Keymap Principles

When using an ergonomic split keyboard, the approach can be quite different from a traditional keyboard. The QWERTY layout of a regular keyboard was created in the 19th century to solve a problem with typewriters. The keys were arranged to prevent the mechanical parts from jamming when typing quickly. However, this design wasn’t focused on comfort or ergonomics.

With many people now spending long hours typing, split keyboards are becoming more popular to reduce wrist strain and avoid issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and other wrist-related diseases. There are a few general principles to follow to help keep your wrists in a natural and comfortable position:

1. Minimize Movement & Maximize Comfort

   • Use layers to reduce hand reaching, keeping fingers close to home positions

   • Position common keys on the home row, and avoid moving fingers more than one key-unit

   • Use thumbs effectively to access layers and modifiers

   • Avoid overloading pinky fingers with double-tap or difficult keys

2. Optimized Key Placement

   • Place frequent bigrams in comfortable, inward roll patterns for easy typing

   • Organize symbols and punctuation logically, such as placing brackets on the left hand or number symbols in order

3. Intuitive and Easy-to-Learn Layouts

   • Design layouts that are simple, intuitive, and easy to memorize. Avoid overly complicated keymaps

   • Place symbols in locations that are familiar and close to those found on a conventional keyboard. This leverages muscle memory and helps in memorizing your keymap.

Existing Keymap Layouts

Below are a few popular keymap layouts. Feel free to explore them, but remember to adapt them according to your own needs and preferences.

1. Miryoku

2. Seniply

3. Pascal Getreuer

Pre-load Layout by XCMKB

Considering many of our clients come from conventional keyboard layouts, we don’t want to overwhelm them by switching to a completely different keymap that requires a steep learning curve. The following keymap strikes a balance between the conventional keyboard layout and the general design principles of a split layout.

General Principles

1. Stick to the conventional QWERTY layout: Retain familiarity for easier transition and comfort.

2. Use the thumb to access layers: Maximize the natural reach and function of your thumbs.

3. Place frequently used symbols in an inward roll pattern: Position symbols to follow a comfortable, natural hand movement.

4. Position less frequently used keys in the pinky zone: Place keys that are used less often further out of reach to minimize strain.

5. Mirror keymap for both left and right layers: This aids memorization and enables one-handed access to layers.