Building a three-key-switch hack pad to learn the basics of hardware design. The hackpad will be programmed to perform simple yet time-saving actions like automating transitions between a coding and study workplace, etc.
This is probably the longest I have worked on this project in a single sitting, and I’m happy to say that I reached the final stretch.
I have also finalized what the DeskBud will be programmed to do. I settled on the idea of using this hackpad as a VS Code shortcut pad to open the things we use the most in that program. I chose this use case because I’m sure there are a lot of programmers out here who may find this helpful. Yes, it’s not some niche use case — people may have done it before, but I wanted to focus more on its usefulness than trying to make something unique.
KiCad and Onshape crashes caused a loss of progress multiple times because of my low-end PC, forcing me to redo that part again.
Lack of knowledge on how to dimension the case using the PCB designs. It was a time-consuming process because I wasn’t aware of advanced measuring techniques that my peers commonly use.
Despite the issues, I managed to learn a lot from this project and im glad I chose this as my first hardware project (EVER).
See yall on the final ship post :]
After some more research on other hackpack designs and parts provided by hackclub, I redesigned the schematic and added an OLED display to it with some changes to the PCB layout. I also experimented with adding a rotary encoder to the hackpad, but I later realized that it won’t be used much for its intended purpose I planned out. Some key things I learnt from this milestone of my project is familiarizing myself with the rules and design guidelines that hackclub and stardance have laid out to ensure my project is good to be shipped and receive the parts to build it.
Enjoy watching the timelapse attached :)
Devlog - 1
First iteration of my PCB design for the hackpad. The key takeaway of this first iteration was how I got to learn more about the software (like KiCad) and understand how the designing process works.
I found it challenging to setup the application initially like importing the care packages and figuring out how to use the symbols properly.
Despite the challenges, I got the gist of using the application and now im exploring more features like using DRC Rule Checker to ensure my design doesn’t have any issues.
Ohhh! this is my first hardware project as someone who programs more often :)
