Customize This CircuitPython Macro Keypad to Suit Your Shortcut Needs
Andy Warburton designed a 3D-printed macropad with a SAM D21 at its core.
In computing, as in life, there are many routine tasks that you simply have to perform over and over. If, however, there’s a certain sequence of keys that you need to press for these tasks, this can be conveniently automated via an auxiliary macro keypad. Such keypads take a variety of forms, yet one interesting option is this eight-key model by Andy Warburton.
The unit is built around the 3D-printable 8 Button Macro Keypad by sephtronics, which along with some keyswitches and keycaps from AliExpress, takes care of the mechanical bits of the build. Inside, Warburton inserted a tiny Seeeduino XIAO, which is based on the SAM D21 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller and features a USB-C connector.
Each keyswitch is wired into an individual XIAO input for easy interface, but it would be possible to use up to 25 keys if a matrix was implemented. A common ground for each was constructed with a single strand of solid-core wire, with insulation split to allow multiple connections.
While the XIAO comes configured as an Arduino device, Warburton opted instead to program it using CircuitPython, and instructions for converting it over are found here. Once that’s taken care of, code for the macro pad is available in his project post, though you’d certainly want to customize it for your needs!