Matrix Lab 8xv keyboards: 1.2, 2.0, 2.2 and 3.0 explained

Collectors who post wanted ads for "older WKL boards: 1.2, 2.0, 2.2" are asking for the early versions of the Matrix Lab 8xv, a tenkeyless aluminium custom keyboard from a small Chinese maker, and are explicitly not after the newer 3.0.¹ Documentation on these early boards is sparse, so this page sets out what can be confirmed, what cannot, and how to check a specific board in your hands.

Keyboard identification checklist: Case & revision, PCB & plate, Included parts — Keyboard identification checklist: case & revision, pcb & plate, included parts. Original schematic; see the guide for product-specific details. Open full size

In this guide

What "WKL" means here

WKL stands for winkeyless: a tenkeyless-style layout with no Windows key. The Matrix 8xv 3.0 group-buy listing describes its layout choices as WK and WKL, with WKL explained as the version without the Windows key.² The wanted-ad thread describes the target as an older winkeyless TKL board.¹

A short history of the 8xv line

Matrix Lab (often just "Matrix") introduced its aluminium boards on GeekHack in a thread that lists the early models. According to that thread:³

Matrix 10XV1.0, a full-size board, released December 2015 in a run of about 20.
Matrix 8XV1.0, an 85/87-key compact board, released January 2016 in a run of about 10.
Matrix 8XV1.2, described as a vintage-inspired 84-key design with a detachable USB cable and an RGB light strip, released September 2016 in a run of about 20.

The same thread describes the core build of the 8X and 10X series as a CNC-carved 6063 aluminium case with a 1.5 mm aluminium plate and a 5.3 degree typing angle.³ These are tiny production runs, which is why they are described as hard to find rather than as a product you can simply order.

The 8XV 2.0 followed as a newly designed TKL board, and the 8XV 3.0 was sold through a group buy in March 2022.⁴ No public page documents a release date, run size or specification sheet for a board labelled "2.2". If you are shown one, treat the label as the seller's and ask for photos of the PCB and case (see below). The Keyboard Catalogue lists the 8XV 2.0 as a TKL but leaves mount type, weight and most other fields blank.⁵

What the 3.0 changed

The 3.0 is the one that is easy to confuse with the older boards, so it helps to know what it is. Its group-buy page lists:²

WK or WKL layouts.
Gasket mount and top mount.
A PCB offered in solder and hot-swap versions, with full RGB backlight.
Aluminium or polycarbonate plates (the hot-swap PCB can only use an aluminium plate).
Firmware that is updatable, but VIA and Vial are not supported.
Top-case styles named Heart and Eye, with a small screen that can show animated images.

The group buy ran 10 to 17 March 2022 with estimated shipping in Q4 2022.² If a seller's photos show a screen on the top case or a heart-shaped or eye-shaped cut-out, it is a 3.0.

How to identify an older board

The most reliable public technical record is the QMK firmware repository, which has separate entries for the 8XV1.2 OG and the 8XV2.0 Additional:

Board	What QMK documents
8XV1.2 OG, revision 1	Green/yellow PCB, ARM STM32 controller, ANSI only⁶
8XV1.2 OG, revision 2	White PCB, Atmel AVR controller (listed as atmega32u4), ANSI and ISO⁶⁷
8XV2.0 Additional	STM32F411 controller, custom bootloader, 20 addressable RGB LEDs, TKL ANSI or ISO layouts with a Tsangan bottom row⁸

The firmware entries show that the 1.2 has at least two PCB revisions with different controllers and layout support, so "1.2" alone does not tell you what is inside. The QMK entry for the 1.2 OG also notes it does not support the ANSI-only variant.⁷ The QMK readme identifies the 2.0 Additional as an upgraded Matrix 8XV2.0 keyboard, and the keyboard definition includes TKL layouts.⁹⁸ “Additional” therefore should not be interpreted as a separate macropad merely from an inconsistent catalogue label. The firmware maintainer is listed as astro (GitHub user yulei) and hardware availability as Matrix Lab.⁶

To check a board you are buying:

Ask for a photo of the PCB (underside of the plate) and match the colour against the table above.
Confirm the bottom row. A Tsangan row (different modifier widths from standard) changes which keycap sets fit.
Confirm ANSI or ISO from the Enter key and left Shift.
Ask whether the PCB is hot-swap or soldered, and what plate it has. No public source states this for the 1.2 or 2.0, so do not assume.
Ask the seller to show it connecting and typing, and confirm the controller enumerates on your computer. If you want to reflash it, check the QMK entry for the matching folder name (m12og or m20add) first, and do not flash firmware meant for a different revision.

Switches and build quality

The maker's descriptions of the 8X series stress a CNC-carved 6063 aluminium case and a 1.5 mm aluminium plate.³ Reliable documentation of how the older revisions were shipped, which switches (if any) came with them, or how they are mounted is not available, so check the individual board. If the PCB is soldered rather than hot-swap, any switch swap requires desoldering.

Where to look

The Matrix thread on GeekHack for the early models and their original descriptions.³
The QMK firmware repository's matrix folder for firmware and PCB variants.⁶
The KeebTalk classifieds thread where the 1.2, 2.0 and 2.2 boards are requested; it shows the demand but is not a specification source.¹
The Keyboard Catalogue entries, which are partly unfilled.⁵

Check live classifieds and marketplace listings for what is currently offered; this page makes no statement about availability or value.

A revision-specific wanted post

Search using both 8xv and 8XV, then add the revision and layout: Matrix 8XV 1.2 WKL, Matrix 8XV 2.0 Additional, or Matrix 8XV 2.2 winkeyless. Avoid treating “Matrix TKL” as a precise model name. Ask a seller to explain which name comes from the original sale and which comes from a later community description.

For older custom boards, what is included can matter as much as case condition. Request a list of the PCB, plate, screws, feet, cable or daughterboard components and any spare parts. If it is a built board, confirm which switches and stabilisers are fitted and whether the price includes keycaps. A photograph of a complete keyboard does not show that all pictured accessories are included.

A typing test is more useful than a sound clip

A sound demonstration can be enjoyable, but it is not a complete function test. Ask for every key to be registered in a keyboard tester, including modifiers and the navigation cluster. Separately ask about USB disconnects, previous PCB repairs and whether firmware has been changed.

Should I buy a board with a failed PCB?

Treat it as a repair purchase until a replacement for that exact revision is identified. A PCB described as “for Matrix” may fit a different case or plate. Price the missing part, shipping and any desoldering before comparing the broken board with a tested example.

Sources and further reading

WTB/WTTF Matrix Lab 8xv TKLs, KeebTalk classifieds: a collector asks for the older 1.2, 2.0 and 2.2 WKL boards and not the 3.0.
Matrix 8XV 3.0 Keyboard Kit group buy, Daily Clack: retailer listing; specifications as published for the 3.0 group buy.
Boutique Custom Keyboard from CHINA: MATRIX Series, GeekHack: the maker's early model list, dates, run sizes and materials.
Matrix Lab 8XV 3.0, The Keyboard Catalogue: community catalogue entry.
Matrix Lab 8XV 2.0, The Keyboard Catalogue: community catalogue entry with many fields unfilled.
Matrix 8XV1.2 OG readme, QMK firmware: PCB and controller revisions.
M12OG keyboard definition, QMK firmware: processor and layouts for revision 2.
Matrix 8XV2.0 Additional definition, QMK firmware: controller, LEDs and layouts.
Matrix 8XV2.0 Additional readme, QMK firmware: maintained firmware documentation identifies the upgraded keyboard.
Matrix 8XV 2.0 Additional, Milktooth catalogue: lists the Additional as a macropad.