What Is QMK and How Do You Use It to Program Keyboards?

Create your ain civilization keyboard layouts and macros pinch QMK to turbocharge your productivity.

QMK, aliases Quantum Mechanical Keyboard, is an open-source task that allows you to create your ain keyboard firmware for compatible mechanical keyboards. But what precisely is QMK, and really do you usage it to programme keyboards? Let’s find out.

What Is QMK?

Every keyboard connected nan marketplace has built-in package called firmware. The firmware is responsible for sending nan correct awesome for each cardinal press, controlling LEDs connected your keyboard, and overmuch more, making it a powerful instrumentality if you tin manipulate it for yourself.

QMK gives you nan powerfulness to do conscionable this. If your keyboard is compatible, you tin flash it pinch QMK firmware to springiness you almost complete power complete your keyboard layouts and macros. This is achieved pinch 3 main tools:

• QMK Configurator: A web-based keymap builder that lets you create civilization keyboard layouts, LED lighting patterns, and much for your mechanical keyboard.
• QMK Toolbox: A downloadable instrumentality that useful pinch Windows and macOS. Once you person a .hex firmware record from nan QMK Configurator, you tin usage QMK Toolbox to flash your keyboard pinch nan caller firmware.
• VIA Software: An further downloadable instrumentality that allows you to alteration QMK layouts without having to flash nan keyboard. Additional codification is required to make this work.

You tin find a database of QMK-compatible keyboards connected nan QMK website. You tin besides adhd your ain keyboard to nan QMK directory, but you request to petition a tag done nan QMK GitHub page to do this.

What Can You Do With QMK?

The scope of QMK goes acold beyond that of astir keyboard firmware options. You tin grip each nan basics you would expect, for illustration keyboard layouts and LED lighting control, but you tin besides adhd heaps of other functionality to your keyboard utilizing QMK.

This includes entree to media keys, usability layers, macros, and much precocious devices for illustration auto-shift. In essence, if you tin find a characteristic that you for illustration connected different mechanical keyboard, location is usually a measurement to replicate it utilizing QMK.

It's good worthy learning astir QMK firmware and what it tin do earlier you commencement building your own.

How to Program a Mechanical Keyboard With QMK

Programming a mechanical keyboard pinch QMK is amazingly simple. The process starts pinch nan QMK Configurator, but you will besides request to instal nan QMK Toolbox to complete it.

How to Build a Custom Keymap With nan QMK Configurator

To build your ain QMK keymap, you conscionable request to caput complete to nan QMK Configurator website. From here, you tin take nan type of keyboard you usage from nan database astatine nan apical of nan page to get started.

Once your keyboard is selected, you should spot a default layout that matches nan keyboard successful nan mediate of nan screen. You should besides spot a group of menus containing keyboard keycodes astatine nan bottommost of nan screen.

To adhd a keycode to nan keymap, click and resistance it to nan cardinal you would for illustration it to beryllium assigned to. You tin besides prime nan cardinal you want to alteration connected nan keymap and past click nan keycode to delegate it.

This will only use to nan main layer, furniture 0, but you tin adhd much layers to your keyboard by selecting nan number options connected nan near of nan screen.

From present you person a batch to descend your teeth into, and it's worthy playing pinch each nan keycode options you person to find nan cleanable keymap for you. Once you are happy pinch your keymap, make judge it has a sanction and past click connected nan Firmware fastener to download a usable .hex firmware file.

How to Flash a Keyboard With QMK Toolbox

Now that you person your firmware built, it’s clip to flash your keyboard pinch it. Thanks to QMK Toolbox, this process is bully and easy; you conscionable request to download nan QMK Toolbox package to get started.

Once you person nan package downloaded and installed, unfastened it and make judge that your keyboard is selected from nan paper astatine nan bottommost of nan screen. Click connected nan Open fastener astatine nan apical of nan surface and find nan .hex record you downloaded from nan QMK Configurator. You whitethorn besides person to alteration nan MCU based connected nan type of microcontroller utilized by your keyboard.

Click connected Flash to statesman nan flashing process. This whitethorn return a fewer minutes depending connected nan type of keyboard you have, and you will spot a confirmation connection wrong nan model erstwhile it is complete.

Test your keyboard utilizing a keyboard testing website, specified arsenic KeyboardTester.com, to make judge that each nan keys you person assigned are moving correctly.

Keep Experimenting With Your QMK Keymaps

Using a instrumentality for illustration QMK enables you to unlock your afloat productivity potential, but you person to activity for it. Now that you cognize really to build your ain QMK firmware and flash it to a keyboard, you tin statesman to research pinch your keymaps to create nan champion layout for you.