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Altar I
field manual

CHARACTERISTICS FOR ALTAR I KEYBOARD
Spezifikationen der Tastatur „ALTAR I“
キーボードの特性を含むフィールドマニュアル
NET WT. 0.6KG / h15mm w305.5mm d121mm
model no. emo-001

Index

01
Typical contents
02
Hardware orientation
03
Start procedure
04
Charging + battery life
05
Hot swapping switches
06
Updating firmware
07
Developing firmware
08
Changing key bindings
09
Warranty
10
Regulatory

Typical contents

A
1X ALTAR I KEYBOARD, U.K. or U.S. english PATTERN
B
1X COILED USB C TO USB C CABLE
C
altar i comes packaged in a moulded clamshell container. this container can be re-used when transporting altar i.

Hardware orientation

Overview
Altar i is a wireless, ultra-low profile, mechanical keyboard designed and assembled by electronic materials office(R) in london, united kingdom. It is composed of premium, sustainable materials, including polymer made from 50% recycled material. The bold design of Altar I is packaged in a compact, slim frame and comes with a suite of useful features including the ability to remember 2 bluetooth(R) devices, a novel key shape design, usb c, and a rotary encoder knob to control volume.

Start procedure

I
TURN ON ALTAR I BY sliding ON/OFF SWITCH TO ON position
II
slide CONNECTION SWITCH TO BT1 OR BT2

iia — bluetooth(R) pairing mode is automatically enabled ON FIRST TIME SETUP. PRESS PAIR BUTTON TO MANUALLY ENTER PAIRING MODE AFTER THIS
III
CONNECT TO ALTAR I VIA OPERATING SYSTEM BLUETOOTH(R) SETTINGS.

Charging + battery life

spec
internal 250ma lithium ion
battery life
A fully charged altar i lasts around ~500 hours (~21 days) with normal use. However factors such as temperature, number of bonded bluetooth(R) profiles, use of caps lock led, and the amount of time altar i is in a sleep or deep sleep state will affect battery life. As a result a range of ±100 hours (±6 days) is possible
charging
altar i should be charged via the included usb cable. other, similar spec cables may also be used. always charge altar i via a computer usb port. fully charging altar i may take up to 4 hours. Upon receipt of your altar i it is recommended to fully discharge the battery (without charging) before fully recharging the battery. This is to ensure the battery is calibrated correctly.

Hot swapping switches

compatibility
altar i switches can be changed with other, compatible switches (“hot swapped”). Switches included with altar I are kailh choc low profile v1 reds, a “linear” switch. switches on altar i can be swapped with others from the kailh choc low profile v1 range
tools
a keycap puller such as this is recommended for removing keycaps and switches. use of improper tools may result in damage to your altar i
1
remove keycap for relevant switch/s
2
remove existing switch/s from socket
3
Insert new switch/s into socket. an audible click sound will be heard when switch is properly seated into plate
4
re-insert keycap into newly installed switch.

Updating firmware

latest firmware
VISIT ALTAR I FIRMWARE PAGE
Instructions for flashing firmware to altar i
Prerequisite: Identify your Altar I pattern (either U.S. English or U.K. English). Pattern information can be found on the back of Altar I.

To install Altar I firmware:

  1. download latest firmware
  2. Ensure Altar I is turned on
  3. Connect Altar I directly to your computer via USB
  4. press fn + ctrl + pair simultaneously to enter bootloader mode (Altar I will now appear as a storage device on your computer)
  5. Copy the firmware file to Altar I (an error may appear, however the file has been successfully transferred in this case)
  6. Once Altar I detects the new firmware being copied, it will automatically disconnect, reboot, install the new firmware, and reconnect itself.


Note: You may need to forget and re-pair Altar I for some changes to take effect.

Developing firmware

open source
altar i uses open source firmware zmk, a modern, wireless-first keyboard firmware based on the zephyr real-time operating system (RTOS)

Altar i firmware will be available to everyone to view, edit and use
altar i source code
Not yet available
development
setup and documentation for zmk, the firmware used by altar i, can be found in the zmk docs.

Changing key bindings

macos
macos users are recommended to use free a third party application called karabiner-elements to remap keys. more information, instructions and downloads can be found on the karabiner-elements website
windows
windows 11 users are recommended to use microsoft’s “keyboard remapper” utility to remap key bindings. instructions for installing and using keyboard remapper can be found on Microsoft's website
via firmware
to permanently change key bindings and have them persist across device and operating system requires editing the keymap file, compiling firmware, and flashing to altar i. this is only recommended for advanced users:

  1. download or fork altar i repo
  2. edit keymap file found at app/­boards/­arm/­altar/­altar.keymap
  3. compile firmware via github actions or locally
  4. flash firmware by following Instructions for flashing firmware to altar i under Updating firmware.

Warranty

limited warranty
All Electronic Materials Office products have a 1 year limited warranty from the ship date of your order. If you have any issues with your order or product, please contact us Electronic Materials Office(R) directly at mail@­electronic­materials­office.com.

Regulatory

fcc regulatory compliance
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
  • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
  • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
  • Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
  • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
recycling
electrical and electronic equipment, parts and batteries marked with this crossed-out wheelie bin symbol must not be disposed of with normal household wastage, it must be collected and disposed of separately to protect the environment. this product contains a built in Li Ion battery.