KINESIS KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard User Guide

: June 15, 2024
: Kinesis

Table of Contents

KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard
In the Box
System Requirements
Getting Started: Ergonomics
Getting Started: Wireless Mode
Features and Functionality
Troubleshooting and Tips
Documents / Resources

Quick Start Guide

KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard

KINESIS KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical
Keyboard

KB360-PRO-GBR

Congratulations on your new Kinesis Keyboard!
This Quick Start Guide is designed to get you up and running with keyboard basics. For additional details and full programming instructions please read the User’s Manual and consult the other support resources before embarking on this journey.
All Support Resources: kinesis.com/support/kb360pro

Visit the Official Kinesis YouTube channel for short tutorial videos

In the Box

– Keyboard (KB360-PRO-XXX)
– 2 Charging Cables (USB-C to USB-A) and 2 A-to-C Adapters
– Bridge Connector
– Extra Keycaps & Keycap Removal Tool

System Requirements

– Computer with an available USB port or Bluetooth®
– Windows®, macOS®, Linux®, or Chrome® operating system

Legal
Kinesis ® Advantage360 Professional™ Keyboard with the ZMK Programming Engine. Keyboard models covered by this guide include all KB360-PRO series keyboards (KB360-PRO-xxx).
ZMK firmware licensed under the Apache License version 2.0.
Contains FCC ID: 2ALGY-NRF52840
© 2024 by Kinesis Corporation. All rights reserved.
KINESIS is a registered trademark of Kinesis Corporation.
ADVANTAGE360 and CONTOURED KEYBOARD are trademarks of Kinesis Corporation.
WINDOWS, MAC, MACOS, LINUX, ZMK, BLUETOOTH and ANDROID are property of their respective owners.

Proudly designed and hand-assembled in the USA since 1992.
Important Links
User Manual: kinesis-ergo.com/support/kb360pro/#manuals
More Tips: kinesis-ergo.com/support/kb360pro/#troubleshooting
Reset: kinesis-ergo.com/support/kb360pro/#ﬁrmware-updates

Warning
The Advantage360 is not a medical treatment. Please consult your doctor if you experience pain while using a keyboard and discontinue use immediately.

Getting Started: Ergonomics

The Kinesis contoured keyboard has stood the test of time since its first introduction in 1992. The Advantage360 takes those same core design principles and adds adjustable separation, rotation, and tenting to suit any body type.
Learn More: kinesis-ergo.com/solutions/keyboard-risk-factors

Separation and Rotation
The most ergonomic typing position is one in which your hands are in line with your arms for “straight” wrists. This can be achieved by separating the modules to shoulder-width, rotating the modules “outward”, or any combination of the two. New users should start with the modules closer together, and experiment with separation and rotation to see what orientation feels most natural.

KINESIS KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard -
Fig 1

Optional Bridge Connector
For those who want to recreate the classic separation of our original contoured keyboard, or those who just aren’t ready to make the move to a fully split keyboard, simply snap the Bridge Connector onto the keyboard base.
Warning: The Bridge Connector is NOT designed to support the weight of the keyboard!!!

Adjustable Tenting
The Advantage360 features three adjustable “tenting” heights to reduce forearm pronation. Depress the button on the underside of each module and raise/lower it to the desired height. We recommend starting on the lowest setting and moving up from there to find the perfect position for your body.

KINESIS KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard -
Fig 3

Getting Started: Wireless Mode

If your computer does not have a built-in Bluetooth antenna, you will need to purchase a 3rd party USB dongle to enable wireless use.

Powering up the keyboard
Each module has a battery-power switch on the backside. The modules are turned ON by sliding the switch AWAY from the adjacent charging port, and turned OFF by sliding the switch TOWARDS the charging port. Power-on the left module first, wait for the Profile LED to illuminate, and then power-on the right module. Important Note: The left module is the primary device, so it should always be powered-on first, and powered-off last.

