Framework Input Cover Controller

Name: Framework Input Cover Controller
SKU: 28339
Price: 20.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 3.50 (2 reviews)

(2 Reviews)

Lets you use a Framework Input Cover as a USB keyboard&touchpad, all features supported

Designed by FairywrenTech in Latvia

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$20.00

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Lets you use a Framework Input Cover as a USB keyboard&touchpad, all features supported

A RP2040-based controller for the Framework laptop Input Cover, connecting to the keyboard matrix, touchpad, power button, fingerprint sensor LEDs, keyboard backlight and Caps Lock LED. This board is useful for building a Framework keyboard into an external keyboard, reusing your old cover, prototyping alternate motherboards for the laptop chassis - or whatever else your heart might desire!

This is a small board, but it's easy to mechanically fasten to the Input Cover. All language keyboards are supported in hardware. The RP2040 comes with 4MB (32Mb) of flash memory, which is plenty for anything you might want to do with it. The SWD and BOOT headers are also available. The USB-C connector is detachable from the board, so that you can easier integrate this keyboard into all kinds of projects of yours. I recommend using a metal saw if you want to detach the connector - that will result in the cleanest cut.

The board also exposes the fingerprint sensor using an SL2.1 USB hub - not just that, it adds two extra USB ports for wiring up your own USB devices! The onboard 74HC595 chip also has 4 spare output pins that you can toggle from RP2040 software, in case you'd like to add a few extra LEDs or the like.

This board's hardware supports all features of the Input Cover:

keyboard
keyboard backlight
touchpad
power button
fingerprint sensor
fingerprint sensor LEDs

These features have been verified to work using test code found below. The software to turn the Input Cover into a plug&play USB keyboard&touchpad combo is currently being written. New versions of software can be easily uploaded over USB with no technical knowledge required.

Download the firmware here, or see the QMK fork in the Documentation link to compile it yourself.

The board's silkscreen shows the correct way to plug the Input Cover in, as well as pinout of all headers available on the board.

This product is fully open-source - hardware and software sources are available through the links below. Feel free to use it as a module part of your own PCB if you so desire.

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Our post is reliable + you will get a tracking number! Use EMS (priority mail with a courier, will need your phone number) if you're worried about postal services on your end, or need your package delivered quickly. I ship packages on business days - otherwise it will just collect dust in the postal office till Monday -, and I'll prepare your shipment as quickly as possible. If there's any problems with your order, I'll get in touch with you through the email you have listed on Tindie and let you know how soon I can prepare your package for shipping, as well as ask any additional questions I might have.

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.50)

Documentation: (3.50)

Shipping: (3.00)

Communication: (3.00)

Martin | Aug. 21, 2024

I love it!

Aside from the software not supporting the touchpad, this controller works as advertised, but (at the time of writing this) I'd advise checking https://community.frame.work/t/mod-framework-keyboard-to-external-usb/26916/27 for the software.

There is new progress on the touchpad, but from what I can tell, it's not integrated into the QMK firmware yet: https://hackaday.com/2024/04/17/human-interfacing-devices-hid-over-i2c/

For me, having the exact same Framework keyboard on a desktop is well worth the lack of touchpad and the need to tinker with the software a bit.

Jonathan | Jan. 31, 2024

cool but not fully implemented and likely never will

I think the product had a lot of forethought put into it. I really really wanted this product to work.
Shipping was bad but I won't blame the seller for that.
Documentation was a lot but not beginner friendly.
Communication, well I haven't received a response back from the seller, but that could change.

Out of box the device didn't actually connect to the keyboard(I don't think the firmware was loaded). After reinstating the .uf2 file and bridging the bt and gd, then adding the .uf2 to the new drive, the keyboard then worked.

Ok, so here's the problem with the trackpad, the fw13 trackpad uses a pixart PCT3854QR chip that doesn't have a data sheet and communicates with "HID over I2C", which doesn't mean much to me, but others have tried communicating with the trackpad and haven't been able to get it to work. E.G https://community.frame.work/t/looking-for-datasheet-for-the-pixart-pct3854qr-in-touchpad-module/42830

So you can't use the track pad but you still need it to connect to the keyboard, so... yeah. You do get the trackpad to work, please let me know.

$20.00