A Modular Macro Keypad | Hackaday
The introduction of the ATmega32U4 microcontroller, with its built-in USB controller, made a variety of {hardware} duties a lot easier than they had been earlier than. One of the arenas it revolutionized was customized keyboards, making it a lot simpler to construct not solely commonplace mechanical keyboards, however keyboards of all types of shapes and layouts and customized macro keyboards as nicely. This development has continued on for the higher a part of the previous decade with different microcontrollers past the 32U4 now out there as nicely, however this modular macro keypad takes it to a new level by keeping that simplicity but in addition preserving prices down.
The suutari20, as it’s known as by its creator [Squalius] is ready to obtain these goals through the use of 3.5 mm jacks generally present in audio gear. Each jack can assist as much as three keys, with the hub finally in a position to assist 18 totally different keys. Those can embrace analog gadgets as nicely, resembling quantity knobs or jog controllers. The macro pad is powered by an RP2040 microcontroller from a Raspberry Pi Pico and makes use of QMK firmware, so these already accustomed to customized keyboard programming can have no drawback getting began.
From there, all that’s wanted is a case, on this instance a 3D printed one, and the commodity audio {hardware} to plug every little thing in to. It allows no matter capabilities could be considered in a macro pad, and though the design focuses on simplicity and price, this macro pad takes the concept to the extreme with modular keys that each have their own microcontroller built-in.
