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Joe Scotto’s Scotto69 Nice Edition is a 3D-printable mechanical keyboard that replaces the hand-wired construction of earlier Scotto keyboards with a custom PCB. The board pairs a 4×12 ortholinear layout with a right-side numpad, five left-side macro keys, and QMK firmware running on an STM32F072CBT6 microcontroller. Its project files are only partly open: the case, plate, keycap and precompiled firmware are released, while the PCB is sold separately.
What is the Scotto69 Nice Edition?
The Scotto69 is a DIY mechanical keyboard designed by Joe Scotto. Its main typing area uses a traditional 4×12 ortholinear grid, with a numpad on the right and five macro keys on the left. Builders can also add an optional rotary encoder. The rear magnetic bar raises the board to a 5° typing angle.
That combination makes it a wide, feature-rich layout rather than a compact 4×12 board: the numpad and macro keys extend the main grid, while the encoder remains optional.
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No. The Nice Edition replaces the hand-wired switches and flying leads used in earlier Scotto keyboard designs with a custom printed circuit board designed in KiCad. The PCB provides the electrical connections for the switches and controller, instead of requiring builders to wire each switch by hand.
#1 Best Overall
- High-performance foundation line, ARM Cortex-M4 core with DSP and FPU, 512 Kbytes Flash, 180 MHz CPU, ART Accelerator, Dual QSPI
- On-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer with SWD connector
- Can be powered from USB
- Three LEDs, Two Push-buttons
- Support of wide choice of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) including IAR, ARM Keil, GCC-based IDEs
What microcontroller and firmware does it use?
The custom PCB hosts an STMicroelectronics STM32F072CBT6 microcontroller, and the keyboard runs QMK firmware. Joe Scotto’s announcement says the design was made with free STM32 ScottoModules for KiCad. The creator announced the board on September 18, 2024; his post describes the layout and magnetic rear bar at Reddit.
What files are open, and what must builders buy?
The Nice Edition is partially open, not a fully open-hardware release. Scotto released the housing, stabilizing plate, keycap and precompiled firmware files. The PCB design files are not released, so builders who want to use this PCB need to buy the assembled board rather than make it from the published PCB files.
Rank #2
- Ultra-low-power with FPU ARM Cortex-M4 MCU 80 MHz with 1 Mbyte Flash, LCD, USB OTG, DFSDM
- On-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer with SWD connector
- Can be powered from USB
- Three LEDs, Two Push-buttons
- Support of wide choice of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) including IAR, ARM Keil, GCC-based IDEs
Hackster.io reported the ScottoKeebs store price as €54.95 (approximately US$61 at the time of its 2024 article). Treat that as the reported price at publication, not a guarantee of the current price or availability. Check the ScottoKeebs store for the current listing. Scotto’s announcement also directs builders to ScottoKeebs for project updates and support.
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What switches and keycaps fit?
The available project description identifies the keyboard as a mechanical-switch design and includes a released keycap file, but it does not specify a switch model, switch-mount standard, keycap profile or full keycap set. Do not assume a particular switch or off-the-shelf ortholinear keycap kit is confirmed compatible from the layout description alone. Check the current ScottoKeebs project listing and build files for fit details before purchasing components.
Rank #3
- Experience the power of the ARM Cortex M4 with this STM32F411CEU6 Development Board, featuring a blazing fast 100Mhz frequency and zero-wait state access to 512KB ROM and 128KB RAM for seamless programming
- Unlock endless possibilities with the STM32F4 Core STM32F411CEU6 Module System Board, equipped with FPU floating-point unit for efficient calculations and a plethora of interfaces including USART, I2C, SPI, and USBFS for versatile connectivity options
- Dive into the world of embedded systems with this Learning Board, boasting 20 Pin 2.54mm I/O interfaces, 4 Pin 2.54mm SW debugging interface, and user-friendly buttons like KEY (PA0), NRST, and BOOT0 for convenient operation and development
- Stay powered up and connected with the 3.3V-5V power input, 3.3V LDO with a maximum output current of 100mA, and a USB-C interface with built-in diode to prevent power backflow, along with high-speed and low-speed crystal oscillators for reliable performance
- Elevate your programming projects with the STM32F411CEU6 Development Board, featuring a SPI Flash for additional storage options, 12-bit ADC, 12-bit 5 S for accurate measurements, and 32.768K 6pF low-speed crystal oscillator for precise timing control
How to think about the Nice Edition as a DIY build
- Construction: A custom PCB replaces hand-wiring, which changes the build approach; the sources do not publish a build-time comparison.
- Layout: The 4×12 ortholinear grid is expanded by a right-side numpad and five left-side macro keys, with an optional encoder.
- Electronics: The PCB uses an STM32F072CBT6 and QMK firmware.
- Project openness: The housing, stabilizing plate, keycap and precompiled firmware are released, but the PCB design files are not.
- PCB access: The assembled PCB is sold separately through ScottoKeebs; the reported 2024 price may no longer apply.
The available coverage does not establish independent typing-performance benchmarks, latency measurements or durability statistics for the Nice Edition, so those should not be inferred from its controller or PCB design.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- STM32F103C8T6 ARM STM32 minimum system development module.
- ST-Link V2 support the full range of STM32 SWD interface debugging, simple interface (including power supply), 4 line speed, stable work.
- Use the current smart phones of Mirco USB interface, easy to use, USB communication and power supply can be done.
- The board lead to all the I/O resources.Download with SWD debug interface, which requires a minimum of 3 wires to complete debug a download task
Rank #4
- STM32 STM32F401RE microcontroller Cortex-M4 in LQFP64 package
- 1 user LED shared with UNO 1 user and 1 reset push-button
- Board expansion connectors: Uno V3 ST morpho extension pin headers for full access to all STM32 I/Os
- On-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer with USB re-enumeration capability. Three different interfaces supported on USB: mass storage, Virtual COM port and debug port
- Comprehensive free software libraries and examples available with the STM32Cube MCU Package
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