Pairing the keyboard with your computer
When you first power-on your keyboard, the Profile LED on the left module (see Page 7) should be ﬂashing white rapidly. That signals the keyboard is in Profile 1 and ready to be paired with your computer. Open your computer’s Bluetooth menu and locate the “Adv360 Pro” device and select “Connect”. The flashing White Profile LED will go solid when Profile 1 has been successfully paired. Note: The Bluetooth pairing sequence will vary based on the device and operating system, so consult your computer’s operating manual.

Pairing the keyboard with additional computers
The keyboard has 5 color-coded Proﬁles (see page 7) which can each be paired to a different computer via Bluetooth. To pair the key board with additional devices, toggle to a different Profile and then follow the prompts on the desired device complete the pairing process.

Toggle Bluetooth Profile: Mod + 1 – 5

Charging the keyboard
Each module is equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which will need to be charged every couple of weeks depending on your usage and backlight settings. Once they reach the “Red” level (<20%) Kinesis recommends connecting both modules to your
computer overnight using the included cables. Note: While the left module is connected to a computer, all keystrokes will be sent to that computer via USB regardless of the Profile.
Display Battery Status: Mod + O

Getting Started: Wired Mode
The keyboard is optimized for wireless use but many people prefer the convenience, stability and/or security of a USB wired connection. It may also be necessary to use the keyboard wired in the event batteries die or wireless connectivity is temporarily unavailable. The keyboard makes it easy to seamlessly switch between wired and wireless connections and you can safely leave it plugged in full-time.

Note: The left and right modules always communicate with each other wirelessly so it is not possible to disable the Bluetooth radio even in wired mode.
Connecting the keyboard to your computer via USB
Simply use the included cables (and adapters if necessary) to connect the left and right modules to available ports on the computer. Connect the left module ﬁrst, wait for the Profile LED to illuminate, and then connect the right module. Note: When a module is connected to a computer the battery-switch position is irrelevant.

If you only have one USB port on your computer
If you only have one available USB port on your computer, you will need to power the right module via the rechargeable battery. Simply slide the battery- power switch AWAY from the adjacent charging port. The battery will need to be charged every couple of weeks depending on your usage and backlight settings. You can check the battery level holding the command “Mod + O”. Charge the right module battery overnight once it reaches the “Red” level (<20%) by connecting it to your computer using the included cables.
Proﬁle 5 recommended for wired mode
While the left module is connected to a computer, all keystrokes will be sent to that computer via USB regardless of the active Profile or Bluetooth pairing status. Kinesis recommends that wired users activate Profile 5 (Mod + 5) to disable the flashing Profile LED.
Can I just connect the right module?
The right module is not capable of sending data directly to your computer. Connecting it to your computer is only serves to provide power and charge the battery.

Features and Functionality

The Advantage360 may look intimidating but the key layout is designed to work with your body, and most keys are accessed with the same fingers touch-typists are accustomed to using.
– Concave key wells place alphanumeric keys within easy reach
– Heavily-used editing keys are positioned under your thumbs
– F1 – F12 are accessed by holding either of the two “fn” layer keys
– The numeric keypad is accessed by tapping the “kp” layer key
– 4 blank “hotkeys” 1,2,3,4, are available for custom programming

The default layout has four layers
Each key can perform multiple actions depending on which of the four “layers” is activated on the keyboard. Each module has a “layer” LED which indicates the active layer (see Page 7). By default, most keys perform the same action in all three layers. If a key performs multiple actions, the keycap will feature a second and/or third legend on its front face.

Base Layer (LED off) : In the base layer, each key performs its primary action, which is legended on the top of the keycap.
Kp Layer (White): Tap the “kp” key to toggle access the kp layer, and tap it again to return to the base layer. Kp layer actions are legended on the lower right corner of the keycap.
Fn Layer (Blue): Hold either “fn” key with your pinky to access the fn layer, and release it to return to the base layer. Fn layer actions are legended on the lower left corner of the keycap.
Mod Layer (Green): Hold the Mod key and then tap or hold the appropriate key to access programming commands. Mod layer commands are not legended. See User Manual for full details.

