One layout, one love
Being frequently on the move for work and pleasure the HHKB series of keyboards have always been part of my peripheral collection and the lack of customizability in the HHKB Professional 2 series beyond what the DIP switches offered made me think that it was time to make a replacement PCB for it.
The EC Pro 2 is a replacement kit that offers full customization of the layout thanks to Vial/VIA compatibility and adds some perks, like RGB strip support and dedicated controllers with and without the USB hub (which was improved too).
PCB Front
PCB Back
Comparison between OEM Hub Controller (top), EC Pro 2 Lite Controller (middle) and EC Pro 2 Hub Controller (bottom)
Mainboard in a HHKB Pro 2 housing.
Mainboard and Lite controller in a S60 case
Mainboard with an RGB strip inside a Norbauer HG GOFC housing
RGB effect
“Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. When America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces.”
Eiiti Wada