There are currently two sub-40% keyboards that were released as of writing. These are the 37 and 38-key keyboards. The P37 is inspired by the QAZ while the P38 is inspired by the Alice layout.
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| P37 QAZ |
Both uses RP2040 Zero microntrollers for maximum power and speed. This upgrade enables us:
- VIA/Vial configurator compatibility
- RGB Matrix instead of RGB Animation
- 32 layers, macros, tap dances, and combos (That's 32 slots each. I tried to set more than 32 macros but Vial prompted an error and was not able to proceed.)
- QMK Settings for additional tweaks
Usability
I admit that the migration from 4x10 grid ortholinear layout is a bit challenging. Compared to my P40, major modifiers are exposed on Layer 0.
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| Vial configurator screenshot shows my default P40 layout |
I do not type fast but I became very comfortable with my 4x10 grid. I was also able to limit my layers to 3 when I started for easy recollection. For a sub-40%, I was not able to do this. I will be needing additional QMK features to be able to use smaller keyboards. This post will attempt to show the transition of my layouts to sub-40%.
My Layouts
Thanks to u/problematickitten, I got acquainted with Tap Dance and Combos. And, with the help of Vial configurator, we were able to test various layouts on the fly and with ease.
Below is my P38 default layout. You will notice that there are only 36 usable keys on this keyboard - the other 2 are allocated to the press functions of the two encoders. I am also reusing as much layouts from my P40 as much as I can to make the transition as smooth as possible. Recycled here are the double role keys like:
- Space and Layer 1 - this means that I can access layer 1 when I press+hold my Space bar
- Backspace and Layer 2 - same as above, layer 2 is accessed by press+hold Backspace
- Dash and Layer 3 - layer 3 is accessed by press+hold of the dash key
- A and Layer 4 - this was assigned to Enter on my P40
New features used in the P38 are three keys labeled with TD(x) or Tap Dance. Tap Dance gives a key more than one function depending on how it was pressed. For instance:
- TD(0) is "Q" once pressed and "Esc" when double pressed.
- TD(1) is "Z" once pressed and "Left Shift" when held.
- TD(2) is same with TD(1) except that it outputs "dot" when pressed.
Below is what Tap Dance looks like in Vial configurator:
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| 160ms seems to be enough for those with typing speed of at most 60wpm like me :) |
Layer 1
Same as my other layouts, my Layer 1 is composed of the numeric rows and special characters:
I saw a lot of better layouts than what i use. However, I decided to stick with what is shown above for easy transition with my older keyboards.
Layer 2
My Layer 2 contains my function rows.
I believe that my Layer 2 can be eliminated if Layer 1 is improved to something like reviung41's default (viewed using config.qmk.fm).
Layer 3
My Layer 3 is composed of the arrow cluster. Arrows are placed on IJKL. This layout worked for me when working/navigating on a spreadsheet.
Layer 4
My Layer 4 is optional. I placed mouse keys on this layer for those times that i get to lazy to reach for my mouse. Mouse speed can be controlled under QMK Settings.
Other features
Other notable feature I currently use is the Combos. Combo is like chording in stenography - pressing at least two keys will output something defined. Some examples are:
- Pressing I and O on my P38 will output "("
- Pressing O and P will output ")"
Under QMK Settings, there's a feature called Auto Shift. This feature will automatically register a key's shifted state when a key is held for a bit. Similar in Tapping Term, timing can also be set.
I am still in the process of tweaking my timings but I hope that this write up will help some people using and want to use small keyboards.
Thanks!
This post was written with this prototype unit:
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