Custom programming designed for power users only
The Advantage360 Professional uses the open-source ZMK programming engine which is incredibly powerful, but also incredibly complex. Reprogramming the layout or settings requires creating a GitHub account and then compiling and flashing your own custom firmware file. Power users can consult the full User Manual for detailed customization and firmware flashing instructions.

The Advantage360 Pro model does not support onboard programming, so if that is an essential feature for you please contact Kinesis and ask about exchanging for the Smart Set model.

Customizing Keycaps
Extra keycaps like macOS modifiers and “blanks” are included to support keyboard customization. Use the keycap removal tool to grasp the sides of a keycap and gently pull straight up to remove.
6 Indicator LEDs
The keyboard has 6 Indicator LEDs that display important keyboard settings. The function and color of each LED are shown below.
Note: Not all indicator functionality is supported on all operating systems over Bluetooth.

Toggle RGB Indicators On/Off: Mod + Space

Caps Lock | Proﬁle | Layer| Num Lock | Scroll Lock | Layer
---|---
KINESIS KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard -
Fig 4
Proﬁle LED Color
1: White
2: Blue
3: Red
4: Green
5: Off| Layer LED Color
Base: Off
kp: White
fn: Blue
Mod: Green

Proﬁle LED ﬂash speed indicates pairing status
– Fast Flash: Keyboard is ready to pair to a new device in this Profile
– Slow Flash: Previously-paired device for this Profile is not in range
– Solid: Keyboard is actively paired to a device

Adjusting backlight brightness
The keyboard features white backlighting and shine-through keycaps for use in low-light environments. There are 5 brightness levels to choose from and the backlighting can be adjusted on-the-fly. Use the shortcuts below to adjust backlighting.
Note: Battery life will be extended significantly if the backlighting is dimmed or disabled altogether.
Adjust Brightness Up / Down: Mod + Up Arrow / Down Arrow

Troubleshooting and Tips

If the keyboard is not working as expected, most of the time a simple power- cycle or two will resolve the issue.

Power-down and disconnect BOTH modules
Then power-on or connect the LEFT module and wait 5 seconds
Then power-on or connect the RIGHT module

Flashing red lights on the right side
If all 3 LEDs on the right module are FLASHING RED, it means the right module is searching for the left module. Power-cycle both modules to allow them to re-establish their connection. In some instances it may be necessary to reset the “sync” connection by
flashing a special reset file and then re-installing firmware. Detailed reset instructions can be found on the Support page (see Page 2).

Try to avoid having the right module on by itself
The left module is the primary device so it should always be connected / power-on first, and disconnected / powered-off last to reduce the risk of the right module searching for the left.

30 second sleep timer
The keyboard will automatically go to sleep after 30 seconds of inactivity regardless of whether its running on battery power or connected to a computer, so you do not need to power-down each time you step away. Each module will wakeup on the next keypress.
Setting the default Proﬁle
The keyboard will always revert to the Proﬁle that was active when it last went to sleep. To change the default Profile, toggle to the desired Profile and let the keyboard go to sleep on its own.
Trouble connecting wirelessly
If the Profile LED is flashing slowly but the previously paired computer is on and in range, it may be necessary to refresh the wireless connection between the keyboard and your computer.
Refreshing the Bluetooth connection is a two-step process:

Erase the connection on your computer by “Removing” / “Forgetting” the “Adv360 Pro” from your device’s Bluetooth menu,
Erase the connection on the keyboard with the Bluetooth Clear command for the desired Profile (Profile LED will now flash fast).

Clear active Profile connection: Mod + Windows

Documents / Resources

| KINESIS KB360-PRO-GBR Advantage360 Professional Split Mechanical Keyboard [pdf] User Guide
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