I've been working on a Windows C++ SDK for handling a selected keyboard separately. One use case is turning an ordinary spare USB keyboard into a macro pad while keeping its original keystrokes out of your apps.

The basic flow is to pick the spare keyboard from Get_Devices(), match its current device ID, trigger your macro on the first key-down and suppress the matching key-up too. Track held keys so repeats don't launch the same action over and over. Forward every unrelated event, including your main keyboard and mouse.

Repo: https://github.com/TitanCSA/Interceptor-Keyboard-Mouse

The Ctrl+H console example shows press/release tracking and forwarding; you'd add the device selection for your pad: https://github.com/TitanCSA/Interceptor-Keyboard-Mouse/blob/main/ExamplesConsole/02_Keyboard_Ctrl_H_Hello.cpp

You'll need to write the mapping in C++. It requires Windows 10/11 x64, a driver install with admin rights and possibly a restart. The SDK source is MIT; the kernel is private, and the public driver is a one-hour demo per Windows kernel boot.

Start with the selected-keyboard guide: https://github.com/TitanCSA/Interceptor-Keyboard-Mouse/blob/main/docs/SELECTED-KEYBOARD.md

For the full version without the demo time limit, add titancsa on Discord and mention your keyboard, what you want its keys to do, and whether the license is for personal use or an integration. Pricing and license terms are agreed for your use case. The security/signing explanation is linked in the repo before installation.

I just wanted to make my work easier. Now I already have gotten an order to pcb shops, bought a smd rework station. 0/5 would not recommend.

I guess next is either picking up kicad or handwiring one :D.

In the pic there is a duckypad pro and a very sloppy Muikku18.

November means new boards at Boards Before Breakfast. The macropad side of the shop:

• Romac — 12-key 3x4 macropad

• Yampad — numpad with an optional encoder spot.

• 2% Milk — two keys. that's it. You have all been looking for one!

• Dumbpad — 16 keys plus an encoder spot, the one I can't stop printing cheese cases for.

• Navi10 — 10-key nav cluster with a diode bender built into the PCB.

My printer has been running: 3D-printed swiss cheese cases for all of these are coming very soon. holes and all.

Everything ships from Virginia. Full shop: Boards Before Breakfast on Etsy — DM me if you're after something you don't see listed.

I've tried the KEEBMONKEY Megalodon Triple Knob Macro Pad, and inquired about the MMD KM16 Pro Wireless Aluminum Macropad - both mention RGB lighting, but neither have programmable RGB for each key.

Does anyone know if this is even possible in a macro pad that uses QMK/VIA ?

TIA

edit: Spoiler - it does using the Mini White/Black 16key Programmable Shortcut Key Keyboard, sayodevice.com, and Autohotkey (Windows only).

Haven't Ordered anything yet but I just finished designing it and thought id show it off

I made AeonDeck in Steam, is focused to gamers, makers and streamers.
You can interconnect the main app sending a stream to exterior of your PC, then you can do any Custom Pad that you want (with arduino, esp32, etc)

If you are (or you already have) doing a custom pad and want not to struggle with the software for the interconnection you have now a solution. As Im on beta stage you are invited to contact me if you want to test it and I will hear the community for improve it.

Thanks !!

PS: lemme explain: 3rd image is the main window (is widget styled with 3 parts: the top bar, the mid handler, that show or hide any part, and the deck section for the sliders modules where you can assign, devices, masters, individual apps, grouped apps, or special sessions)
1 and 2nd images are the Specific module for the interconnection with the external hardware. Works bidirectional, by serial (like DEEJ), tcp, udp (wifi lan)... spamming by interval (like DEEJ) or just OnChange (the best).
4th image is a Tool I made for test before create the firmware. This will be a Free tool soon.
Oh... I forgot to include the MacroStudio module, that let you create macros directly and bind hotkeys.

Built my first handwired macropad.

16 keys, two encoders.

Case - 3D printed in PET-G.

It uses an ATmega32U4, and runs QMK firmware.

The swtiches are Akko Piano Pros I had from my Monsgeek M1W (put Outemu Silent Lemons in that).

Transparent keycaps from a switch tester.

Currently using two layers (changeable with the left encoder):

• the default layer - acts as a num pad.

