Public · Embedded input system
QMK / Vial / Halcyon
An integrated input-system project spanning QMK/Vial firmware, physical ergonomics, TFT and encoder interaction, persistent Raw HID configuration, Vial host tooling and a visual Atlas for the Ferris Sweep.
- Niche
- Compact ergonomic input with visible state
- Core stack
- C · QMK · Vial · Raw HID · WebHID
- Hardware
- Halcyon Ferris · TFT + encoder halves
- Study
- Physical behavior, host configuration and visual modeling
Keyboard Atlas
The deployed Atlas models the Ferris Sweep geometry, layers, chords and interaction state as a visual companion to the firmware. It is both documentation and a design instrument for checking how abstract key behavior maps onto the physical board.
Open Keyboard Atlas ↗System view
The study
A 34-key split keyboard becomes a coherent tool when physical reach, layer transitions, display state and host configuration are designed as one interaction system.
The alpha layer provides a stable spatial base. Momentary layers, home-row chords, encoders and repeat behavior extend that base while the TFT and RGB state make active behavior visible. The host tools expose the same model for inspection and adjustment.
System composition
Firmware, configuration software and visual documentation share explicit responsibilities.
QMK/Vial owns runtime input semantics, persistence, split coordination, TFT state and encoder behavior.
A typed Raw HID protocol carries persistent settings and telemetry between the keyboard and capability-aware Vial interfaces.
The Atlas describes actual Ferris stagger, thumb arc, key positions, layers and chords, with geometry checks that keep the representation aligned with the board.
Canonical configuration, pinned dependencies, source checks, firmware builds and hardware acceptance each contribute a distinct form of verification.
Product and interaction design
The physical keyboard is the primary design surface, and the software tools make its state legible.
Layer placement begins with reach and frequency. Short holds and chords keep common transitions close to the home position, while encoder direction follows a stable semantic model across contexts.
The TFT, RGB profiles and Atlas provide complementary views of the same system: immediate state on the device, configurable behavior on the host and a spatial overview for study and documentation.
Development approach
The keyboard itself is the design studio: physical use produces observations, the Atlas makes relationships visible, and repeatable checks turn stable behavior into engineering evidence.
A change can begin as a tactile experiment with a chord, display rhythm, encoder pair or color relationship. The same idea can then be inspected through telemetry and the Atlas before its behavior is captured in configuration, tests and release artifacts.
Firmware owns persistence and runtime behavior; the Vial interfaces own editing and validation; the Atlas owns spatial explanation. This separation supports rapid experimentation while keeping each contract explicit and reviewable.