Devlog #01

Welcome to the first devlog for Macropad: Stratum!

I’m still fairly new to hardware as most of my experience comes from a couple of Arduino classes, so the HackPad mission feels like the perfect opportunity to push myself. I’ve never designed a PCB or worked with firmware before, and I’m excited to learn these skills as go through this project!

Project Vision

Stratum is a 10‑key macropad with two rotary encoders and multiple functional “layers.” Each layer changes the behavior of the keys: the default layer might offer quick access to special characters, while a “Designing” layer could turn the same keys into shortcuts for drawing tools. That’s how I came upw itht he name Stratum, as it reflects this idea of stacked, interchangeable layers of commands.

Progress So Far

I began by exploring the build guide and studying previous macropad designs (both online and in the guide) to understand the overall workflow and craft my project vision. Once I had a clearer sense of the structure, I sketched out my initial layout and did some research on keyboard matrices.

After getting more comfortable with KiCAD, I designed the matrix and wired the components, referencing the Orpheuspad to ensure I was following solid conventions. The schematic is now mostly complete, and I’m preparing to refine it before moving on to the PCB layout.

Thanks for reading — more updates soon!