Frequently Asked Questions
This page lists some frequently asked questions about SliceMK wireless keyboards (such as the ErgoDox Wireless) running the ZMK firmware. If you have any question that's not addressed here, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Can the keyboard be used while charging?
Yes, the keyboard will function normally while charging. While charging, it can output over either USB (like a wired keyboard) or over Bluetooth (like a wireless keyboard).
What is the expected keyboard battery life?
The keyboard battery life depends a variety of factors such as the battery capacity, whether you are using a dongle, and how frequently you use energy-intensive functionality such as RGB underglow.
As a simple rule of thumb, the battery life will be 5-8 months with a dongle and 2-4 weeks without a dongle. In the case of dongleless, the battery life can be further extended with some optimizations. Please refer to the Dongle vs Dongleless page for additional details.
| Low Profile | MX Compatible | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Capacity | 250mAh | 450mAh |
| With Dongle (peripheral) | 5 months | 8 months |
| No Dongle (central, no optimizations) | 2 weeks | 4 weeks |
Normal use of RGB underglow such as for layer indication will reduce the battery life slightly (compared to no LEDs) but not overwhelmingly so if use is sporadic. At the extreme end, having all underglow LEDs set to white at full brightness will deplete the 450mAh battery in 5-6 hours. Using the keyboard in this manner is obviously not recommended. Practically speaking, even 10% brightness is more than enough for underglow to be visible.
Can I use the keyboard with multiple devices simultaneously?
Yes. By default, ZMK supports USB output in addition to 5 wireless profiles.
Please follow the Bluetooth Pairing instructions on how to connect your devices wirelessly to SliceMK keyboards.
Please refer to the Dongle vs Dongleless page for details on how your devices communicate with the keyboard halves and/or dongle.
Can the keyboard be used wired?
The keyboard can be used wired in the sense that it can be plugged in and used like a regular USB keyboard. With a dongle, this is done by plugging in the dongle. If not using a dongle, this is done by plugging in the central left half. This can be useful for things such as BIOS where Bluetooth is not available.
On wireless keyboards, communication between central and peripheral(s) is wireless regardless of what is plugged in.
What is the keyboard latency?
Generally speaking, latency is in the 5ms-10ms range. The latency should not be noticeable during typical use.
The exact keyboard latency depends on whether you're using a dongle and whether you're using USB output. ZMK supports 7.5ms connection interval out of the box. The average wireless latency is therefore 3.75ms excluding overhead, and around 5ms with overhead included. USB output latency will be around 1ms.