What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
There was also that one time a less experienced employee... made a mistake cutting 20 pieces... I may have also dug those out of the recycling bin, once the dust had settled...
This drop does give me the idea to look into solderable USB ends (I can solder just fine, y'all! I don't need no stinkin' snap together USB legos!) LOL :P Honestly, I really would just go with a solderable end. And yellow heatshrink. I'll look for dark blue and grey paracord, and let the heatshrink carry the yellow highlight theme of the keyboard (WASD, arrows, Enter).
Depending on what the connector costs, I'd possibly have considered a paracord/cable delete option, but I don't know if the price would be worth the fuss. Going with solderable connectors. I can get ones with real plastic housings. They're cheap, but shipping will bump it close to what the price here is already at, so I suppose it breaks even for me.
The jacket insulation is very stretchy... The cables I assemble have the jacket pulled back, the cable assembled, then the jacket fed through a compressing strain relief, and butted to the connector's internal housing. It results in a cable that's water, air and even steam resistant. They have to be, cause as a part for a surgical tool, it'll be repeatedly autoclaved, which is basically cooking it in a pressure cooker. >100°C at >atmospheric pressure. The ones we use at the lab where I work are 122-124°C @ 17 PSIg.
The original application for these cables would have been to operate a brushless electric motor in a surgical tool. The three larger gauge wires were to carry power to the motor's windings, and the 6 smaller wires carry power to and signals from the magnetic hall effect sensors that provide the commutation signals from the motor to the drive circuit.
I have more out at my storage unit, but I'd have to dig it up. I presume you're the same bendrexl at GeekHack? I'll send you a PM.
And yeah, this cable IS pretty sweet! :D