Arduino Pro Micro Macro Keyboard Version 2.0 | DIY Macro Pad for Professional Keyboard Slayers

This is a hot-key, shortcut, stream deck, or 'macro' keyboard built with an Arduino Pro Micro. This macro pad features two rotary encoders, RGB back-lighting for Cherry MX switches, a breakout for an external foot pedal, and a mode switch for multiple key profiles. This is not new, but vastly improved version 2.0 of my previous macro keyboard.
github.com/retrobuiltRyan/Mac...
QMK firmware by Mike: github.com/possibilities/elev...
Buy this PCB: www.tindie.com/products/19957/
Buy the mini version (v2.0): www.tindie.com/products/21799/
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:45 What is it
3:01 Assembly
14:06 Fun with Macros
15:55 Encoder Profiles
19:12 Arcade Trackball
21:28 Password Manager
22:35 Password Generator
24:18 RickRoll Button
24:53 RGB LEDs
29:16 LCD Updater
31:18 Outro
My first attempt at this: • Programmable Macro Key...
Buy my book on RPi mini Arcades: amzn.to/2W5r6Kj

[@jcdock]

"why buy when you can build for 3x the price" finally someone understands me

[@firesean_]

WE PAY FOR THE EXPERIENCE! Not the quality.

[@jcdock]

@@firesean_ I know... I was agreeing with op

[@deoxyde]

@@jcdock And they were agreeing with you lol

[@firesean_]

@@jcdock its adding on to the sacarcasm....

[@pixobit5882]

And you can customize the code so you're not stuck with the features of a finished product.

[@bobbyhines2383]

I had so much fun building and programming the micro version! First time soldering SMD components as well, and this was a forgiving project for that. Looking forward to your latest ideas.

[@sjachim314]

loved the pause after "[...]versatlity is the key here" ❤️

[@nukezat]

I got my board today and it looks amazing Ryan! The quality shows the painstaking detailed work you put into it! I got two, one to follow your build guide and another to use a QMK compatible wireless MCU and MX/kailh hto swap sockets, when I get it done I'll share my struggles.

[@Jan-S-Simonsen]

Wow! This looks like a great idea for Cubase custom keyboard shortcuts in my studio. I’m keeping my eye on this Ryan.

[@RNDev666]

What are the chances. Yesterday, I found the 1st vid, and subscribed immediately. And one day later I get this Christmas treat. Wow. Both are awesome videos!!!

[@j.a.harvilla2819]

Can't wait to make one of these! Great content as always!

[@TheSlyMouse]

What an awesome video. This took tons of work obviously but hope to see more like this.

[@ZWBenedict]

Hey, Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your project. I loved watching the video update for both version. Enjoyed your humor and learned several things along the way. Keep up the good work.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

thanks so much!

[@VikMKW]

Just bought the prior version some weeks ago. Time to desolder after ordering the new one! The display option is a must. Nicely done!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

haha thank you. I did de-solder a few of mine. I know the feeling.

[@marcianoacuerda]

This was very fun to watch. And it looks even more fun to build one. The rotary encoders are a cool addition, I really like having dedicated volume nobs. And as you said in the description this might not be new but is way more advanced than any commercial product I've seen!.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@izakmcgregor7185]

Just Bought two pcbs and I'm In Australia. Can't wait for them to get here. Love your work!

[@retrogamepuppy1445]

I love this channel. It always gets a like for electronic projects I don’t understand but still buy parts for that pile up in the closet

[@christechtime4297]

Wow, it is rare that I find such niche question answered, but you have done that with this friend, and even better offers it at a unbuilt option for full customisation and affordability. I was just looking for how to add 1 "rotary controller". Guess I could use better keywords than dial or pot. Thanks!

[@MHTSAPAS]

Nice stuff mate! I ordered 2 of each board a moment ago. Don’t know when I’ll get around to building them but it was worth supporting you at the least. Thank you!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

thank you!

