW_PUSH_45DEG
SW_Push_45deg
SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8 +10
1
SW_SPDT
SW19
18
1N4148
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 +10

Hexboard design files

The KiCad project lives in the hephaestushex/HexBoard repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Hexboard: common questions

What microcontroller does the Hexboard use?

The Hexboard is built around the XIAO-NRF52840-SMD, from the Nordic nRF family.

How big is the Hexboard PCB?

The Hexboard measures 121.4 × 97.6 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Hexboard?

39 components, from 5 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 Hexboard design files?

From the hephaestushex/HexBoard 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 Hexboard design in my own project?

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

Can I test firmware for the Hexboard 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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