My awesome macropad!

finally the firmware is done!! BUT i missed screen recording the firmware part as i went to get some water and then i forgot to turn on the lapse and learned a lot about kmk and micropython but didn’t recorded it.

Finally :D I completed the PCB and the case! It looks really cool, but I definitely had to spend a lot of time on it. The PCB was a bit challenging, but the case was pretty easy to make.For the firmware, I initially planned to use QMK, but after spending a whole hour trying to set it up without success, I decided to delete it and switch to KMK. Later, someone in Slack told me that I could work on the firmware once the hardware arrives, so now I’m basically at the final steps of completing the project!For the case, I added four little supports on the bottom to help reduce damage to the case. And honestly, the silkscreen on the PCB is probably my favorite part! :D

I am making the case for my macropad! As I have attached LEDs on the sides of pcb i thought to make a honeycomb pattern so that when light goes out, it forms a cool shadow and looks sick! And now I realised that the rp2040 will also be on a side, so I need to edit that as well and make the cover and make screw holes!

btw, is this a good idea?

Finally!! I managed to complete the PCB part, and I’m really happy with how it turned out! It took quite a bit of time and effort to get everything working and looking the way I wanted. It actually looks pretty cool! And now, onto the next phase of the project… the case! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

I messed up!!! so i was trying to align the leds perfectly on the edge of the pcb but first i counted there should be 20 LEDs(5 per side), then i realise there should be 18(two opp. side with 5 leds, and 2 opp. sides with 4 leds), but later i reallized that xiao rp2040 will be on a corner so have to reduce 2-4 more leds so in simpler words i wasted a whole hour of my life figuring out how and where to place leds on a pcb!!! will restart later!

So now I have completed the schematics with 9 keys, 9 diodes, 10 LEDs, a rotatory encoder, and a display. i also assigned the footprints. and will do the pcb editing in next lapse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!sorry for sooomany exclamation marks!!!!!!! And I hope I am making this right??

So it’s my first time using KiCad, so I followed the Hackpad guide and made a basic PCB and made a case, but now I think to take the challenge to use 9 keys, a rotary encoder, maybe a screen, and upgrade it.