GEIST TOTEM BUILD

38-KEY WIRELESS SPLIT KEYBOARD

Overview

The GEIST TOTEM is a 38-key wireless split keyboard designed for ergonomic typing. It uses a column-stagger layout with three rows and a three-key thumb cluster per side, plus an additional pinky column on the outer edge of each half.

The keyboard is powered by two Seeed XIAO BLE microcontrollers — one per half — and an optional XIAO BLE dongle for USB connectivity and lower-latency wireless operation. It runs ZMK firmware, an open-source keyboard firmware built on the Zephyr RTOS.

This page will serve as the build guide and documentation hub for the GEIST TOTEM. Content is being added incrementally.

Components

Component	Quantity	Notes
Seeed XIAO BLE (nRF52840)	3	2 halves + 1 dongle (dongle optional)
Kailh Choc v1 Switches	38	Low-profile. Pink (35g), Red (45g), or Brown (tactile)
GEIST TOTEM PCB	1 set	Left + right halves. Available from GEIST
Kailh Choc v1 Keycaps	38	MBK, NiceNano blanks, or similar
Li-Po Battery (301230 or similar)	2	Small 100–110 mAh cells fit the case
Reset / power switch	2	MSK-12C02 or equivalent SMD slide switch
Mill-max sockets (optional)	48	For socketed XIAO BLE installation

Build Guide

Coming Soon Full step-by-step build guide is in progress. Check back later. In the meantime, refer to the GEIST TOTEM GitHub repository and the ZMK documentation.

Planned sections: soldering the MCUs, switch installation, battery wiring, firmware flashing, case assembly, and troubleshooting.

CAD / CAM Files

Coming Soon Case files, plate files, and 3D printable components will be linked here.

Planned: bottom case STLs, top plate DXF, STEP files for modification.

Firmware

The GEIST TOTEM runs ZMK firmware. Use the config tool on this site to adjust settings and trigger GitHub Actions builds without needing a local toolchain.

→ OPEN ZMK CONFIG TOOL