Keyboardio Model 01 User manual
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
MODEL 01 QUICKSTART GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
[email protected] and we’ll work with you to figure out
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
a
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
a
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
[email protected] and we’ll work with you to figure out
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
[email protected] and we’ll work with you to figure out
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Keyboardio Model 01.
We’ve worked hard to build you the best keyboard we can.
We hope that you find it to be worthy of a place on your
desk or in your lap for years to come.
As you get used to your new keyboard, we’d welcome your
<3 Jesse + Kaia
CARING FOR YOUR HANDS
We’ve done our best to make typing on the Keyboardio
Model 01 as comfortable an experience as possible. Part of
that work was to make the two halves of the Model 01
independently adjustable. As you get used to your new
keyboard, you should experiment to find the most
comfortable angles and positions for typing. See the section
“Adjusting the Model 01” later in this guide.
Your hands are important! You only get one set. Please take
good care of them. Take frequent short breaks when typing.
If your hands hurt, stop typing and see a doctor. Typing,
whether on the Model 01 or any other keyboard, is bad for
your health and can cause or worsen debilitating repetitive
stress injuries.
CONNECTING THE MODEL 01
First, connect the two halves of the keyboard to each other
by plugging one of the included RJ45 cables into the port on
the side of each half. We’ve included two RJ45 cables; most
people will want to use the short one, but if you want to
separate the two halves more than a couple of inches use
the longer one.
Once that’s done, you can connect the Model 01 to your
computer with a USB cable. Just plug it in and start typing.
You don’t need any special drivers. The Model 01’s USB port
is a “Type-C” port. To plug the Model 01 into most
computers, use the USB A to Type-C cable included with
your keyboard.
To plug your Model 01 into a Type-C port on your computer,
you’ll need a Type-C to Type-C cable. If you want to plug
your Model 01 into an iOS or Android device, you’ll likely
need an adaptor.
We recommend that you disconnect the USB cable from the
Model 01 before you disconnect or reconnect the RJ45
cable.
We’ve tested the Model 01 with macOS, Windows, iOS, and
Android, as well as a variety of Linux distributions.
TYPING ON THE MODEL 01
Getting started
Learning a new keyboard layout can be an incredibly
frustrating endeavor. Don’t expect to be back up to your full
normal typing speed in the first few days or even the first
few weeks.
Like any new skill, typing on the Model 01 takes practice. We
recommend starting off with no more than 15 minutes of
typing at a time, early in the day. When you get frustrated or
start to feel fatigued, switch back to your regular keyboard.
If you’re comfortable diving right into work, feel free to go
for it, but we’d recommend getting comfortable with your
new keyboard before using it for “real-time” activities like
online chat and taking notes during a meeting.
One of the best ways to get started is with a typing tutor
app. There are numerous free and commercial typing tutor
applications. As of early 2017, a few of our free favorites are
Keybr.com and 10fastfingers.com (especially its “Top 1000”
mode). A paid option that is more of a beautiful, immersive
game than typing tutor is Epistory.
Home position
We designed the Model 01’s key layout to reduce the
amount of twisting and stretching involved in day-to-day
keyboard use. As a result, the layout is somewhat different
than a traditional keyboard. To help you find your way, you’ll
find “homing dots” on the home positions of your pinkies,
index fingers, and thumbs.
With the Model 01’s default layout, your left pinkie rests on ‘A’,
your left index finger rests on ‘F’, and your left thumb rests
on ‘Backspace’. Your right pinkie rests on ‘;’, your right index
finger rests on ‘J’, and your right thumb rests on ‘Space’.
A few notes on key labels
Apple and various PC makers use different labels to
represent the same behavior. We’ve chosen to label the
Model 01 in a way that makes sense to us:
Enter is Return on a Mac and Enter on a PC
Cmd is Cmd on a Mac and the Windows key on a PC
Alt is Option on a Mac and Left Alt on a PC
The butterfly is Right Option on a Mac and Right Alt on a PC
Bksp is Delete on a Mac and Backspace on a PC
(Fn-Bksp is Forward Delete on a Mac and Delete on a PC)
Function keys
One of the things that makes the Model 01 different is the
pair of function keys we’ve placed under your palms. Out of
the box, both function keys work the same: If you drop and
hold either palm onto the function key, the Model 01
switches into “function mode”.