[@andrewglick6279]

Just a note at 23:13 -- the `sizeof()` operator tells you how many bytes a variable has. In the case of a `char` array, it works out to the length of the array, but that is only because a `char` is one byte. If you tried the same thing with an `int` array (`int` is 2 bytes on Arduino Uno) you would get double the length. The project looks great though! It's been a big help in building a macro pad of my own.

[@panchan6384]

waiting for the stock. im so excited!!!!

[@davidandrews8566]

Excellent work. Greetings from the UK

[@tensil]

Thank you so much for this great board, the awesome documentation and this video . While I‘m still awaiting the board, after watching this video I feel perfectly prepared for the task. I might go the route of Shreyas, but your good board design doesn’t stay in the way. Keep up the good work, stay creative and go on inspiring others! I feel so much empowered by this!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Glad it helped!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Reread this comment and it is wonderful. Thank you for writing it.

[@korean_dude6036]

It's so well-made... Great job.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thank you very much!

[@andi]

Awesome project and also great video :D I really like that it was so detailed and enjoyed watching it, thank you!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrRevolverkiller]

i cant wait for this board to be available again on tindie! the price is right and ive been wanting to build a macro keypad forever. i just ordered my arduino pro micro and as soon as i can afford the keys, caps and encoders it will be an awesome build

[@MrRevolverkiller]

i have my PCB, installed the arduino and LEDS. im ordering keys and caps at the moment as well as the button and diode

[@jeremylassiter7018]

Worked great! Excellent vid and board.

[@nukezat]

Yayyy! As promised and early Christmas!

[@DanDomanski9]

Hey I'm a mechanical engineer from Pittsburgh too! Randomly found you looking for something along these lines! I'll be picking up one of your pcbs today!

[@lamarched21]

Some very nice work. Thanks for the video. I really like the flaws and design problems you faced along the way. Your tindie is sold out so maybe I’ll try to design and make one myself. Mostly for the experience. Thanks.

[@byseven]

Awesome Project !!!!! done with no issue.

[@Tuv0x]

Just ordered mine yesterday, can't wait to put it together. Just wish the LED's didn't have to slow-boat from china, but at least I'll have it working in time before those come in.

[@navid9852]

A very neat project!

[@craigrmeyer]

It’s the encoders that really level-up this thing. I need those for FCP, for Audacity, for all kinds of stuff. Great great hack. I love this stuff.

[@World_Theory]

Once upon a time, I played a FPS online, that had artillery vehicles (among others) that had arcing shell trajectories and pretty long ranges. You controlled the aiming with a mouse. Those rotary encoders would have been rather nice to have for hitting long range targets blind, or with the help of a spotter. Now though, I'm interested in 3D stuff. VR, 3D modeling, 3D input devices, etc. The macro keys look useful for tying extra key binds to for a feature rich program like Blender. There might be a way to use it in a social VR game as well, for emote keybinds, to control facial expressions and such of the avatar. Though it's already generally the practice to do that with the hand gestures on your 3D controllers. If you had both though, you could have extra functionality. The rotary encoders might at least be useful to somehow control how open the mouth is without needing to make sounds for the viseme system to use as cues for jaw control. Another use could be to control the speed of a repeating idle animation. Turn the nob for faster or slower.

[@8BitOrin]

This video is an absolute treasure trove of information and explanation. This is very inspiring and approachable to anyone looking to get into custom hardware. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome project and your iterative design work. Absolute legend!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bartrulz8846]

Would recommend this board to everyone. Great quality and easy coding for most levels(when using his premade code).

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks for that!

[@danny8739]

Just bought two minis!

[@dooterino]

I'd personally recommend getting some solder paste for the SMD components, especially the LEDs. I've found it works great to both get the components aligned quickly and to minimize iron time so sensitive components won't bork

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks for sharing

[@samuelwaller4924]

Yes, it is very important to minimize component borking.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

PCB back in stock in ~ December 2023!🌭

[@marcinsosna2852]

I w8 patiently

[@bartrulz8846]

Sold-out all ready. Know how long until the next batch?

