Make your own Roll-Up Keyboard

Have you ever wanted one of those pricy roll up keyboard but didn't want to spend the money? Here is a quick and dirty way to make your own.

Step 1: Tools & Materials

For this project you will need:

1 USB Keyboard
1 Screw driver with interchangable bits
Handful of small project sized nuts and bolts

Step 2: Deconstruction

Using the screwdriver deconstruct the keyboard.

Step 3: More Deconstruction:

Remove the keyboard's membrane switch pad and control board. The membrane consists of 3 separate layers tacked together.

Step 4: Assembly:

Using the rubber pad, plate and nuts & bolts, reassemble the membrane to the control board. Make sure that the traces of the membrane line up with the traces on the control board. If your keyboard had a socket and ribbon cable just reinsert the cable and you ready to label the keys.

Step 5: Complete:

After the long process of labeling the keys you are now ready to use your roll up flexible keyboard. Using a text editor check to make sure all your keys function. HINT: to save time label only the keys you use most, or learn to touch type :)

Comments

[pjain7]

can this be done with a ps/2 keyboard???
actually i thought about this some time ago.. searched it on the net but could not find this..

[ghmagm]

YES YOU CAN! I looked it up and found a schematic! However, its quite complicated.... The 6 pins on the ps/2 each have different purposes as you may know. 4 of them are exactly like the usb. So basically, this is the usb ====.
under the first "=" that is connector/line 4. the second = is 3 and so on. on the ps/2, the plastic should be on the top. the whole entire left side is going to be used.the very top one is going to 3 on usb, the middle to 4, and the bottom to 1. on the right side, the middle is going to 2. The final connects(soldering) is gonna be fun XD GOod luck!

[dlavie1]

Yap it also works.
It's not about the Plug. It's just about the membrane.
PS/2 and USB are the same (most of the time)

Greetings

[schumi23]

Anyone know if this coul dbe done with a laptop keyboard? not USB/PSP (has ribbon cable) OK, my question is more of "are there any adapters that exist?

[freakyqwerty]

Does anyone know if a dogy keyboard short circuits whether It will ruin a laptop/computer or not?

[ultralegomaster5096]

I won't save it, keyboards cost like $15 these days, and a used one might be even less...

[darkria 45]

what if you put a thin platic or silicone coating on this?

[LinuxH4x0r]

Cool! Now I have to get around to making my metal keyboard...

[gmjhowe]

metal keyboard?? man get it done! thats the kinda thing we wanna see.

[ElvenChild]

apple keyboard with metal keys would be awesome

[alvincredible]

amen, brotha!

[LinuxH4x0r]

But copper is so damn expensive! (I'll try to do it this summer if I'm not too busy)

[Plasmana]

What about copper tape?

[gmjhowe]

copper? what about aluminium? tho if you do use copper u could always use 2p coins. (if in uk that is)

[Plasmana]

Uhh, the newer 2p coins are copper plated steel... However, the older ones should be almost pure copper. ^{You can test the difference by using a magnet.}

[LinuxH4x0r]

Sure! I'll use them if you can make them into sheets for me! I'll just bite the bullet and get some.

[firelord88]

or you could just go to a computer store pick up a roll out one for $15

[Redgerr]

thats 15$ more than you need to spend if you happen to have a keyboard laying around... its also cooler if you said you built it yourself and it works! thats my opinion anyhow

[ipwnuall2]

hahaha boned.... Just Kidding! ;)

[Maxaxle]

That looks like the kind of thing that I would do on the weekend! But I don't wanna let go of my decent, although basic, keyboard quite yet. Besides, I prefer to use buttons over thin, touch-sensitive pads that leave your fingers sore from bumping the desk so much, lol .

[Kryptonite]

Hey, do you do HTML coding? just the way ou wrote <sarcasm> lol </sarcasm> is the same as you do affects and stuff when writing out a web page. The reason I ask is because if you do, I'd dearly like some tutoring. =P

[cyrozap]

Use Wikipedia.

[Kryptonite]

Jee, thanks for all that amazing help...

[loofkid]

 w3schools.com/html/default.asp has a very good tutorial. thats how i learned.

[Kryptonite]

I started web design this year, and that's the website we use mainly!

[cyrozap]

You're VERY welcome!

[jsvanriet]

hey just out of curiosity...You know how the sell silicon that people can use like artists and stuff to create molds and what have you not?  What if you placed this INSIDE of the silicon inside a mold as it was curing?  Anyone got any ideas/willing to be the guinea pig?  I have heard about silicone molds but have never tried or even know where to start...just throwing the idea out there for the more accomplished/inventive community members.

[Yellowsmiley]

One thing, the contacts on the circuit board and the keyboard membrane don't hold tightly together with anything i've tried (superglue the edges of the circuit board and the membrane, electrical tape). Anyone got any ideas?

[kingsmanname]

Umm Maybe Hot Glue? It Does Wonders!!!

[scratchr]

wire glue click here but carful it is unforgiving.

[Azayles]

melt the three layers together at strategic points using a soldering iron and an old bit.

[AwajiMan]

This is a great idea, but keep in mind that the labels for keys should be the size of the holes in the membrane contacts, not the size of the physical keys on the keyboard. For example, the space bar sits on top of a contact the same size as all the other keys on most membrane keyboards, and you would have to aim for that exact spot instead of the area where the space bar would normally be. Same for shift, tab, any other non-square key. Would require a lot more accuracy, and probably be slower to type on at first.

[thisiswhatwecalltragedy]

What kind of feedback should I expect? Do you press as hard as you would with a regular keyboard, not as hard, harder..?

[r0b3r7]

I need Help! I went out and got a cheap keyboard to see if this would work, and if it did use it because this idea is frikkin sweet. The keyboard i used is a Dynex multimedia keyboard, and it's frankly, not working too well, but that's because of me. One of the wires connecting the control board to the wire to the usb broke loose, and I'm trying my best to fix it. And, because I'm stupid i tried using superglue to get it back together, before realizing that superglue doesn't conduct electricity. What i need is for anyone to tell me if this project is beyond redemption and if it isn't howto fix it. thanks to anyone who helps

[r0b3r7]

I forgot to mention that i didn't actually connect the wire, i saved it just in time, thought superglue is all over the place where the wire connects to the control board. Please excuse my double posting

[A.C.E.]

reassemble it as good as you can and return it. say it is dead.

[matstermind]

solder it. wires are pretty easy to solder together.

[RicaPower]

can u use like 3 of the "membranes" to make a thick sturdy skin?

[Yellowsmiley]

Potentially you could, but all 3 membranes would need to be of the same brand and the circuitry needs to look the same, also your key reaction/your keys ability to actually react will decrease.

[cd41]

howed you print the key labels if you already took the keyboard apart?