My first Open Hardware project: a Macro Pad
- Language: MicroPython.
- Framework: KMK.
- Other software used: KiCad.
- Primary Objective: Personal User.
For a long time I've been thinking about buying a Macro Pad to hasten some common operations, like accessing servers via SSH, or changing the volume of my Microphone (which gets continually "intelligently tweaked" by some software, making it way too loud).
Sadly everything produced out there either has discouraging reviews, is costly or uses software that ends up being far too limiting in many situations.
Most of the software used is produced in China and, even though it is perfect for remapping combinations of buttons to a single keypress, it's not useful for my needs.
A valid alternative is using QMK and VIA, which is fantastic software, but it would force me to re-flash the firmware every time I want to change a macro (operation that is simplified by VIA), but it looks like overkill to me.
Moreover, MacroPads on the market have 16 keys at most, while I need 20, so I decided to make my own MacroPad from scratch, using a Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) and MicroPython. I dusted off my (limited) circuit-design knowledge and I learned to use KiCad (again, in a limited fashion).
After that, I sent the Gerber files to a PCB manufacturer, bought the components (which in total costed me more than a commercial macro pad) and started building.
From preliminary tests, seems everything works as it should, but the litmus test will be when I'll finish soldering and programming everything.
Gallery
