When using the Wireless Halcyon controller, you'll need some way to power your keyboard. One of those ways is this LiPo Battery Board, which makes it easy to recharge your keyboard using an USB-C cable.

Features

• A dedicated on/off-switch provides a physical means of cutting off power.
• A reset button duplicates the controller's own reset button function, so it will remain accessible while you have the power board installed.
• Connect your LiPo battery (not included) using a two-pole JST jack. Contacts and JST plugs are included so you can fit your battery with a matching connector, if it doesn't already have them.
• Two strips of double-sided tape to keep your LiPo battery snugly in place.
• With a separate left and right side to match a Halcyon keyboard's mounting holes as well as to tuck the LiPo cable away symmetrically.
• Connect the power board using a 6-pin flexible flat cable connector (cable included with the controller bundle).
• Recharge your battery using a USB C cable. You can even charge the peripheral half through the interconnect to the main half with a USB C to C cable, if you're inclined. Do mind: the keyboard needs to be turned on for it to charge.

Battery life

The battery will last you quite a while: several months while using a dongle, and several weeks without using a dongle. Here are some usage examples we measured (with a precision of ±10%):

Main half without a dongle

When using a split keyboard without a dongle, the main half is the half that connects to the other half (the peripheral) as well as to the host device. Having to keep two radio connections open will cause higher battery drain, so the main half will drain battery faster than the peripheral half:

• No modules: 915µA active, 488µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
• Rotary encoder module (rev2): 926µA active, 493µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
• E-Paper display module: 945µA active, 498µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
• Cirque Trackpad module: 4520µA while using the trackpad, 1050µA active, 623µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
  

The expected battery life for the main side without using a dongle will be roughly two to three weeks, though it may last longer depending on your usage.

Main half with a dongle, or peripheral half

When using a split keyboard with a dongle, or when using a keyboard consisting of only one part, the controller will only need to keep a single radio connection open. Usage will be considerably lower in this case, as the controller will be able to spend more time asleep:

• No modules: 468µA active, 27µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
• Rotary encoder module (rev2): 488µA active, 44.5µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
• E-Paper display module: 492µA active, 44µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.
• Cirque Trackpad module: 4520µA while using the trackpad, 523µA active, 114µA idle, 2.31µA in deep sleep.

The expected battery life for the main side while using a dongle, or for the peripheral side, will be roughly three to four months, though it may last longer depending on your usage.

The keyboard will be active while holding a key. It will then immediately enter idle mode after you release the key, and will enter deep sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. It is possible to manually turn off the keyboard entirely using the on/off-switch, or to enter deep sleep immediately by using the ZMK Soft Off behavior. The high power usage during active mode is caused by the radio transmitting data to the host device.

You might've noticed that the power draw varies by module. There are some configurations we have not measured: both the TFT LCD Display Module as well as the onboard RGB LEDs will drain enough power to empty your battery within half an hour.

In the package

• Two LiPo cell battery boards: a left side and a right side.
• Two JST plugs.
  
• Four JST pin connectors; two per plug.

Required to use

This product requires one LiPo battery per power board to use, which are not included (due to shipping and export regulations and restrictions). You will need to source your own battery. We recommend the following specifications for the batteries:

• Recommended battery: size 501220, capacity 90mAh, 3.7V
• Also works, but the fit isn't optimal:
  • Size 301230, capacity 110mAh, 3.7V
  • Size 301228, capacity 90mAh, 3.7V

You can read more about battery sizes on our documentation site.