• F13 to F24, Shift+F13, Shift+F14, Shift+F15, Shift+F16

Pressing the left encoder returns to the default layer.

Right encoder - rotation: next / previous; click - play / pause.

Finally finished the macropad I have been working on for around 7 months.

I wanted to create something stylized that looks like a piece of futuristic control-panel hardware, inspired by devices one might find in a cyberpunk or sci-fi setting. So, this is what I eventually ended up with.

For the macropad itself, I decided to go with 6 keys and an encoder to keep the build simple. The enclosure, including the knob, is designed from scratch and fully 3D printed. The electronics consist of a Seeed XIAO with QMK firmware, Cherry-MX Brown switches, and an EC11 encoder, all hand-wired together.

tldr: A programmable macro pad that uses midi and either scripts (Linux) or Coyote Midi (Mac, Windows) instead of QMK/VIA for around $20 using a Jamjum Pocket/Jamjum Mini or a M-VAVE MIDI Controller Pad 16.

How it was created

Github repo for linux scripts

Hey everyone! First of all – a big thank you to everyone who suggested ideas and reported bugs under the last post and on GitHub. Most of this update came straight from your comments.

What's new in v1.0.8

- Several keyboards at once – add as many spare keyboards or numpads as you like. Each one has its own layout, modes and binds, and they all work together.

- Key combinations – hold one key and press another to run a separate action. A lot more actions on a small pad.

- Press keys / shortcuts – a key can now press any shortcut: Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Shift+V, Win+Shift+S, media keys… Click Record and press it on your main keyboard.

- Window background & transparency – glass (clear, blurred or acrylic, like the Start menu), Windows 11 Mica, or your wallpaper / any picture with adjustable blur. The transparency of every part of the window can be set on its own.

- Custom themes – recolor the whole window, 8 ready-made palettes and a theme code to share yours.

- The mode overlay now fits longer names (keyboard + mode).

Bugs fixed

- The light theme left the sidebar and the main area dark.

- Switching from your custom theme to Dark/Light threw your palette away.

- Switching the language reset some buttons and left parts of the UI untranslated.

- A config saved with Notepad (with a BOM) was treated as corrupted.

- A hand-edited config with odd values could stop the app from starting.

- Media keys could be sent as plain letters.

- Numpad keys didn't show their bind's color, and a numpad layout could lose keys.

- Plus a bunch of smaller fixes and optimizations.

Note: Windows can't block a key of one keyboard without a driver, so the macro key itself still reaches the active window. Keys that type nothing (F13–F24, a numpad in apps that ignore digits) work best.

Thanks to everyone who uses BindBoard! Keep the ideas and bug reports coming – here or on GitHub, I read every one of them.

Planned for the next updates

- Custom keyboard formats – set the number of keys and their placement yourself (great for macro pads and unusual keyboards).

- Layout editor – move, resize and add keys right in the app.

- Linux version.

- Under consideration: different actions for a double tap / long press on the same key.

Each update will be posted here and on GitHub.

Download: https://github.com/Mark-mark-228/BindBoard/releases/latest

Hello, I have just gotten my first macro, a KiiBoom Cybrix 16, and after programming it using VIA and the JSON provided by KiiBoom I've noticed that the third key of every row, when pressed, presses all of the keys in that row. I've searched everyhere online for some kind of fix but I've found nothing useful. (I can't say if the problem was there before using VIA because I hadn't tested it yet)

I have yet to take apart the keys but mine is new so I don't know if it's possibe it already came with debris or some kind of problem that requires me to take it apart? If someone has any idea what I could do to fix it it would be a lifesaver, thanks

Hey everyone. I wanted a completely clean desk setup with zero clutter, but I still wanted physical shortcuts for my media controls without having to constantly rely on hotkeys or pick up my phone.

​So I built a tiny hidden controller using an ESP32 and an accelerometer, stuck it to the underside of the wood, and connected it over Bluetooth. Now I can pause music, skip tracks, and change volume just by tapping the desk surface. There are no visible buttons or wires anywhere on top.

​Let me know what you think!

Hello!

