Hack Your Workflow with a Modular Macro Keyboard
Suutari20 is a modular macro keyboard based on the Raspberry Pi Pico that adds buttons, switches, knobs, and pedals to your computer.
A standard keyboard gets the job done for most people. But for those who spend a lot of time editing video, gaming, or making electronic music, macro keyboards can come in very handy. These ultra-specialized keyboards have custom key layouts that are mapped to specific functions that help to streamline personalized workflows.
There are quite a lot of options already available out there, but if you need more customization than any of them offer, you might be interested in Suutari20, developed by Squalius. It is a modular macro keyboard system that can be endlessly customized to suit just about any use case. Using this device, buttons, switches, knobs, rotary encoders, pedals, and more can be mapped to custom functions on your computer.
Suutari20 is powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller and has a set of six TRRS jacks and two EC11 encoders that feed into it. Each TRRS port supports a module containing between one and three keys. The EC11 encoders are used to accept input from knobs with more than just two states. The hardware is installed in a 3D-printed case.
The Raspberry Pi Pico runs QMK firmware such that it can be presented to a host computer as a human-interface device, just like a traditional keyboard. Squalius also uses Vial with Suutari20 to make defining key mappings and macros simple with its user-friendly GUI.
The design files and firmware are all freely available on GitHub, so go grab everything if you would like to make your own Suutari20.
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