Frequently asked questions about the nice!nano | Nice Nano

Is the nice!nano compatible with my keyboard?

The nice!nano is compatible with every keyboard that's based on the Pro Micro controller form-factor. This includes any keyboard from the Aurora Series, the Kyria up to and including revision 3, and a great number of open-source and generally available keyboard kits.

Adding the nice!nano to a keyboard not based on the Pro Micro controller form-factor will be more involved, requiring you to manually wire the correct pads to the correct pins. We only recommend doing so if you're willing to put in the effort, as it'll also require writing your own keyboard firmware configuration.

Mind the RAW pin on some keyboards. There are very few keyboard kits which are compatible with a Pro Micro but connect the RAW pin to the VCC pin. Among these are the Gherkin and the Helix (the Aurora Helix is not affected). This poses problems for the onboard voltage regulator. If you leave the RAW pin disconnected, you'll be good to go - just don't insert a header pin there, and don't solder it.

How is the nice!nano powered?

Each nice!nano powers itself through their own individual Li-Po battery.

You can connect such a battery manually to the two top-most B+ and B- pins. Keyboard kits that support batteries have on-board pins to connect the battery to instead, such as the Aurora Series and the Kyria rev3.

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.

Which batteries should I use?

You'll need rechargeable 3.7V lithium batteries. We recommend using those sized 301230 or 301228, so that they will fit between the controller and PCB.

There's some logic to the numbers:

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 301230 battery usually has a capacity of 110mAh, while the slightly smaller 301228 battery usually has a capacity of 90mAh.

If you desire more capacity, you could consider using diode legs for socketing (or using taller sockets), so you can install a thicker battery. An example of such a thicker battery is 501328.

Where can I buy batteries?

Due to shipping regulations, shipping loose batteries has proven to be quite difficult. Getting the batteries in Europe can be a bit of a challenge. It can be most affordable to source the battery from overseas, such as from China.

How do the halves of a split keyboard power each other?

Each nice!nano needs its own power source. The halves of a split keyboard are only connected wirelessly, so there's no power connection between the halves.

Do not use a cable between the halves. This poses multiple risks, from shorting connections when unplugging while the battery is still on, to unbalanced charging when two batteries are connected, and unpredictable situations when you connect both halves to USB C and to one another.

How do you charge the battery?

You can charge the battery using the nice!nano 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 if it has an on/off switch. When turned off, the battery doesn't form a connection, and it then won't be able to charge.

How long does the battery last on a charge?

The battery life can vary dramatically depending on the features your keyboard uses.

Generally, people charge their batteries roughly once a month, though depending on use you may be able to get more out of it.

You can use the ZMK Power Profiler to get an estimate of how long your keyboard will last on a charge.

To prolong the battery life, we highly recommend not using any RGB LEDs. We also recommend using a nice!view or other low-power display instead of an OLED display.

Can I use the nice!nano over USB C?

Yes. If your keyboard doesn't support it with its default firmware, you can enable the USB drivers in your own firmware.

Can I use a TRRS cable to connect both halves?

No, there's a wireless connection via BLE between the two boards. The central half reports back the keystrokes of both the central (usually left) and peripheral (usually right) sides.

Can I use QMK firmware on a nice!nano?

No, though technically you could - it's complicated. Nordic's nRF52 line has some licensing issues with its SDK making it not possible to be upstreamed to the main QMK repo. Instead, the nice!nano relies on other firmwares like ZMK or BlueMicro. They offer a great deal of functionality while using compatible licenses.

How do I get started with customising my own ZMK firmware?

You can follow the User Setup guide over at the ZMK documentation. It leverages Github Actions to perform the builds, which is free to use and pretty easy to set up.

Flashing

Steps to flash your nice!nano controller.

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