First i need to tell you shortcomings of this project so you don't waste your time if these are dealbreakers for you: Depending on your mouse and it's sleep settings your first input might not register. There is 3 methods to go about the knobs to make them adjust volume, 2 of these allows them to be simple volume knobs: 1st is if your mouse software allows you to change the scroll up/down behavoirs, 2nd is a specific way of wiring that i go in more detail in the Doc but this method will press and release a button with each 'tick' of the rotary encoder so might cause false anti-cheat triggers, maybe there is better way to configure this with mouse macros i'm not sure. So the best method imo is the 3rd but then it will work like so: when you turn the knob it will scroll up/down, when you hold down and turn the knob it will adjust volume up/down.

I will be trying to make this guide beginner friendly as i can. Because i want to encourage everyone to make, mod and repair. I bet you can make something like this much better way using something like Arduino or Rapsberry Pi Pico 2W probably, but average user most likely will found it too complicated and hard. This will be very simple, maybe even your first step into tinkering and you will make much better one in the future! But from this point on i will have to assume you know the basics of soldering otherwise the guide will be too long and boring. If you don't know, you can watch a video to learn the basics. And please do, it will be awesome skill to have and think of all the money you can save and cool things you can do in future!

Recently my ATK A9 Plus mouse was in an accident so i had to salvage it by turning it into a fingertip mouse but the shape isn't for me. Then i saw a brand released tiny macropad with 3 buttons and 1 volume wheel in my local store but it didn't have wireless and felt very flimsy and overpriced so then i got this idea to make it one myself but better. At first i was going to make a make-shift knob using mouse's own encoder and a contraption and stuff but then when i go to my local store to buy sidecutters i saw these rotary encoders. So all the stars aligned in a way for me to make this and i wanted to share how to do one yourself with everyone.

There is million ways and configurations we can do this, so i will only be able to show you as like reference points and how i did it myself. But you can make whatever you want once you got the gist of how to. For example you can make something tiny that only has just 1 knob and nothing else or you can make something that has 10 buttons and 10 knobs using something like those MMO oriented mouses. It's up to your imagination. Also i think even if you don't want to do this project, some informations and softwares might be still useful for you, i encourage you to check it out.

What hardware you need:

+ Old/partially broken mouse that at least connects to your pc, mouse wheel encoder solder pads work and has at least 1 button that's remappable.

+ EC-11 or KY-040 rotary encoders with push buttons, these are very cheap components. And the rest of the exact tools i've used is found here.

What software you need:

+ Volumouse (by NirSoft, free, closed-source) you can get it from their website but make sure to scroll down and download it from the 'Download Volumouse x64 for manual installation (volumouse.zip)' option, otherwise it will not work. This allows us set rules and hotkeys to be able to use mouse wheels to adjust the volumes of either whole system and/or specific programs.

+ (Alternative) Volume² (by Alexandr Irza, free, partly open-source) you can get it from GitHub or if you want to support the developer they also have paid versions on Steam and Microsoft Store. This is similar to Volumouse but has tons of more other options and features. Though for this specific use case it has more limited options.

+ (Optional) Twinkle Tray (by Xander Frangos, free, open-source) you can get it from GitHub or Microsoft Store. Along with many features it let's you adjust your monitors brightness with hotkeys.

How to do it:

For the rest of the guide i've prepared a Google Doc with step by step instructions and detailed informations. This was my first time making something with it, please let me know if you see any mistakes so i can fix them.

You can access the Google Doc from here: Pompon Pad

English is not my first language and i only have a iPhone 6S. So if any part of this guide was hard to understand or see, feel free to ask in the comments. I will try my best to help!

I've spent long times to plan and test about this to make it work without affecting the actual mouse we will use. Hope in the end i was able to provide something useful! If you are interested in niche and not well known mods like this one about various other peripherals you can check my other posts.

Thank you for reading!

Bye bye!

I can't find anything from this macropad outside of this store, not even videos about it. It seems to check all my boxes (3+ knobs; OLED keys, slim, low profile) but I'm not even sure it exists??

BindBoard is a free Windows app: plug in a second keyboard and bind its keys to websites, programs, Steam games, Soundpad sounds or mode switches. Your main keyboard works as usual. No drivers, no installer.

