KMK Firmware is an open-source keyboard firmware written in CircuitPython. It's designed to be user-friendly and customizable, allowing users to create and modify keyboard layouts and functionality without extensive programming knowledge. KMK supports a wide range of keyboards and microcontrollers.

Pros

• Easy to use and customize, with a gentle learning curve
• Written in CircuitPython, making it accessible to beginners
• Supports a wide variety of keyboards and microcontrollers
• Actively maintained and has a growing community

Cons

• May have limited advanced features compared to QMK
• Performance might be slightly slower than compiled firmware
• Requires CircuitPython-compatible boards
• Documentation can be sparse for some advanced topics

Code Examples

1. Basic keymap configuration:

from kmk.kmk_keyboard import KMKKeyboard
from kmk.keys import KC

keyboard = KMKKeyboard()
keyboard.keymap = [
    [KC.A, KC.B, KC.C, KC.D]
]

if __name__ == '__main__':
    keyboard.go()

2. Adding a layer:

from kmk.kmk_keyboard import KMKKeyboard
from kmk.keys import KC
from kmk.handlers.sequences import simple_key_sequence

keyboard = KMKKeyboard()
keyboard.keymap = [
    [KC.A, KC.B, KC.C, KC.MO(1)],
    [KC.D, KC.E, KC.F, KC.TRNS]
]

if __name__ == '__main__':
    keyboard.go()

3. Creating a custom macro:

from kmk.kmk_keyboard import KMKKeyboard
from kmk.keys import KC
from kmk.handlers.sequences import simple_key_sequence

keyboard = KMKKeyboard()
MACRO1 = simple_key_sequence([KC.H, KC.E, KC.L, KC.L, KC.O])

keyboard.keymap = [
    [KC.A, KC.B, KC.C, MACRO1]
]

if __name__ == '__main__':
    keyboard.go()

Getting Started

1. Install CircuitPython on your microcontroller
2. Clone the KMK repository:

   git clone https://github.com/KMKfw/kmk_firmware.git
   

3. Copy the kmk folder to your microcontroller
4. Create a main.py file with your keyboard configuration
5. Customize your keymap and features as needed
6. Reset your microcontroller to run the firmware