mini PiQWERTY USB wired mechanical thumb keyboard

Name: mini PiQWERTY USB wired mechanical thumb keyboard
SKU: 21601
Price: 19.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.83 (9 reviews)

(9 Reviews)

USB hid keyboard ... etc. for Raspberry PI, tablet, phone, programing

Designed by Bobricius in Slovakia

mini PiQWERTY USB wired mechanical thumb keyboard 1

mini PiQWERTY USB wired mechanical thumb keyboard 2

mini PiQWERTY USB wired mechanical thumb keyboard 3

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Each piece is functional art you won't find anywhere else: collectible hardware that combines vintage spirit with modern innovation, made in small batches just for makers like you.

USB hid keyboard ... etc. for Raspberry PI, tablet, phone, programing

Micro USB for connection, cable is not included Very soft, easy to press 100gf tactile switches Keyboard have 3 layouts switchable with ALT button. lowercase letters uppercase letters numbers, symbo…

WHY I make this?

there is no small wired USB HID keyboard for RPI, almost all are BT, big or with wireless receiver

based on powerful 32-bit ARM Raspberry Pi PICO

36 buttons- Assembled and fully working or Bare PCB

Required components for DIY keyboard

Component	pcs	description	note
Raspberry PICO	1	main green board	-
DTS63K	36	tactile switch 7mm height, 1N	Or another 1N force is very comfortable to press
RED	1	tactile switch 7mm height, 1N	-

Dimensions

10 x 6.5cm
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BLACK & GOLD bare PCB only, little smaller, if you close look at pictures

WHITE & BLACK assembled only

FIRMWARE UPDATES

firmware written in Arduino IDE or circuitpython
Also usable firmware with online editor Kermite keyboard

More details and sources on project page:

mini (Pi)QWERTY USB keyboard

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Bobricius Shipping Policy:

📦 Ready to Ship All products I offer are pre-built, tested, and ready for immediate dispatch. I maintain inventory of finished items to ensure you receive a quality-tested product as quickly as possible. I'm committed to shipping your order as soon as possible – typically within 1-2 business days of receiving payment. 🔧 What I Sell I primarily offer two types of products:

Bare PCBs – for advanced makers who want to source and solder their own components
Finished products – fully assembled, tested, and ready to use

Please note: I do not sell complete component kits or beginner assembly sets. My products are designed for intermediate to advanced electronics enthusiasts who are comfortable with soldering and component sourcing. Why This Approach? I want to work with experienced makers who have solid soldering skills and electronics knowledge. However, I've designed my PCBs to be as builder-friendly as possible:

Minimal component count – simpler builds, fewer parts to source
Easy-to-find components – standard parts available from common suppliers
Clear labeling – all component values printed directly on the PCB next to each footprint

💰 Pricing Transparency You'll notice my PCB prices are higher than ordering directly from mass manufacturers. Here's why: Every product represents months of intensive development, multiple prototype iterations, and several failed batches before reaching perfection. The pricing reflects:

Extensive R&D and testing cycles
Small-batch artisan production
High-quality materials and components
Continuous design improvements

The fact that each piece is handcrafted at home, not mass-produced in a factory

When you purchase from me, you're supporting independent hardware development and getting a unique, collectible piece of functional art that you won't find anywhere else.

✨ What Makes My Products Special

Handcrafted in small batches – each piece made with care
Constantly evolving designs – every batch can include improvements
Not just hardware, but functional art – unique, one-of-a-kind creations
Smarter design with fewer components
Retro spirit meets modern innovation
Perfect for makers, retro enthusiasts, learners, and collectors

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📬 Questions? If you have any questions about shipping, product specifications, or component sourcing, feel free to contact me.

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (5.00)

Documentation: (4.67)

Shipping: (4.89)

Communication: (4.78)

Eric | March 30, 2024

Nice kit

I've made 3 of these now. They are a nice kit and handy little keyboard.

The documentation is a little confusing because there are links here to different websites with different versions of the keyboard with different software files.