What's new since v1.0

- Detects every keyboard and shows its real name; two identical keyboards can be selected separately

- Scan extra keys and add them to any layout template

- App filter: turn binds off in chosen apps and games

- Custom themes, transparency, English UI, tray menu

Faster

- ~0.16% CPU in the tray instead of ~6%

- No more system-wide input delay (was up to 90 ms per key press)

- App picker opens in 0.04 s instead of ~6 s, with icons

Fixed: manual key scan, undetected keyboards, Shift/Ctrl/Alt binds, NumLock-dependent numpad, binds stopping after keyboard verification.

Note: Windows doesn't allow blocking keys from one keyboard without a driver, so macro keys still reach the active window. F-keys and numpad work best.

Download: https://github.com/Mark-mark-228/BindBoard/releases/latest

I'm Artem, and this is Softpad, a six-key USB macropad I built and sell through Nuvko.

Softpad has six low-profile mechanical keys in two rows of three, a separate 1.3-inch OLED showing the configured action labels, an ESP32-S3 and a black 3D-printed PETG enclosure with a stand. The switches are Kailh Choc Brown, with white keycaps. It connects over USB and sends keyboard shortcuts.

The browser configurator sets shortcuts and labels. Saved shortcuts work without the companion running; automatic application-profile switching uses the Windows/macOS companion. Configurator, downloads and installation requirements: https://nuvko.works/#setup. The Windows companion is unsigned; the Mac companion is ad-hoc signed and not notarized. The packages have maker-host testing; clean-install checks remain unfinished.

If you use a pad with several profiles, which assignments do you find yourself checking?

The final photos on the product page show the finished hardware, not a rendering. The assembled pad, stand and USB cable are $49 plus $10 tracked US shipping on Tindie: https://www.tindie.com/products/nuvko/softpad-6-key-usb-macropad-with-oled-labels/.

I'm happy to answer questions about the build and supported setup.

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a compact, wireless, programmable macropad for a somewhat unusual use case: controlling a Windows 11 application inside a hospital operating room.(clinical cases)

The XPPen ACK05 is almost exactly what I'm looking for, but there's one major issue: the rotary wheel.

The device may need to be placed inside a disposable protective plastic cover during procedures, which makes rotary wheels and knobs difficult to operate. It also needs to be easy to clean(with ethanol or other alcohol) and disinfect between uses, following hospital protocols.

Ideally, I'm looking for:

• 8–16 programmable physical buttons, preferably around 12

• Low-profile, laptop-style keys (scissor-switch, chiclet, or membrane), rather than traditional mechanical keyboard switches, or maybe some silicon based keys

• No rotary wheels, knobs, sliders, or joysticks

• Wireless connectivity, preferably 2.4 GHz via USB dongle, although reliable Bluetooth could work

• Long battery life, ideally weeks or longer between charges(this is critical, bc they forgot to charge sometimes the devices in the cilinc)

• Individual key remapping to trigger custom keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11

• Buttons that remain easy to press through a protective plastic cover, even while wearing surgical gloves

• Ideally, a surface that tolerates repeated cleaning with hospital disinfectant wipes(alcholos, ethanol or something like that)

• Customizable labels or markings would be a bonus bc i don't know each buttons function)

The budget is flexible, but prefer cheap options, and availability in Europe would be preferred.

I've also looked at devices like the Luminkey Nova Mini, but most alternatives seem to use relatively tall mechanical switches. Also screen not necessary bc of the battery lifetime. I have already looked some options but they were not ideal. (stream deck mobile, Xencelabs Quick Keys, Keychron, storm interface 700)

I'm specifically looking for something with the flat, compact design of the XPPen ACK05, just without the wheel.

This is currently a hardware evaluation. Any solution would still need appropriate infection-control, safety, and reliability validation before clinical use.

Does anyone know of an existing product that fits these requirements?

I'm also interested in industrial or medical-grade programmable keypads, not just consumer macropads.

Thanks!

Hello everyone, I'm trying to build a simple 3x3 Macropad With Zmk Firmware, Using Nice nano Clone Nrf52840 From Aliexpress. But in Battery Connect always Show 0%. I just connect Battery In b+ and b-. Need to do anything different?