H, J, K, L become your arrow keys
U, I, O, P become {, }, [, and ] respectively
W, A, S, D will move the mouse cursor
Numpad
The Model 01’s default layout includes an embedded
numpad. To access it, just tap the Num key in the
upper-right corner of the keyboard.
ADJUSTING THE MODEL 01
You can and should adjust the Model 01 to put your hands
and arms in a comfortable, neutral position while you’re
typing. This might include separating the two halves or
adjusting the angles of each half using the stands and/or
center bars.
The simplest Model 01 configuration is flat on the table,
without making use of the stands. You can optionally use the
flat center bar to keep the two halves firmly positioned
relative to each other (which is also nice if you’re using the
keyboard on your lap).
Using the stands
The Model 01 comes with a pair of identical angled stands.
To attach a stand to the keyboard, disconnect the keyboard
from your computer, then gently flip the keyboard over on
your desk. To make sure you don’t damage the keycaps or
wood, we recommend placing something soft under the
keyboard when you flip it over. Align the hole in the center
of the stand with the brass-colored tripod screw mount in
the middle of one side of the keyboard. Use the included
tripod screw to loosely attach the stand to the keyboard
base. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the
keyboard.
Carefully, flip the keyboard over.
Use one hand to steady the keyboard’s wooden enclosure
and use the other hand to rotate the stand until you find a
comfortable angle.
Once you’ve found the angle you prefer, lift the keyboard off
the table and tighten the tripod screws to lock the keyboard
in place. Be careful not to overtighten the screws.
Depending on how your computing setup is arranged, you
may prefer to “tent” the Model 01, with the middle higher
than the outside edges. You may also prefer to configure the
keyboard with the palm rests higher or lower than the keys.
You should never adjust your keyboard to make the outside
edges higher than the center, as this is considered to be
pretty bad for your hands and arms.
Using the center bars
Your Model 01 comes with two center bars that you can use
to connect both halves of the keyboard. You can use the
angled center bar to “tent” the middle of the Model 01 higher
than the outside edges.
To use the angled center bar on a desk, you need to use the
stands that come with the Model 01. If you’re going to put
the Model 01 in your lap, you can use the tented center bar
without the stands.
To attach a center bar, turn the keyboard over, then slide the
center bar in the direction of the arrows on the bottom of
the keyboard until it clicks into place. To remove the center
bar, just reverse that procedure.
Using tripods
The mounting hole on the bottom of each half of the
keyboard is a standard 1/4-20 camera tripod mount. If you
want to mount the Model 01 in an “interesting” configuration,
you can use the tripod mounts with an adjustable camera
tripod or custom hardware. The metal tripod mount is
molded into the plastic baseplates of the keyboard at
manufacturing time. It’s pretty sturdy, but we don’t
recommend stressing the mounts more than necessary.
CARING FOR YOUR MODEL 01
Cleaning
We’ve designed the Model 01 to be easy to care for. The
wood is sealed with polyurethane and does not require
treatment with oil or wax. If the wooden case, plastic base
plate, or keycaps need cleaning, we recommend unplugging
the keyboard and wiping it down with a cloth or paper towel
that has been slightly dampened with water. We recommend
against using any chemical cleaning products.
In the dreaded case of crumbs or lint falling into the
keyboard, we find canned air to be effective.
If you spill liquid into your Model 01, unplug it immediately
and turn the keyboard upside down to allow as much of the
liquid as possible to drain. You might also consider
unscrewing the wooden enclosure and wiping down the
inside of the keyboard with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Always allow electronics to dry before plugging them in.
Transport
Properly taken care of, your Model 01 should be a good
companion for many years.
When transporting your Model 01, make sure that the keys
are protected from scrapes, impacts, and gunk. We’ve found
that a roomy 13” laptop sleeve makes a great soft case.
If you separate the two halves of the keyboard for
transportation, disconnect the RJ45 interconnect cable to
reduce the chance of a strong tug hurting the connectors. If
you would prefer to keep the two halves of your keyboard
connected for transport, use only the flat center bar.
We strongly recommend disconnecting the stands (or
anything else) from the tripod mounts on the bottom of the
keyboard when packing it for transport.
FIRMWARE & CUSTOMIZATION
Customizing the key layout
Your keyboard ships with Keyboardio’s standard “QWERTY”
layout. Because the Model 01’s firmware is completely
customizable, it’s possible for you to change the functions of
some (or all) of the keys to suit your own usage.
You can download the tools to customize your keyboard’s
layout at http://keyboard.io/code. To find inspiration or help
with alternate key layouts, visit the Keyboardio community
forum at https://community.keyboard.io.
