By this point, there are plenty of split ergonomic mechanical keyboards that one can conceivably build or buy without breaking the bank, but many of those come with compromises when it comes to materials, challenging build processes, configuration software, or just being a little fiddly, in general. The Pando, a recently released open-source keyboard design by Julian Yap, aims to solve many of these problems by offering USB-C connectivity with ESD protection, an integrated MCU—as opposed to something like an RP2040—hot-swap switches, open-source firmware and layout configuration, and a no-nonsense design built around MX switches and standard keycaps. The Pando can be built as a DIY project from the GitHub repo, like its predecessor, the Pando58, but the maker of the keyboard also offers pre-soldered barebones kits—no switches or keycaps—for $109 on Etsy, with an upgraded multi-jet fusion-printed case with a stainless steel bottom plate coming in at $179.> Most split keyboards use dev boards (Pro Micro and so forth) so I wanted to explore a fully integrated keyboard (no dev boards). I had released the Pando58 as a kit but figured most people don't want kits to solder and build.

> Pando ships as a complete, integrated board: no controllers to solder, no second-guessing. It uses a modern STM32 microcontroller with an on-board IO expander on the second half, giving you a clean, cohesive design with a single USB-C cable.

> Because the board is hot-swap, you can drop in any MX-compatible switches you love and reconfigure everything later. With Vial firmware, the layout is whatever you want it to be—remap keys, build layers, and set up macros in the app.[](https://www.techpowerup.com/img/yrqubRgCT1yqwo8z.jpg) [](https://www.techpowerup.com/img/HndqBofzUrd8DAtA.jpg) [](https://www.techpowerup.com/img/1WkewBUD921WXt5F.jpg)Read full story