ANAVI Macro Pad 8 Offers Eight Mechanical Keys, an OLED Display, and RGB Underlighting
This QMK-based board features customizable macro keys, lighting effects, and OLED display — and will be fully open in firmware and hardware.
Open hardware specialist ANAVI — responsible for designs ranging from an NFC development board to a solder fume extractor — is preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign for the Macro Pad 8, an open source programmable eight-key keyboard with backlight, underlight, and OLED display functionality.
"ANAVI Macro Pad 8 is an open source, custom programmable, mini 8-key keyboard/keypad," the company explains of its latest design. "Each key allows you to reprogram and use it as macro keypad or even dedicated shortcut keys without any coding experience! Powered by the advanced and yet easy-to-use Quantum Mechanical Keyboard (QMK) open source firmware."
"Getting started with ANAVI Macro Pad 8 is easy. Just plug a cable in the microUSB cable and connect it to your computer. It works on Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux distributions. ANAVI Macro Pad 8 can be customized to fit various use cases: video or audio editing, entertainment broadcasting, gaming, programming, etc. It boosts your daily productivity by providing amazing level of control with gorgeous light effects on your fingertips!"
The company plans to launch the device in a selection of kit forms: At the lowest-cost end of the spectrum the Maker Kit will require the components to be soldered into place; the Advanced and Developer Kit versions, meanwhile, will be pre-soldered and require only hand assembly.
The ANAVI Macro Pad 8 is based around eight Gateron Red mechanical keyswitches with transparent keycaps through which shine single-color 3mm LEDs. The rear of the board includes four individually addressable RGB LEDs, while to the left of the upper side is a compact OLED display. A Microchip ATmega32U4 running the QMK firmware provides control, while a micro USB connector adds power and data connectivity. The entire design, the company pledges, is open, from firmware to hardware.
ANAVI has not yet confirmed pricing for the boards, with interested parties asked to sign up on Crowd Supply to be notified when the campaign goes live.