Midi keypad.kicadP3 pcb

A MIDI-Keyboard

For this project, I designed a custom MIDI keypad PCB inspired by the MIDI Keypad project. The goal was to create a compact, customizable music controller that can send MIDI inputs to a computer using touch-sensitive keys, a rotary encoder, and a slide potentiometer.

The main components include a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3, seven capacitive touch pads, three SK6812 MINI-E RGB LEDs, an EC11 rotary encoder, and a Bourns slide potentiometer. As seen in my schematic view!

I started by creating the circuit schematic in KiCad, assigning GPIO pins to the touch keys, LEDs, encoder, and slider. I connected the power and ground nets, added power flags, and fixed electrical rule errors.

Next, I assigned component footprints and created a custom footprint containing seven copper touch pads. I transferred everything into the PCB Editor, arranged the components, created the board outline, and routed the electrical connections using front and back copper layers.

I also modified the LED footprints for front mounting, corrected silkscreen issues, and added a ground plane with a keepout underneath the capacitive touch pads.

Finally, I checked the design using KiCad's Design Rules Checker, achieving zero electrical errors and zero unconnected items. I also began customizing the PCB with rounded corners and planned music-themed artwork and personalized lettering.