Superugh

Bemicro

A macropad designed for Hackclub's Stardance.
This is a half macropad half beatmania controller inspired by the Bemini.
This was started on the 12th, and is now concluding on the 21st. not too bad for a first hardware project, if i do say so myself.
AI FREE!!

the board itself

This was probably the most fun part.
The keys (including the encoder button) are wired in a matrix with diodes. Theres 4 Neopixel LEDs in a row, A rotary encoder, and a small OLED screen.
Every pin of the Xiao RP2040 is used except for the 3.3v pin, which is unneeded here.

wiring it was also pretty fun, but not as much, it was a lot of doing and then redoing.
i ended up with this masterfully (horribly) wired board

which looks like this in the 3d view

The case!

its really bare bones. The Xiao, leds, keyswitches, and roatary encoder all need to be left (mostly) uncovered, so theres not much to really add a top over, so theres no top. for now.(if i feel its needed once its built, i will make one.)

notably, the encoder knob (to mirror a beatmania controller) looks like a tunrtable... kinda. its that odd shape so that it can still be spin-able dj style, but also not cover the whole board.

the board screws into the case (with the keyswitches facing "south" and the indent in the case facing "north"). the "turntable" friction fits over the D shaft of the rotary encoder.

qmk...

man qmk was a headache. it was quite the process to get rolling, mostly the guide was not at all for this usecase. but, with some perseverance and a bit of luck i figured it out.
the default keybinds are as follows.
S, D, F, ESC(on rotary encoder)
Z, X, C, V

The rotary encoder itself types G on a counter clockwise turn and B on a clockwise turn
holding the rotary encoder button also enables the led control layer, for as long as you hold it.
the binds are
Hue up, Sat up, Val up, ____(you should be holding this anyways)
hue down, sat down, val down, toggle underglow.
there isnt yet a "macro"pad layer, but there will be in the future.

bill of materials

1x Seeed Studio Xiao RP2040
8x Through-hole 1N4148 diodes
7x MX-style keyswitches
1x EC11E rotary encoder (the kind with a switch)
1x .91 inch OLED display
7x MX keycaps (white in this case)
2x M3x16mm screws
2x M3x5x4mm heatset inserts.
4x SK6812 MINI-E LEDs