Here are my additions to the documentation that I learned.

Though the PCB has several pads for other components you really only need the raspberry pico and the 37 tactile switches to let it work as a keyboard. It has space for the power switch but isnt needed either since it is on by default when plugged into the USB cable.

For the firmware the file I used was called "Armapad36v4-pico2023.ino.rpipico.uf2" linked above under "datasheet." To install, I plugged the new pico into my PC while holding down the "bootsel" button on the pico. This makes windows recognize the pico and open up a file explorer window to the pico. I then copied the above .uf2 file to that folder. The pico automatically installs it and reboots (all within 1 second) and is then ready to go as the keyboard. For those others like me who are new to this, you dont need Arduino IDE or circuitpython to get this kit running. Just drag and drop that .uf2 file!

I used M2x10mm screws and ~4mm nylon spacers to hold the top and bottom PCB's together.

the keyboard is automatically recognized and works with my windows PC and a couple raspberry pi projects.

The only issues I had were the pico not liking some of my USB cables. But that's of course not a problem with this kit. But if something does not seem to be working, try a different cable.

Johannes | Feb. 1, 2024

Really nice, tiny and stylish Keyboard with a little extra

This Keyboard is really awesome. I mean its from Bob, and he always delivers fantastic pieces of technology. Its not my first buy from him, he really also deservers to be sponsored on patreon!

The Keyboard works as intended, soldering took about a hour. The links in the text could be updated imho.

- I was not able to flash it with arduino ide, but thats pretty sure on my side
- It took some time to finde the circuitpython file, as it is linked under "Datasheet". (If you are as blind as me this could help^^)

Would by again!

Tallan | Aug. 28, 2023

Looks great!

I just ordered the PCBs and I have not assembled it yet but both PCBs look great! The layout looks really good and the size, despite being so small, The keyboard feels good Even with my rather large hands. Holding it reminds me of typing on a old school blackberry but it is a little bigger.

Robert | March 13, 2022

Fantastic Thumb Keyboard!

I just received my keyboard and it is amazing. The key switch pressure is perfect and the size of the keyboard is really really great. I tested it out with all the systems I have around here and it worked perfectly out of the box.

My full sized spare keyboard is now put away. This is just a bit bigger than a business card and keeping it on the spares shelf is great.

A few details about why I purchased it:

1) I work with a lot of virtual machines at my desk and sometimes need to work with additional desktop systems and micro form factor computers like Intel NUCs. Normal sized keyboards cannot be stored cleanly and take up too much space and most of the wireless off the shelf keyboards are NOT proper thumb oriented typing keyboards. The wireless keyboards are WAY WAY too large and using them tires out your hand because the key pressure is always far too high.

I thought this might be a great keyboard to use as a spare when doing installs, quick system configs and testing. I just recieved it, tested it out for about 15 minutes and it has already replaced my spare keyboard.

2) I have been looking for good examples of thumb keyboards as I have wanted to learn enough electronics to build a blackberry sized keyboard with my own layout. This is an AMAZING thumb keyboard. I am going to try and use it to see if I can get my thumb typing proficiency up to the levels I was on Blackberries.

What the creator this device managed to do, in my opinion, is make the keyboard the perfect size. It is just small enough to be perfect for thumb typing, the feel of the switches is excellent AND having the top pcb act as a cover PERFECTLY makes this thumb keyboard feel like a usable and quality product.

3) Lastly, if you look at the Bobricious line of keyboards and computers, they all have a quality design and finish to them. There is something very odd about his design aesthetic. He didn't just make a thumb keyboard to be purely functional, he spent time making it beautiful. First, he put a top pcb on the device and used the correct size switches with a nice feel that won't tire out your fingers. Then he select a unique black and gold type of layout, which is very nice. Then, on top of that, he added artistic touches like the Bobricious logo in a cursive font, the spock live long and prosper hand symbol (awesome, love the Trek reference) and just overal really lovely use of fonts, layout and led status lights.

