Spotify pad

Spotify Pad

A media macropad: 3 hotswap MX keys (⏮ ⏯ ⏭), an EC11 rotary encoder for volume (push = mute), and a 1.54" ST7789 240×240 color display showing the current song, artist, and album cover. Brain: Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040 (USB-C).

Board: 80 × 92 mm, 2 layers. Passes KiCad DRC with 0 errors, all nets routed, ground pours on both sides. Schematic and PCB netlists verified identical.

Files

• spotify-pad.kicad_pro / .kicad_sch / .kicad_pcb — full KiCad 7 project (opens fine in KiCad 8/9 too, they read v7 files)
• footprints/SpotifyPad.pretty/ — project-local footprints (self-contained, including the XIAO RP2040 DIP footprint and the Kailh hotswap socket)
• gerbers/ — ready-to-order gerbers + Excellon drill files (zip the folder and upload to JLCPCB / PCBWay as-is)
• BOM.csv — parts list (~$15 in parts + switches/caps)
• firmware/ — CircuitPython boot.py + code.py for the XIAO
• host/spotify_display.py — desktop script that feeds song info + cover art to the display via USB serial (Spotify Web API)

How it works

The three keys and the encoder send standard USB media keys — they work immediately with Spotify, YouTube, anything, on any OS, no software needed.

The display can't pull album art on its own (the XIAO has no WiFi), so the little spotify_display.py script runs on your computer, polls the Spotify API, and streams the title/artist/cover over the same USB cable.

Wiring (already routed on the PCB)

All switches go to ground; firmware uses internal pull-ups. R1 (0Ω) ties the display backlight to 3V3 permanently — leave it off and bodge BLK to a spare pin if you ever want PWM dimming.

Build notes

1. Hotswap sockets go on the BACK of the board (the side without silkscreen labels). Switches click in from the front.
2. The XIAO solders on the front at the top-left, USB-C facing the top edge. Use the castellated edge pads flush, or 7-pin headers.
3. The display plugs into the 1×8 socket, module resting over the silkscreen outline. Check your module's pin order against the silk (BLK CS DC RES SDA SCL VCC GND, left→right) — most 1.54"/1.3" ST7789 modules match, a few vendors swap pins.
4. Encoder: any EC11 with switch; 20mm shaft fits standard knobs.

Firmware

1. Hold BOOT on the XIAO while plugging in → drag-drop CircuitPython UF2 (circuitpython.org/board/seeeduino_xiao_rp2040)
2. Copy firmware/boot.py and firmware/code.py to the CIRCUITPY drive
3. Copy adafruit_hid, adafruit_st7789, adafruit_display_text from the Adafruit CircuitPython bundle into CIRCUITPY/lib/
4. For the display feed: pip install spotipy pyserial pillow requests, create a (free) Spotify developer app, export the credentials, run python host/spotify_display.py

Ordering the PCB

Upload a zip of gerbers/ to JLCPCB: 2 layers, 1.6mm, any color (it's a Spotify pad — green solder mask, obviously). Default options are fine.