[@syf2108]

15 $ transport fee

[@koolmoedee10000]

Finally purchased mine!

[@brewatthebeach9882]

Guess I missed the boat! Any idea when they'll be available again?

[@kd2rdhlarry571]

Great video. I keep watching iT it over and over.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@TroyFletcherKeyboards]

Fantastic work!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thank you! !

[@michelrail]

Great engineering! 👍

[@obertan_1]

Great idea, great implementation, great work, great video. Thanks!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

You are welcome!

[@i.dragons]

You are a hardworking genius!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thank you.

[@synthesizersspaceships9394]

This project looks perfect for a live stream OBS 'hotkeys' macro controller. I'm going to also make a prototype that is MIDI compliant and see how this design holds up for a Synthesiser interface. Cheers Ryan!

[@RelakS__]

It may worth it if you need a macro keyboard frequently. Instead I use an old tablet and TouchPortal. Even the free version offers enough functionality if you are not a pro streamer. What I could use though, a split keyboard with 3 or 4 parts, and with a button which could switch between layouts, so now I wonder what this channel can offer in terms of information even I can understand :)

[@pedro_8240]

To make the password generator better you could simply randomize which of the 4 groups are used for each character instead of going sequentially, or just use one large string with all characters.

[@activemotionpictures]

"No one watches this channel" - What? But you're sold out! I want to get into the waiting list, too! Thank you for sharing this video!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

you're welcome!

[@TheSlackassCrew]

This is so sick

[@againstthegrain5914]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat i love this! ive never seen your video.. like ever! Im a subscriber.. thanks for the video man!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks for the sub!

[@norm1124]

LOVE the revision counter, I am still on number 1, but the list of changes (aka bugs) gets longer and longer. AND I started from the existing Lotus58 ... ❤❤❤

[@ShotgunAU]

8:48 This is a sick idea, ty.

[@AlejandroHernandez-ee4ef]

Just purchased 3 Minis

[@anzephirothvalhallan641]

finally the solution to forgetting passwords and generating them. thank you

[@andreavergani7414]

Great work

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks!

[@Aldarris]

One revision you could make in the future for the PCB is to add the two small fixing pins per the Cherry MX standard. That way you can use PCB mount (5-pin) switches and they will align properly.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

I had this in one of the in-between revisions. Removed that footprint variation because those ~22 holes took up a bunch space for routing traces.

[@TechExploresNYC]

amazing work.

[@BoomixDe]

I love the pointing finger

[@RetroBuiltGames]

i kept it under my pillow until i poked my eye out.

[@JamiePineappleWyatt]

You should get in touch with the LTT team, I know for a fact Taryn would love this project. (his first request would be to have one the size of 6 keyboards in one though)

[@vegansynths7757]

Yeah. Less than a minute into this video and I just want to compliment you on your delivery, professionalism, humor and quality. I know this is going to be a great video and I haven’t even finished it. Where did you get those blue,white & grey buttons? Really like their shape.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Appreciate that. I think they came from pimpmykeyboard.com

[@charlesharring4735]

the paper sliding was slick

[@RetroBuiltGames]

i appreciate this.

[@hatem0]

I enjoyed watching although I am not going to build one. You are champ

[@seouljah760]

HelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHelloHello success!

[@mohammadhh5113]

great work, thank u for sharing this

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@tinkersmith]

Oh my god Arkanoid! Haven't seen that game in 20 years!

[@andreaskuhn7619]

soooo coool! Love it!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks!!

[@andreaskuhn7619]

@@RetroBuiltGames Have you thought about something similar, but with 8 Rotary Knops - as a 3D "Manipulation Device" - like the 3DConnexion Space Mouse? (3 for Rotating X,Y,Z ; 3 for "moving" along the x, y, z-axis, one for Zoom in/out, and one for spare use... and some additional MX-Keys?) I'm thinking of a 5 by 5 matrix with rotarys on every corner and one between every corner... and a TFT Display above.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

I've had success having coarse and fine input on a single encoder by using a timer. If it's been a while since the encoder moved, the encoder changes the input by the smallest increment. If it's moved recently, it changes by a larger increment. "recent" and "larger", adjust to your taste.

