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Open Screen Deck

Six mechanical keys, each with its own 128×128 screen, on an ESP32-S3 carrier you order and a case you print. KiCad, Gerbers, OpenSCAD, STLs, firmware, and a desktop companion all live in the GitHub repo. Nothing here is sold as a kit — you build it.

Start a build macOS app Windows app

Open Screen Deck

How a build goes

Order the six ScreenKey modules first — they take the longest. While they ship, send the Gerbers to a board house and print the case. Assembly is four corner screws and the in-box cables. Then flash over USB-C.

  1. Order parts — six Waveshare 34168 modules (about $66), a Rev E PCB from JLCPCB, M2 screws, inserts, feet. Whole bill is about $100.
  2. Print the case — four STLs, PETG or PLA+, no supports. Do this while the PCB is in transit.
  3. Assemble — heat-set four inserts, screw the modules to the carrier, plug the cables, close the shell. About 45 minutes if you've soldered once.
  4. Flash firmware — Arduino IDE or the companion app. After that it enumerates as a USB keyboard.

The build overview is the same four steps with links.

What's in the repo

  • Hardware

    KiCad project and Gerbers for the Rev E carrier (59.5 × 108.5 mm), OpenSCAD + printable STLs, pinout in hardware/pinout.py. Order five boards, keep one, remix the rest.

    Parts · PCB · Enclosure

  • Firmware

    Arduino sketch for the ESP32-S3. Out of the box it types F13–F24. Pages, icons, animations, and the Rev E sensors (IMU, ambient light, haptics, glow LEDs) are configured over serial.

    Flashing · Protocol

  • Companion app

    Optional. The deck works as a HID keyboard without it. Use the app when you want to draw key faces, assign host actions, or flash a newer firmware. Plugins are ordinary folders; scaffold one in-app.

    Using the app · Write a plugin

Once it's together

Plug it in — keys send F13–F24 until you change them. The companion (macOS or Windows, or build it from app/) talks over the same USB-C cable:

  • Click a key to set label, colour, icon, GIF, or a host action (launch, hotkey, URL, shell, mic, OBS, …)
  • Up to 8 pages on the device; layouts save as profiles you can share
  • Plugins draw their own faces (clocks, tickers, progress) — list is in the plugin directory
  • Settings can flash firmware and, on Rev E, drive auto-dim, glow, and a hardware self-test

Companion app

Specs (Rev E)
Keys 6× Waveshare 0.85″ ScreenKey — 128×128 IPS + switch per key
Pages up to 8 × 6 = 48 slots, switched on the device
MCU ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (16 MB flash, 8 MB PSRAM)
Carrier 59.5 × 108.5 mm, 2-layer, dual SPI to the panels
On board IMU, VEML7700 ALS, haptic driver, piezo, 8× SK6812, Qwiic
Host USB-C → HID keyboard + CDC serial
Case 64.9 × 113.9 × 28.2 mm printed deck + optional 25° stand
Parts ~$100 ($66 is the six modules)

Photos

Hardware pictures are CAD or board renders until more assembled units are documented. App screenshots are from the real UI.