I love works of art and I really think the designer brings something extra to even something as relatively simple as a usb thumb keyboard.

4) I may have to buy a second one and add it to my kit. On site visits sometimes mean I need to shuffle hardware and having a thumb keyboard for one off quick config / setups might be useful.

Anyway, just logged back in to share my experience of this product. If you are looking for a thumb keyboard with really good switch feel that wont tire out your fingers, you might consider looking into getting one.

Josue | Feb. 16, 2022

Excellent product, plug and play!

Excellent quality, truly a unique product. I plugged this into a number of different computers and it is truly plug and play.

Michael | Oct. 24, 2021

Fills a need in the market - one of a kind

Great little keyboard - easy plug and play - looks like it will last a long time - sturdy construction. Would have preferred the USB out to come out from the side - but just a personal thing - at a pinch I could move it, but I won't. Currently using it with 5" touch-screen UMPC - Higole F1 - just not usually enough room on the screen for on-screen keyboard to be effective - this fills the gap in tech perfectly. Thanks Bobricus well done.
A final point - I wear glasses and the symbols embossed on the keyboard face are understandably tiny - really tiny - I struggled to work out what was what at first - but once you know it's not too hard.... it's clear as it can be given the space available - but for those with less than perfect eyesight you need to bear this in mind.

Alex | April 17, 2021

Even better than I thought!

I purchased the 49 key fully built.

Typing this review on the board now. Definitely a thing of beauty and well put together. Top workmanship!

The size of this thing is amazing, literally a shirt pocket sized full qwerty keyboard with mouse function too! I don't think that is made clear anywhere. Yes it is mouse and keyboard in one tiny unit! Pressing the *** buton enables mouse mode meaning the page up/down/left/right buttons move the cursor and you can even move diagonally. Madness!

Anyone who appreciates security or pen testers will appreciate the lack of wireless donggle/bluetooth. Wired only. Nice.

Cons: To be fair, not many. If Bobricius was spoiling us there would have been rubber button caps. Bearing in mind you won't be writing the Odyssey, this is no big issue. Buttons are responsive but it is difficult to type at full speed at least until muscle memory kicks in. A housing would have been a nice option but i think most people interested in this will have a solution.

It's as badass as it looks and that's very!

Get one!

LLAP

Kayla | Dec. 14, 2020

Beautiful!

Starting with the obvious: the keyboard works just as expected, no issues at all.

Apart from that, it just looks absolutely beautiful! The gold-black combination makes it look really stylish and the font/icons used fit verly well. The only thing I find aesthetically non-fitting is the silk-screened board identifier from the manufacturer on the front. It might be worth placing that manually in a different place.

My only other suggestion would be to include a set of standoffs and screws. I happened to have a bunch of them, but not everybody might.

Shipping was a bit slow, but I'm attributing that to the current global situation.

Cornelis Jan | Nov. 23, 2020

Fantastic little keeb. Well worth the price!

So I'm a bit of a mechanical keyboard hoarder, and I happened to come across this gem, and just had to have it in the collection. It's fantastic for pairing with a Raspberry Pi for the occasional settings menu in RetroPie, and I've got some plans to cobble together a dedicated Pico8 Pi handheld loosely modeled after the PocketChip (but now with better keys!), for on the go game coding. Doesn't take up any space, and it's got the good microswitches, so "typing" on it isn't half bad. It takes about a week for the keymap to become muscle memory, but after that, it's very easy to blind thumbtype on it. It doesn't have all the usual keys you'd expect to find on a normal keyboard, but that's okay if you're just typing a bunch of text. You don't need modifiers apart from the shift key for most work.

Besides a dedicated handheld keyboard, there's ofcourse a miriad of applications that this little keeb is good for. It's size does lend itself to just chucking it in a backpack, and you'll find a use for it on-the-go ;)

10/10 Highly satisfied with my purchase!

(ps: this was typed ON the keyboard)

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