Controlling built-in LED lighting effects
Your Model 01 ships with a number of built-in LED lighting
effects. To cycle through them, tap the LED button in the
upper-right corner of the left side of the keyboard.
Source code
Kaleidoscope, the software that powers your Model 01, is
open source and made available under the terms of version 3
of the GNU General Public License.
We’ve designed Kaleidoscope to be easily customizable,
with an extensive library of plugins to add nifty features you
might find useful or entertaining.
You can read a full copy of the software license, download
the source code for Kaleidoscope, and learn more about
customizing key layouts and LED effects at
http://keyboard.io/code.
CABLES
USB Cable
The Model 01’s USB cable is a USB 2.0 cable with a USB
Type-C connector on the keyboard side.
Interconnect cable
The cable that connects the two halves of the Model 01 is
8P8C twisted pair cable with RJ45 connectors on either end.
If you need to replace the cable that came with your
keyboard, any “regular” Ethernet cable should work.
GETTING HELP
Keyboardio community
We maintain an online forum for customers at
https://community.keyboard.io. The forum is a great place to
connect with other Model 01 users, to talk about key layouts
and firmware modifications, and to get help with your Model
01.
Customer support
If you need help with your Model 01, please don’t hesitate to
you out.
WARRANTY AND REPAIR
Limited one-year parts and labor warranty
If you have purchased a new Model 01 from Keyboardio or
an authorized distributor, your keyboard is covered by a
limited one-year parts and labor warranty from your date of
purchase.
Opening your keyboard does not void your warranty
Your keyboard comes with a screwdriver. You can
use this screwdriver to disassemble your keyboard. Be
careful when doing this, as there are sensitive electronics
inside and damage to the electronics due to you poking at
them will void your warranty. The mere act of unscrewing
the parts of your Model 01, however, does not void your
warranty.
Replacing or updating your keyboard’s firmware does not
void your warranty
The Model 01’s firmware is open source. That means that
you’re free to modify it and, if you wish, to share your
changes. It’s also possible to replace our firmware entirely.
We’ve done a bunch of work to make sure that you can’t
“brick” (destroy) your keyboard just by flashing alternate
firmware. If you think that you might have bricked your
keyboard, please drop us a line and we can walk you through
recovery procedures.
That said, it is possible for custom firmware to do things that
will destroy your keyboard. If misbehaving custom firmware
destroys your keyboard, that voids your warranty.
Using the expansion connector does not void your warranty
You have the right to modify your Model 01. That means that
we’re ok with you changing the keyboard’s firmware and
doing unspeakable things to the keyboard’s circuit board. To
that end, we’ve provided an “expansion” connector inside
the left side of the Model 01. This connector gives you access
to all the pins you might find on an Arduino Leonardo.
Simply plugging something into this expansion connector
does not void your warranty, but as you’ll read below, frying
the board by doing so does void the warranty.
Misusing the expansion connector may void your warranty
It is entirely possible for you to wire up custom electronics to
the expansion connector in a way that will destroy your
keyboard. While this voids your warranty, a good write-up of
what you were trying to do and where you went wrong is
likely to get you a nice discount on a repair or replacement.
If you’re doing something interesting with the expansion
port, consider documenting (and photographing) your work
as you go. If things go well, you’ll have a tutorial to share. If
things go badly, at least you’ll have a well-documented sob
story.
Accidental or intentional damage will void your warranty
This warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship,
but does not cover accidents, abuse or normal wear and
tear.
The Model 01’s enclosure is made from wood. We’ve worked
hard to design the Model 01’s enclosure to be as sturdy as
possible. When treated well, it should last you for many
years. However, unlike plastic and metal, wood has a habit of
shattering when dropped. It also tends to crack when you
freeze it or bake it. Really, there are a lot of ways to damage
wooden parts. Damage to the wooden enclosure which we
determine is not the result of a defect in manufacture or
workmanship is not covered by by the warranty.
Contact us about repairs
If your keyboard stops working, please contact us at
[email protected] and we’ll work with you to figure out
the best way to get you back up to speed.
If we determine that your keyboard was damaged due to to
an accident or abuse or that it is otherwise out of warranty,
we may, at our option, choose to repair your keyboard, or
offer you replacement parts or a replacement keyboard at a
discount.
v1.0 2017-03-08 Copyright 2017 Keyboard.io, Inc. All rights reserved.
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