Show HN: OpenMicroKbd: $40 open source alternative to Codex Micro Keyboard

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OpenMicroKbd — The open-source keyboard built around your needs.

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DAY

OPEN HARDWARE · OPEN FIRMWARE · OPEN SOFTWARE

OPEN<br>MICRO<br>KBD

▮ PRESS START

The open-source keyboard built around your needs.

Thirteen keys, a knob, a stick, a touch pad. Zero locked doors. Everything you need to command your agents — for less than forty dollars.

Download for macOS<br>View on GitHub<br>Try It Live

13 KEYS

1 KNOB

21 RGB LEDS

TOTAL

SCROLL

HARDWARE OPEN✦ FIRMWARE OPEN✦ SOFTWARE OPEN✦ UNDER $40✦ THE PCB IS WRITTEN, NOT DRAWN✦ A BLUEPRINT ANYONE CAN REPLICATE✦

HARDWARE OPEN✦ FIRMWARE OPEN✦ SOFTWARE OPEN✦ UNDER $40✦ THE PCB IS WRITTEN, NOT DRAWN✦ A BLUEPRINT ANYONE CAN REPLICATE✦

Hardware open. Firmware open. Software open. Under forty dollars. The PCB is written, not drawn. A blueprint anyone can replicate.

▮ PRESS PLAY

Prefer it on YouTube? Watch it there.

THE RIVAL

Codex Micro Keyboard

$230

Closed hardware

Closed firmware

Closed software

Works only with Codex

You buy it. You don't own it.

Nice keycaps. Locked doors.

VS

OURS

Open Micro Kbd

Open hardware — the schematic is code

Open firmware — flash it yourself

Open software — config app included

Works with any AI

Build it, fork it, sell it. It's yours.

A blueprint anyone can replicate.

◄ DRAG ME ►

The Stick

An analog joystick where you'd least expect one. Glide the mouse pointer, send arrow keys — or grade DaVinci Resolve color wheels by feel. Push it and see.

MOUSE<br>GRADE<br>ARROWS

Pointer rests. Deflect to glide it.

Voice Key

Push-to-talk prompting. Hold the key, speak your mind, release — the whole prompt lands transcribed in one go. Typeless prompting for AI agents.

HOLD · SPEAK · SHIP

The Knob

Turn it to dial reasoning effort — quick answers on the left, deep thinking on the right. Not talking to an agent? It's a volume wheel.

FAST ↔ DEEP

Multi-Task Keys

Assign a key to each running task. Tap to jump between them while the work keeps churning in the background. Your agents never wait on you.

SWITCH · NEVER STOP

Permission Key

When an agent stops to ask for permission, one press pulls up exactly what needs your attention. No more hunting through terminals.

ONE PRESS · FULL CONTEXT

Macros

Every repeated ritual of your day — the same five commands, the same paste, the same push — compressed into a single satisfying click.

MANY → ONE

Fully Customizable

Keys, knob, stick, pad — 24 keymap slots, every one remappable in the config app. Changes land live and persist on the board. Build profiles and flip between them instantly.

24 SLOTS · PROFILES

KNOB

VOICE<br>TASKS

STICK

PERM<br>MACRO<br>PROF<br>EFFORT

TOUCH

13 keys · encoder · joystick · touch pad · 21 RGB LEDs · black PCB

OPEN MICRO KBD · READY<br>v0.6

Press a key to begin.

Six of these thirteen keys are mapped for this demo.<br>The rest — and the stick, and the pad — are yours.

123456

VOICE KEY · PUSH TO TALK

LISTENING…

THE KNOB · REASONING EFFORT

FASTDEEP

BALANCED

Turn the knob. Not talking to an agent? Same wheel, now it's volume.

THE STICK · MOUSE MODE

MOUSE<br>GRADE<br>ARROWS

Proportional pointer glide — the push switch is left click. Press the stick to cycle modes.

TOUCH PAD · TAP

TAP

TAP<br>SWIPE ← · RSVD<br>SWIPE → · RSVD

Tap to trigger anything. Two swipe slots are already reserved in the protocol for a future multi-zone pad.

MULTI-TASK KEYS · 3 RUNNING

T1refactor/auth-serviceRUNNING

T2write e2e testsRUNNING

T3migrate db schemaQUEUED

Tap again to switch. Work continues in the background.

PERMISSION KEY

AGENT REQUESTS PERMISSION

$ rm -rf ./build && npm run deploy

Allow?

ALLOW<br>DENY

One press brings up exactly what needs your attention.

MACRO KEY · "SHIP IT"

git add -A

git commit -m "ship"

npm run build

npm test

git push origin main

Five steps. One press.

PROFILES · TAP TO CYCLE

CODE<br>EDIT<br>COLOR<br>GAME

CODE

13 keys remapped. Same hardware, different life.

UNASSIGNED SLOT

— — —

Open the config app and make it whatever you need.<br>What it becomes is entirely up to you.

THE HAPPY KEY

:)

Not every key needs a purpose. This one just makes us smile.

SOUND: ON

AGENTS

Claude Code terminal agent

Codex yes, that one too

Conol agent runner

+ any agent it can talk to any AI

AND EVERYTHING ELSE

Premiere cut faster

DaVinci Resolve grade by joystick

Lightroom exposure wheel

Even games hotkeys, obviously

What it becomes is entirely up to you.

INVENTORY · openmicrokbd<br>MIT LICENSE

openmicrokbd/<br>The whole thing. Clone it and go.

├─

hw/v1/src/<br>The schematic — written in CoHDL, typed and compiler-checked. The PCB is a program.

├─

hw/v1/out/<br>What the compiler emits: netlist, BOM, footprints, layout constraints.

├─

hw/v1/pcb/<br>The routed board, ready to open in KiCad.

├─

hw/v1/fab/<br>Gerbers, BOM, pick-and-place — upload straight to a fab.

├─

fw/<br>Rust firmware on embassy: key matrix, twin RGB chains, USB HID, one-click updates.

├─

app/<br>The config app — Rust + GPUI. Remap live, save to the board, flash firmware.

└─

README.md<br>Every step,...

open keys firmware press hardware knob

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