[@AlejandroRodolfoMendez]

Nice project.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks!

[@veden310]

One useful function would be sending a keyboard or mouse event periodically every few minutes to the host machine. This is to prevent screen lock on timeout. I would buy such device ))

[@RetroBuiltGames]

This can be done! Is a current feature/bug in my code. Will wake my computer from sleep unless you tell windows to ignore this USB device while in sleep.

[@lanedj801]

This could be a great use for a midi controller especially with the trs output for foot control

[@austinwarren6842]

8:56 peak ergonomics

[@mrp19285]

Oh this would be perfect for a CNC pendant.

[@hb9dod]

Thats what I thinking of....

[@fliegerhorst7688]

great work, did this with a digispark and one single analog input chanal for less than $5 ;)

[@RetroBuiltGames]

resistor ladder?

[@wojciechsura]

Try using the Open Macro Keyboard project. Instead of four modes you will gain unlimited screens with macros along with an option to configure colors per button per screen. You'd need to reprogram your keyboard to send information about key presses and/or encoder rotations through COM (via USB). But I guess it is worth the effort.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

you didnt watch the video

[@mikey38632]

Seems like it would be beneficial from time to time, or for different folks, if the 2 power options were not solder bridged but instead bridged by a jumper cap that can be moved again and again. That way, if I bust my screen (or just don't like it) and I get a new one with a different voltage, I can just move the jumper cap. However, I LOVE the project!

[@frollard]

jumper cap or toggle switch ftw.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

solder wick ftw

[@edwardfletcher7790]

I love how professional this project looks ! A medium size $8 OLED screen might be better than the crusty HD44780 style.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

yessss, bought one a few weeks ago. the HD44780 is a bit too chunk to make anything look sleek

[@kaichang7635]

I'm attempting to build this and referencing the video as I go. Here are some timestamps that may be helpful if you're following along and soldering, though no guarantees for accuracy and some may/may not include the explanation. 3:44 Diodes for anti-ghosting 4:09 Diode bypass jumpers 4:33 Rotary encoder enable jumpers 4:51 LCD breakout connector 5:49 Right-angle header to connect screen 6:13 Individually addressable LED 7:51 LED capacitors 8:10 Resistor for data-in 8:30 Reset button for programming 9:06 Volume/potentiometer knob 9:22 Arduino Pro Micro 10:13 Soldering encoders and keys 10:45 Encoders (flush cutting tabs) 11:58 Final Assembly (case) Thanks to Ryan for this awesome project, I'm super excited to build it

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thank you for the timestamp breakdown!!!

[@JavierCanzobre]

@@RetroBuiltGames I think the direction of the diode in the video is wrong

[@fr_dae5548]

it's pretty funny, you have recreated AntimicroX from scratch x)

[@RetroBuiltGames]

yo i didnt know about this software and its super nifty. Thank you for mentioning it!

[@fr_dae5548]

@@RetroBuiltGames it allows you to assign keys or key combos to a joystick Very useful for games that don't handle joysticks well.

[@zimukassz]

Rgb led resistors: if you would use a brightness pwm value of 255 or just constant 5V then the leds would burn eventually, but since you're using pwm value of 120, resistors are not mandatory.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

resistors where?

[@ShotgunAU]

8:00 I'm pretty sure the caps required for the LEDs by the manufacturer are simply to help eliminate any flicker from irregular powers supplies etc, can't be sure tho as I'm an amateur electronics engineer and I basically know just enough to be dangerous and confident enough to make a comment without actually knowing anything at all lol.

[@nylarnameless1759]

Bought the last 2 in stock ; )

[@taylorhay]

If This Old Tony was into keyboards! 🥰

[@RetroBuiltGames]

those are high regards; i thank you!

[@Tommy7417]

Чудова ідея, молодець👍

[@Dilshan1999]

very nice bt speaker

[@d-manx8766]

Awesome...!!!

