Adafruit
NeoKey 1x4 QT I2C - Four Mechanical Key Switches with NeoPixels
The only thing better than a nice mechanical key is, perhaps, FOUR mechanical keys that also can glow any color of the rainbow - and that's what the&nbs...
The only thing better than a nice mechanical key is, perhaps, FOUR mechanical keys that also can glow any color of the rainbow - and that's what the Adafruit NeoKey 1x4 QT I2C Breakout will let you do! This longgg 3" x 0.8" PCB fits four Cherry MX or compatible switches and make it easy to use with a breadboard/perfboard or with a STEMMA QT (Qwiic) connector for instant I2C connectivity on any platform.
Please note, each order comes with one assembled and programmed PCB but no switches or keycaps or microcontroller. Most folks have specific key switches and keycaps they want to include, this is just the controller board that plugs into a microcontroller.
The breakout has four Kailh sockets, which means you can plug in any MX-compatible switch instead of soldering it in. You may need a little glue to keep the switch in place: hot glue or a dot of epoxy worked fine for us. Each key also has a reverse-mount NeoPixel pointing up through the spot where many switches would have an LED to shine through.
A microcontroller is pre-programmed with our seesaw firmware so button presses and NeoPixel-controlling is done all over I2C. You can even connect multiple board by chaining the I2C and soldering closed the I2C address jumpers - with four jumpers you can have up to 16 of these boards on a single I2C bus. We have Arduino and CircuitPython/Python libraries for controlling the NeoKey 1x4's so you can use any microcontroller/computer for quick creation of a custom macropad.
You can also fit the breakouts onto a breadboard if you like - with two sets of breakout pads, there's plenty of flexibility for any kind of use. There are two rows of 6-pin contacts on a 0.1" grid on both sides. Solder in both sides for mechanical stability.
Soldering is required to attach the header for breadboard use, you may also need to solder jumpers closed to connect multiple boards together. A microcontroller is required to drive this board, it isn't stand-alone. Keys & keycaps are not included: Use any MX-compatible switch: Kailh, Gateron, etc all work!
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- Address jumpers
- Address jumpers are small solder pads or links used to change a device’s bus address. They matter when you want to connect multiple identical displays to the same controller without their addresses conflicting.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- NeoPixel
- A type of addressable LED system where colour data is sent along a single digital data line from one LED or controller to the next. Compatibility matters because the timing and signal format must match for the lights or driver board to respond correctly.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- Qwiic
- Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.
- STEMMA QT
- A small plug-in connector system for I2C boards that lets you connect compatible sensors and controllers without soldering. It matters because it can make wiring faster and less error-prone, especially when adding several small modules to a project.
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