mechware VS ESP32-BLE-Combo

I do it for my keyboard firmware project, it's designed to compile up for Arduino (well, not their IDE, but VS with PlatformIO but it's much of a muchness) https://github.com/dairequinlan/mechware

code here https://github.com/dairequinlan/mechware/blob/main/src/input/MatrixInput.cpp That's dual use code, few #define chunks there for Ardiuno (Teensy) and Pico, but basically (using the more common Arduino syntax) ...

Plan is to add the BLE functionality as another pluggable module to my own firmware https://github.com/dairequinlan/mechware

Indeed. It makes for a neat µC for a keyboard, all that GPIO :-D OP are you planning a complete build ? This might be useful it's a complete pluggable and configurable firmware for PICO based keyboards. Dual compiles to Teensy/Arduino so there are a bunch of conditional blocks but it's fairly straightforward otherwise.

it's not an actual pro micro though, right ? It's a RP2040 board like the Pi Pico. I didn't know that that was even supported by QMK yet (if that's what you're trying to use). Coincidentally I just started using as a daily driver a custom split board I put together, which has a Pi PICO in either half, talking I2C to one another. Completely custom firmware though, source is here: https://github.com/dairequinlan/mechware/tree/pico

Technologically there is nothing preventing this. However I've tried a few attempts at just getting mouse and keyboard working at the same time, and I was met with complications, like it works on mac but not windows or the other way round. Here is one example of such a library .

Thank you very much for all your kind words and comments. I didn't think this post could get so much recognition, so I feel I owe you some more details. First of all, yes, it is a macro keyboard indeed! It has six cherry switches on top that can be mapped as a normal keyboard. Its only peculiar trait is that it is bluetooth and, of course, it has a gyroscope for simulating mouse inputs. To be fair, the Halo clip was a test I made to try out more complex motion controls: in general I use this device for playing crpg on my sofa or with my tablet at work during lunch breaks. Given that these games only require some point&click and some basic keypresses (j for journal, m for map, F5 for quicksave) I thought it would be cool to have an all in one device that could be used just with one hand. The more I experimented, however, I started seeing how this device could also be used for action games and fps. So, more on the hardware&software. At first I thought I could use a rapsberry pi pico or an arduino mini (or some similar clone), but I wanted the device to be wireless, so I bought an ESP32 microcontroller (a lolin32 to be precise, which has a built in battery input), which has built in wi-fi an low energy bluetooth (ble): other than that, the programming procedure is quite similar, for the ESP32 is compatible with the arduino IDE. For gyro movements I used an MPU6050 chip, and finally I added some cherry switches, some wires, and soldered everything together with some simples tht solder boards. Finally, I plugged in a 3.7 volts battery in order to make it work wireless. Softwarewise, I used the excellent BLECombo Keyboard and Mouse library by blackketter with some small modifications (https://github.com/blackketter/ESP32-BLE-Combo). I would love to make a more detailed tutorial, maybe a youtube video, if you are actually interested in the making of. Now, is it actually practical or - do I dare say - better than an actual mouse? Of course not, or, at least, not at this stage. As already pointed out, wide movements like 180 or 360 turnings are quite clunky: that's why I added a "stop button" which stops the gyro so I can rest my wrist in a more comfortable position, and then turn the visual again (quite like when you pull up your mouse from the desktop when you have to drag the cursor for "long" distances), but it still feels kinda odd. Surely is also a matter of practice, but I think I still can make the process - softwarewise - more straightforward. I do am moved by comments from disabled gamers that saw in this device a practical tool for overcome their problems. I will surely keep working on it and see if it can actually have a better usage (maybe adding an analog stick in order to replace the wasd keys). Any comment, suggestion or critic is welcomed, and I thank you all for that. 🤗

ESP32-BLE-Combo

There is a library that writes BLE keyboard and mouse simultaneously. https://github.com/blackketter/ESP32-BLE-Combo