Can this keyboard be wireless?
The answer is: yes! We've made the controller hot-swappable, and we have developed a wireless controller for it. The Halcyon build guide will tell you how to install the Halcyon wireless controller and battery boards.
How is the Halcyon wireless controller powered?
Each Halcyon wireless controller powers itself through their own individual coin cell or Li-Po battery. You can connect such a battery to the battery board.
If you want to test the controllers, or want to use your keyboard without batteries, they can individually be powered over USB-C as well.
How long will my keyboard last?
The battery life can vary depending on the features your keyboard uses.
Generally, you should be able to achieve a battery life of 6 to 9 months when you are using a dongle with your keyboard. If you're not using any Halcyon modules, this can be a bit longer. We do recommend not using the RGB lighting when on battery power to pro-long your battery life.
You can use the ZMK Power Profiler to get an estimate of how long your keyboard will last on a charge.
Which batteries should I use?
Coin cell
The coin cell battery board comes with a coin cell preinstalled, so you won't have to supply anything yourself. When you inevitably need to replace the battery, please look at the replacing batteries page. The coin cell battery is not rechargeable. Our Wireless Halcyon controller is compatibly with CR1632 batteries which are 3V and non-rechargeable.
Li-Po
If you want to use a Li-Po battery, you'll need rechargeable 3.7V Li-Po batteries. We recommend using those sized 501220, however a 301230 or 301228 can also work.
There's some logic to the numbers:
- The 501220 battery is 5.0mm in thickness, by 12mm in width and 20mm in length
- The 301230 battery is 3.0mm in thickness, by 12mm in width and 30mm in length.
- The 301228 battery is 3.0mm in thickness, by 12mm in width and 28mm in length.
A 501220 battery usually has a capacity of 90mAh, A 301230 battery usually has a capacity of 110mAh, and the slightly smaller 301228 battery usually has a capacity of 90mAh.
Where can I buy Li-Po batteries?
Unfortunately, due to (understandably) very strict restrictions on shipping batteries internationally, splitkb.com currently does not sell batteries, so you will have to acquire them somewhere else. You should always buy a battery that has the yellow kapton tape attached as this usually indicates that the battery comes with a protection circuit. This is highly recommended as it mitigates most risks with handling a Li-Po battery.
We can recommend the following stores, or their resellers:
It can be most affordable to source the battery from overseas, such as from Aliexpress or Ebay.
How do you charge the Li-Po battery?
You can charge the battery using the Halcyon wireless controller and its USB-C port. It has a Li-Po charger built which charges the battery at a rate of 100mA.
When charging, be sure to switch your keyboard on. When turned off, the battery doesn't form a connection, and it then won't be able to charge. You can then also use a USB-C interconnect cable to charge the other half at the same time!