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Thanks ✌️

[@szmery2985]

Great for controling HAM RADIO or SDR

[@TinyMaths]

'why buy it when you can build it for three times the cost' 🤣 That got me.... Anyway, you just can't beat that feeling of, 'wait... I built this?'. I think it's called a 'labour of love'. Then again, in any building process there's a lot of emotions other than love, such as anger, fury, HATE... despair... etc... 😆

[@RobertoOrtega]

The fucking hand is amazing

[@AMARFPV]

its a shame the shipping price and shipping time are out of proportion (to the netherlands) otherwise i would've definitely bought your design. Keep up the good work !

[@jynclr]

That zoom call. LOL

[@TheGoatPC]

would love to do something like this, only to replace my razer tartarus, hate how it's the only company that makes micro keypads with D pads.

[@bigredlevy]

Hit reset twice quickly on pro-micro to enter boot loader mode, you have 8 seconds to upload code

[@Jaaxfo]

I like this, but it would be even more perfect if it was compatible with Feather form factor boards. I think that would open it up to a lot more options for add-ons such as displays that could just be plopped on top of the MCU, as well as giving options for Arduino C or CircuitPython as the language. Hell, that would let you start with a basic feather that uses the same MC as the Pro Micro, and then later swap it out for a Bluetooth enabled Feather like the nRF or Bluefruit models, made even better by the fact that all the Feathers have built in LiPo connectors and chargers

[@Jaaxfo]

Also, the reason I bring up CircuitPython is because when a UF2 supporting board is loaded with CircuitPython firmware, it looks like a USB Mass Storage device (while also appearing as a USB HID device if you are using it for that) where you can drag and drop your code to the board on any OS without needing a compiler or programmer

[@BoomMC_Inc]

I wished I could just buy this from ya.

[@ronaldod7116]

Same here and is not shipping to europe.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

i am sorry. It will be available worldwide, soon. The pandemic effects on shipping is taking so long people are asking for refunds... :\

[@FrankP83]

really amazing project Ryan!Do you plan to have also a different layout for the keys?Could be interesting a macro keyboard for Lightroom control...with 3 knobs and some keys...and the knobs can be associated to a particular function (shadows, midtones, highlight) ...ecc =D

[@RetroBuiltGames]

i might play with different layouts now that Im confident with the board manufacturer.

[@FrankP83]

@@RetroBuiltGames would be great 😎

[@CodeMonkeX]

Looks cool. Browsing the files quickly it looks like you wrote your own code to run the board. Have you looked into QMK Firmware? I believe it's GPL and has a ton of support for macros, encoders etc. There is also the VIA Configurator that works with QMK Firmware and adds a GUI to program the board. I use it for several keyboards I bought, and it's great.

[@RetroBuiltGames]

I will check it out. some porting is in order.

[@zeekjones1]

Three times the cost, eh? Seeing these are fully customizable, I'd say the money costs would be a small fraction, compared to trying to get a custom from someone else. Cost of time however... A little more than just plugging in after getting in the mail. But that's the fun part.

[@shyne2643]

i could see someone creating a software similar to elgato"s one that could fix most of the time spent on macros

[@JeSuisNerd]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing this project! I'll be buying a couple PCBs but do you have a patreon or other way to send additional tips? :)

[@RetroBuiltGames]

website has a paypal donation. see link in desc

[@soulife8383]

Cool. Now add the ability to switch between macro profiles. EDIT: Commented too soon!

[@curtisnewton895]

these rgb leds are hell, seems like there is no standard pinouts out there

[@ShiroCh_ID]

roto thingy is usefull for rythm game like sound voltex

[@topicomha]

Awesome project. The PCB is very impressive. One question, if I was going to use a diode for anti-ghosting would you know which one I should use?

[@RetroBuiltGames]

Check links in the description for part numbers

[@wonjaejang2153]

"Why buy it when you can build it for 3 times the cost" a little too true with all my projects :(

[@barkbark5645]

"Ryan Bates" wonder if this is the guy that taught me Rails lol.