Enable deep sleep for wireless Corne
I want to enable deep sleep for my wireless Corne; which config should I use in my keyboard.conf?
9 Replies
For ZMK deep sleep on your wireless Corne, add these to your ZMK .conf (e.g., your keyboard.conf):
- CONFIG_ZMK_SLEEP=y
- CONFIG_ZMK_IDLE_SLEEP_TIMEOUT=600000
Notes:
- The timeout is in milliseconds (example above = 10 minutes). Pick the value you prefer, e.g., 300000 for 5 minutes.
- Any key press will wake the board from deep sleep.
- If you’re using nice!view, the display will blank automatically when the board sleeps.
- For faster battery savings when you’re not using the board, also use the hardware power switch.
If you need a starting point for your ZMK config, our Corne templates are linked on our firmware page: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
If you want me to sanity-check your config or suggest a timeout, reply here or tag me.
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
@TyperAI Don’t I have to change something in the
keyboard.conf file regarding the wake-source or whatever?Short answer: No change needed.
“Wake source” isn’t set in keyboard.conf; it’s a devicetree setting. For our Corne, you don’t need to modify that—ZMK will wake on a key press by default.
Your keyboard.conf just needs deep‑sleep enabled and a timeout, e.g.:
- CONFIG_ZMK_SLEEP=y
- CONFIG_ZMK_IDLE_SLEEP_TIMEOUT=600000 # 10 minutes (ms)
Rebuild/flash both halves after changing this. Use the power switch if you want to fully shut off when traveling.
If you want me to sanity‑check your repo or suggest a timeout for your usage, reply here or tag me.
GitHub
GitHub - hadronized/zmk-corne-config at hadronized
zmk-config for my typeractive wireless Corne. Contribute to hadronized/zmk-corne-config development by creating an account on GitHub.
Thanks! I can’t open links from here, but here’s exactly what to add/verify for deep sleep:
Add to your ZMK .conf (the one your build uses):
- CONFIG_ZMK_SLEEP=y
- CONFIG_ZMK_IDLE_SLEEP_TIMEOUT=600000 # 10 min in ms (pick your value)
Notes:
- No wake-source changes needed; Corne wakes on any key press by default.
- Make sure you don’t have CONFIG_ZMK_SLEEP=n elsewhere overriding it.
- If your repo has separate confs per half, add the same lines to both. Then rebuild/flash both halves.
- After flashing, give it one sleep cycle to confirm: stop typing, wait for the timeout, then press a key to wake; it may take a second to reconnect over BLE.
If you want me to sanity-check placement, paste:
- The path to your .conf file(s)
- The exact contents of that file
- The build targets you use (e.g., SHIELD=corne_left/right)
Our firmware page (build steps/templates) if helpful: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
Reply or tag me and I’ll help tune your timeout or review the config text.
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
okay, I’ll test it out later, thank you @TyperAI
okay, I tested @TyperAI and it’s idleing, not deep-sleeping
Got it — if it’s only going into “idle” sleep, a few common causes:
Quick checks
- Test with a short timeout: set CONFIG_ZMK_IDLE_SLEEP_TIMEOUT=15000 to verify it’s triggering.
- Unplug USB. While USB is connected, ZMK won’t enter deep sleep.
- Make sure both halves are on battery (not USB) and you’re testing the left half (the central).
- Ensure nothing else overrides sleep: search your repo for CONFIG_ZMK_SLEEP and make sure there isn’t a =n somewhere.
Deep sleep vs. connected state
- ZMK typically stays in “idle” while actively connected so it can maintain the BLE link. To force deep sleep for testing:
- Turn off Bluetooth on your host, or
- Switch to an empty BT profile (&bt BT_SEL <unused slot>) and clear the bond (&bt BT_CLR), then wait for the timeout.
- On deep sleep, you should see: nice!view blanks, BLE link drops, and wake requires a key press followed by a short reconnect delay.
What to share if it still won’t deep sleep
- The exact contents of your keyboard.conf (or corne.conf) and its path(s).
- Your build targets (e.g., SHIELD=corne_left/right, board=nice_nano_v2).
- How you’re testing (USB plugged/unplugged, connected/disconnected, timeout value).
If you paste those here or tag me, I’ll sanity‑check and suggest the minimal changes. You can also compare against our Corne templates on the firmware page: https://docs.typeractive.xyz/build-guides/corne-wireless/firmware
Firmware | Typeractive.xyz Documentation
If you're not familiar, ZMK is a wireless-focused firmware, and it powers our Corne Wireless.
@TyperAI What you describe seems to be idle; I hate enabled soft off and it's clearly different from deep sleep while the doc seems to state it's the same thing? It's unclear
You’re right to notice a difference. In ZMK, “sleep” is a generic term; there are two states:
- Idle sleep: light sleep to save power while keeping the BLE link alive. This is what CONFIG_ZMK_SLEEP + CONFIG_ZMK_IDLE_SLEEP_TIMEOUT controls.
- Soft off (aka deep sleep): the lowest-power state. BLE turns off and the board stops scanning until a wake event.
What to do:
- There’s no extra keyboard.conf option to “make deep sleep happen on timeout” while still connected. Idle sleep won’t drop BLE.
- To enter deep sleep, use the soft-off behavior:
1) Add a key to your keymap: &soft_off
2) Rebuild/flash both halves.
3) Unplug USB (USB power prevents soft off).
4) Press your soft-off key on the left half. The halves will go into deep sleep. Press any key to wake; expect a short BLE reconnect delay.
Tips to verify:
- Deep sleep: BLE disconnects, nice!view blanks, wake requires a keypress and takes a moment to reconnect.
- Idle sleep: connection stays up; wake is near-instant.
If your goal is maximum battery savings when you step away, soft off or the hardware power switch are the right tools. Idle sleep is for short pauses while staying connected.
If you want, paste your keymap snippet where you added &soft_off and I’ll sanity-check it. Reply or tag me and I’ll follow up.