The Micro Gherkin Is a Tiny Pico-Powered Keyboard

The Micro Gherkin is a tiny Raspberry Pi Pico-based keyboard that is just a little bit larger than the Pico itself.

Cameron Coward
2 years ago

The Raspberry Pi Pico generated a lot of excitement after its announcement early this year. Not only was it Raspberry Pi's first foray into the world of microcontrollers after several years in the single-board computer market, but it was powerful and affordable. The development board contains the impressive RP2040 microcontroller and costs only $4. The power of the RP2040 may make it overkill for many applications, but the low price makes it an attractive option regardless. This Micro Gherkin keyboard is proof of that.

It doesn't take many resources to manage a typical keyboard. All the microcontroller has to do is monitor the keyboard matrix and send keypress information to a computer or other device (usually over USB these days). Almost every microcontroller on the market today can handle the job; provided it has enough I/O pins or you implement shift registers. But at $4, the Raspberry Pi Pico costs less than most other microcontroller development boards on the market. Combine that with the built-in USB HID capabilities, and the Pico is a very solid choice for a controlling keyboards.

The Micro Gherkin is about as small as a keyboard can be while still using everyday micro tactile push buttons. It only has 30 keys, which means it needs many alternate layers to be usable. But you can see why the designer chose that number. The entire keyboard maintains a footprint only a tad larger than the Pico itself. The Pico is soldered flush onto the backside of the PCB, while the SMD buttons are on the front side. The back plate exists solely to protect the Pico. It runs PRK (Pico Ruby Keyboard) firmware, which targets the RP2040 microcontroller.

The Micro Gherkin is completely open source. So if you're looking for a very compact keyboard for your next project, this is a great choice.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
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