Test the keymat!

[SneHebNor]

Use case when using it as a keyboard is fairly clear actually, they become left Shift, Fn, and Ctrl and Alt.

Ah, sure! :~)

What did you dislike about them, the positioning or how they felt to press? IIUC the latter will be different once the buttons actually connect with the switches on the PCB.

Yes, they did not work well. Might be much better when the Pyra is complete.

 

[levi]

It's my understanding that the shoulder button plastics don't line up with the shoulder button switches on the PCB - one of them is an older revision than the other. All you can really say regarding them in this round of keymat tests is whether you think they'd be easy to find, because pressing them should be entirely different.

 

[Neelix]

If I understood what ED was saying earlier, it's not that they don't line up so much as that the buttons just can't be depressed far enough to make contact with the switches.

-Neelix

 

[EvilDragon]

1. My colleagues and I have strong reservations about the height of the main PCB. With the permanent stress by keyboard, USB ports, SD card slots etc. tiny connections will break sooner or later. This can be prevented by a thicker PCB. E.g. ≥ 1.5 mm.

Actually, I've never seen a 1mm thick PCB break inside a mobile device :O
Never happened on the Pandora and I've never seen that anywhere else.
There's not really much force applied on the PCB anywhere...

Any particular reason for that concern?

 

[Kev2442]

I'll add to that that most force applied to the PCB (pulling an USB device) would come from the side. Not actually bending it, right ?
I just noticed, the shoulders aren't labeled ! Shouldn't we fix that for production ? Shouldn't we care ? Is this even possible anyway ?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I'll add to that that most force applied to the PCB (pulling an USB device) would come from the side. Not actually bending it, right ?
I just noticed, the shoulders aren't labeled ! Shouldn't we fix that for production ? Shouldn't we care ? Is this even possible anyway ?

This can be fixed by referring to them as LI, LO, RI, and RO. Left Inner, Left Outer, Right Inner, and Right Outer. That way they don't need to be labeled.

 

[Grench]

I wonder where the [SPACE] is? With the compose key?

It is the Double Wide trailer key on the lower right.
[doublepost=1494557887,1494557036][/doublepost]

I just noticed, the shoulders aren't labeled ! Shouldn't we fix that for production ? Shouldn't we care ? Is this even possible anyway ?

Quick. Someone make some label stickers using the meme font so they work on any color case so those so inclined can stick them to the bach of the screen lid upside down so they can see them by flipping the Pyra closed. Which one should print over the other? Someone do a mockup quick so we can debate these forgotten keboard symbols!

Seriously, I may take a calligraphy sharpie and write on the keyboard side of the hinge the letters SCAP or PACS or CAPS. Whatever the ordering ended up being when it was hashed out.

 

[Kev2442]

@Silent-Hunter : Good idea, makes for a change instead of "L2"-styled naming. I was thinking more of its OS use as Shift, Ctrl and so on.

@Grench : You're right. We wouldn't even be able to read these. I thought about controllers, but you can easily twist them to have a look. And for instance, a PlayStation controller can be hold without any fingers on either L1/R1 or L2/R2.
The Pyra bumpers are meant to be optional, right ? So if one thinks of it like a controller/handheld game console, that person would instinctively wrap their fingers around, just like an NDS. Otherwise, they don't need the labelling for buttons they won't use anyway.

All in all, we most probably don't need them to be labeled on the case, but we may have to think of a naming convention for the manual or the first-time welcome in order to explain the default association to the user (like "RO is R-Ctrl and RI is AltGr").

 

[Neelix]

Or you know you could just call them L1, L2, R1, and R2 and label them as such, along with their keyboard modifier definitions in the instruction pamphlet, Put a similar diagram on the default wallpaper for good measure.
The buttons have very distinctive styling, so you could probably just use the lower left and right corners of the background image to show images of the buttons on that side of the unit with their definitions.

-Neelix

 

[SneHebNor]

Never happened on the Pandora and I've never seen that anywhere else.
There's not really much force applied on the PCB anywhere...

