A Look at Katniss Labs’ Morse Code Trainer
Master Morse code with this custom-built wireless trainer by Katniss Labs — either build your own or buy an assembled unit for $50.
Aside from a few niche applications, Morse code isn’t used much anymore. However, despite the fact that it has long since been replaced by faster and better ways to communicate, hobbyists still love to tinker around with it. Building a system that communicates with the dots and dashes of Morse code is relatively easy, and these devices can still get a clear message across today just as well as those of the past once did.
Maker Katniss Labs loves to toy around with Morse code and recently built a trainer to support that hobby. It wirelessly sends and receives Morse code signals, and has several modes designed to help the user get a better understanding of this aging telecommunications technology.
The trainer is powered by a Microchip AVR128DA48 microcontroller. A 2.42-inch 128x64 OLED display, along with a pair of dials, serve as the user interface. This allows for selecting menu options or adjusting the volume level, for instance. A capacitive touch sensor stands in for the traditional straight key, and an nRF24L01 2.4GHz ISM band wireless transceiver module is used for sending and receiving signals. A 3.7V 800mAh LiPo battery powers the device.
This device wasn’t slapped together with a few breakout boards. Katniss Labs put a lot of care into the build with a beautifully designed custom printed circuit board. To finish the project up, a 3D-printed case was produced to house the hardware.
If you would like to make your own Morse code trainer, the circuit diagram has been made publicly available by Katniss Labs to help you do that. Or if you want to save some time, you can purchase one for $50.