The sheer number of Olympic events is staggering (46!). How do you keep track of them all? The MacroPad is the perfect organizer for checking in on each sport and scrolling through the different Olympics channels. 

circuitpython_image.png
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games

In this project you'll be able to (from a browser):

  • View live and past Olympic events from 6 different channels/sources
  • Check the schedules and results of all 46 Olympic events (individually and at a glance)
  • View the medal count by country in real time
  • Switch between tabs of all the channels, results, schedules etc.
  • Navigate up and down pages
  • Close tabs

All with a couple of clickity clackity keyboard clicks on an Adafruit MacroPad!

What's a MacroPad?

It's a speedy little microcontroller with lots of GPIO pins and a 64 times more RAM than the Apollo Guidance Computer. The MacroPad can be powered by either CircuitPython or Arduino - complete with 12 buttons, an OLED display, a speaker, and a rotary encoder. Read about it here if you'd like more details.

For the scope of this guide, we're going to focus on the application of the MacroPad as a hotkeys shortcut to make your Olympic viewing experience a 10 out of 10. This project is based on a tutorial called MACROPAD Hotkeys which shows you how to turn your MacroPad into a keyboard shortcut device for your computer. Please read through that guide before continuing here.

Parts

You can buy a kit with all the parts with Kailh Red keys and clear keycaps or build your own custom configuration:

Video of a hand playing with a rainbow-glowing keypad.
Strap yourself in, we're launching in T-minus 10 seconds...Destination? A new Class M planet called MACROPAD! M here stands for Microcontroller because this 3x4 keyboard controller...
Out of Stock

- or -

Angled shot of MacroPad
Strap yourself in, we're launching in T-minus 10 seconds...Destination? A new Class M planet called MACROPAD! M here, stands for Microcontroller because this 3x4 keyboard...
$34.95
In Stock
Top view of MacroPad add on pack
Dress up your Adafruit Macropad with PaintYourDragon's fabulous decorative silkscreen enclosure and hardware kit. You get the two custom PCBs that are cut to act as a protective...
$4.95
In Stock
Top down view of four piles of Kailh key switches in Red, Black, Brown, and Black variations.
For crafting your very own custom keyboard, these Kailh mechanical key switches are deeee-luxe!Come in a pack of 10 switches, plenty to make a...
Out of Stock
Group shot of Clear DSA Keycaps for MX Compatible Switches - 12 pack
Here is a 12 pack of Clear DSA keycaps for your next mechanical keyboard or 
$6.95
In Stock
Angled shot of 10 translucent key caps.
Get ready to clacky to your heart's content. Here is a 10 pack of translucent keycaps for your next mechanical keyboard or
$4.95
In Stock

This guide was first published on Jul 27, 2021. It was last updated on Mar 18, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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