Any particular reason for that concern?

The products of our company are used (sometimes) by construction workers. Maybe this audience is different than the average Pandora/Pyra geek :~)
[doublepost=1494573898,1494570440][/doublepost]Another photo: https://framasphere.org/posts/3248839
[doublepost=1494575000][/doublepost]Two more photos: https://framasphere.org/posts/3249988
[doublepost=1494575257][/doublepost]All Pyra related stuff in Diaspora* is here: https://framasphere.org/tags/pyra (you can replace "framasphere.org" with any pod of your choice, of course)

 

[EvilDragon]

The products of our company are used (sometimes) by construction workers. Maybe this audience is different than the average Pandora/Pyra geek :~)

But you'd need to completely kill the case before you could break the PCB...

 

[gpb]

10-finger-writing on Pyra confirmed!

Spoiler

[doublepost=1494613025,1494612688][/doublepost]Yesterday, the hiking Pyra arrived Bielefeld and today I got her from the postal office.

I don't own a Pandora and never have seen one in real life, so this was my first contact with this form factor and what should I say?
Yes, she looks a little thick, when you leave her closed on the table. But as soon as you grabbed her with your hands, you will appreciate her curves!
Really, the feeling of the keys when typing on her is great. I am looking forward to get my full functional Pyra to code, ssh and surf the net with her.

Before she leaves to visit south of Germany, she took the time to play with young:

Spoiler

and old:

Spoiler

 

[second exodous]

I think for comfort the Pandora is probably the second most comfortable handheld I've owned. For me the GBA SP probably took the top spot but that is only because you can lay on your side and comfortably play it because it is so narrow your arms rest on each other. The only time I want to do that though is when I'm sick, too sick to sit up but need something to keep my mind off how sick I am.

 

[SneHebNor]

Two more Pyra photo links from Berlin, the last ones from my side:

https://framasphere.org/posts/3254573

https://framasphere.org/posts/3254726

Have fun and please post about Pyra in the Social Media, not only boring Facebook or Twitter etc., but in the cool, free, federated ones like Diaspora*, GNU Social, Identi.ca, Mastodon, Movin, Pump.io, Salutatoi, etc.

 

[rygD]

It wasn't until after I switched to using other handhelds (brick GB, and also the original DS) that I noticed the SP was a bit too small/thin to be totally comfortable for me, but it was great for carrying around, and not as tiny as the last member of the GB family.

The original DS felt optimal for usability when it came to the thickness of the base. The Pandora sometimes felt a bit on the thin side, but it is still ok. Neither of those is exactly comfortable in the pocket, though. I will probably like the Pyra in my hands. Not sure how well it will work out in my pocket.

 

[Grench]

Has the keymat sample arrived at it's next destination yet?

 

[levi]

Indeed, @gpb did you post it on yet?

@el joker have you received it yet?

I note this is the first time that assembled prototype is due to leave Germany, but I'd have thought post within the schengen zone wouldn't be all that slow.

 

[gpb]

According to the Trackingid the Pyra should have arrived on Tuesday.

 

[Sumpfmonster]

Yes... the keymat arrived, but it wasn't delivered to @el joker. I got inserted into the list after @EvilDragon posted it.

The keymat looks fine to me, the only problem I've spotted is that for example the W-key keeps sticking if you hold it down for a few seconds.
Also one shoulder button switch doesn't work anymore, because the shoulder button got pushed into the case. That probaply happened during the transport of the device.

I of course also took some pictures of it...
Old revisions:


Version without color/caps:


Case with current keymat:


Comparison to my other favourite handheld (and peripheral brain), a Ti Voyage 200.
The keys of the V200 need a bit more force to press and also have a shorter travel distance than the Pyra keys...


Now I don't know where to send it next, but I already sent an email to ED about that...

Edit: removed image with wrong rotation

 

[tarator]

@Sumpfmonster Nice photographs with a good depth of field. Thanks for sharing.


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