Make Your Own Customizable Macro Mechanical Keyboard

There are a lot of reasons why you might want to make a small auxiliary keyboard; maybe you want to increase your productivity with a keyboard full of shortcuts. Or, perhaps you’re trying to step up your MMO game with additional hotkeys. Whatever your need, making your own custom keyboard isn’t as hard as you’d think if you follow this guide from FosterP.

The heart of FosterP’s design is an Arduino Pro Micro, though a lot of other microcontrollers can also be used. The important thing is that the microcontroller is capable of emulating an HID device. That allows you to connect buttons to the microcontroller, and have them show up on your computer as custom keyboard keys.

In FosterP’s setup, those buttons are Gateron mechanical key switches that give a nice clicky feel. Though, once again, you can use other key switches to customize the feel to your liking. You can then order keycaps with symbols that correspond to the function you want them to perform. There are a huge variety of custom keycaps on the market, so you’re sure to find some that suit your needs.

Those are then assembled with a 3D-printed base, which even integrates an OLED screen to display useful messages and information on your keys. From there, it’s a simple matter of deciding which character — or combination of characters — you want to be sent to your computer when you push a key. If you’ve been looking for a solid auxiliary keypad, this is a great option that you can customize to fit your situation.