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8-Key MacroPad with 3.5 inch LCD

The 8-key macro pad with LCD isn’t just another macro pad— it's a visual, scriptable, dynamic control deck you build and own.

yang-shuYANG SHU
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The Idea: Make It Tactile Again What if a macro pad had real, mechanical keys — the kind your fingers can trust — but still showed icons and dynamic feedback like a Stream Deck? That became my goal: the perfect fusion of display and feel. Each key would be visually clear, physically satisfying, infinitely customizable.

⚙️ The Build

The 8-Key MacroPad is powered by an ESP32-S2 and features:

  • 🖥️ 3.5″ 480×320 LCD Display — draws real icons and text for each key

  • ⌨️ 8 Hot-Swappable Mechanical Keys — customizable switches for your preferred feel

  • 🔄 5 Profile Slots — instantly switch between layouts

  • 🧩 Script & Macro Engine — automate your daily routine

  • 🌈 RGB Backlighting — functional and beautiful

  • 🪟 Config App — what you see on screen is what you get on the pad

It connects as a standard HID device, so no special drivers are needed. Just plug and start creating

💡 What You Can Do With It

  • 🚀 Launch apps, build scripts, or developer tools

  • 🎮 Control OBS, audio mixers, or lighting rigs

  • 🧠 Run local logic or show real-time stats (CPU, time, network)

  • 🎨 Switch creative tools or brush presets in Photoshop, Blender, etc.

Each key is both a button and a display — your workflow, visualized and personalized.

housing-bottom.STL

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 120.98 kB - 10/16/2025 at 14:23

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housing-top.STL

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 106.23 kB - 10/16/2025 at 14:23

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key-holder-for-3d-print.STL

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 44.81 kB - 10/16/2025 at 14:23

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screen-cover-for-3d-print.STL

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 45.20 kB - 10/16/2025 at 14:23

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tilt-stand.STL

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 40.32 kB - 10/16/2025 at 14:23

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  • 1 × 3.5 inch TFT 480x320 resolution and 8 bit parallel interface - much faster than SPI interface
  • 1 × ESP32S2 MCU - where the firmware runs
  • 1 × 3-dir-tact Used to change profile (layout of the key)
  • 1 × Crystal 40M 3225
  • 1 × AMS1117-3.3

View all 10 components

  • Config App Updated

    YANG SHU • 11/09/2025 at 09:01 • 0 comments

    1. Add RGB backlight settings, support 5 mode: always on / when pressing / breath / flowing / always off

    2. Support Japanese language

    Japanese language support

  • Switched to Transparent PETG for a Vintage Look

    YANG SHU • 11/07/2025 at 15:06 • 0 comments

    Just made a small but impactful change — I reprinted the case using transparent PETG, and it completely transformed the vibe.

    The slight gloss and depth from the material give it a retro, vintage instrument feel — kind of like old game boy gear with tinted plastic covers. The internal glow from the RGB backlight also looks way cooler now.

    No redesigns this time, just a material swap, but it really brings the build to life.
    Sometimes a filament change is all it takes. 😄

    front view 1
    front view 2
    back side

  • 3D printing case

    YANG SHU • 10/16/2025 at 14:30 • 0 comments

    I designed a 3D printing case for the macro pad and I am quite happy with the look.

    I used PLA MATTE and printed by a Bambu Lab A1 using 0.16 layer height which improve the quality and just increased a little bit print time, so I think it's a good trade off. 

View all 3 project logs

  • 1
    How to assemble 8 key macro pad with the 3D printed case

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Torsten C. wrote 10/23/2025 at 22:53 • point

Thanks for sharing this project — also the configuration tool looks great!
I noticed the app is currently available only for Windows.
Would you consider open-sourcing the configuration software so the community could help make it cross-platform — for example, as a Linux or Electron-based version?

  Are you sure? yes | no

YANG SHU wrote 10/25/2025 at 05:04 • point

Thank you for you interest. For cross platform configuration, I have implemented a web version based on JavaScript and Web Serial API. It is fully open source and I will upload it to the github repo this week. 

  Are you sure? yes | no

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