# tmk/tmk_keyboard

Keyboard firmwares for Atmel AVR and Cortex-M

Repository: https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/tmk_keyboard
Language: C
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-05T06:42:14+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 75/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 96, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5789, "days_push": 28, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4132, forks 1695 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:36.096816+00:00)

## What it is
A collection of keyboard and converter firmware projects built on the tmk_core keyboard library, targeting Atmel AVR and ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers. It is the original codebase from which QMK firmware was derived.

## Use cases
- build custom mechanical keyboard firmware
- flash custom keymaps onto a DIY keyboard controller
- convert a vintage keyboard to USB
- program a Teensy or AVR-based handwired keyboard
- customize key behavior and layers on a programmable keyboard

## When to choose
- you want the original, minimal TMK firmware stack for AVR or Cortex-M keyboards
- you are maintaining or porting older TMK-based keyboard projects
- you need a lightweight alternative to QMK with fewer features

## When to avoid
- you want a modern, actively documented ecosystem with extensive community support - prefer QMK
- you need wireless, RGB, or advanced features out of the box
- you are not comfortable building and flashing C firmware yourself

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: embedded
- domain: embedded-systems, hardware, developer-tools
- platform: embedded, c, cross-platform
- tags: keyboard-firmware, avr, cortex-m, usb-hid, custom-keyboards, tmk-core, keyboard

## Member repositories
- tmk/tmk_keyboard (main) score 75

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:36.096816+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:23:03.087518+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:36.096816+00:00, sha fbb214fa7cf5)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.