[Paid] Build Your Own Macropad: From Soldering to Software

Hello Gophers!

Our Build Your Own Macropad: From Soldering to Software workshop will be held on 20 May 2026, before our GopherCon Singapore 2026 conference.

All attendees will require a separate ticket, as a keyboard kit will be provided for you to take home. You can buy tickets for the conference and this workshop at our GopherCon Singapore 2026 website.

Workshop description follows:

In this hands-on workshop, you'll go from a pile of parts to a fully functional, custom macropad. The morning is dedicated to soldering your hardware, and the afternoon is all about bringing it to life using TinyGo.

A proven experience from Japan — the TinyGo Keeb Tour has successfully hosted 10 events across various cities since 2024, helping participants build their own zero-kb02 keyboards. Now, they're bringing this experience to Singapore!

New to soldering? No problem! The team will be right there to guide you through every step. There are plenty of spare parts, so there's no need to worry about making mistakes — it's all part of the learning process.

### Full Curriculum

#### Meet the zero-kb02

The zero-kb02 isn't just a simple keypad — it's a powerful, programmable controller designed for versatility. You'll be building and coding with:

• Brain: Powered by the RP2040 microcontroller
• Controls: 12 keys for your favorite shortcuts
• Interaction: A Joystick and a Rotary Encoder for intuitive navigation
• Visuals: An OLED Display and RGB LEDs to show status and add flair

#### Endless Possibilities with TinyGo

Beyond a simple keypad, the zero-kb02 is a gateway to embedded development. With the extensive documentation and the power of TinyGo, you can transform it into:

• Musical Instruments: Create a buzzer-based synth or a MIDI controller
• Gadgets: Build a weather station using I2C sensors and the OLED display
• Gaming: Run 2D games using koebiten (a TinyGo-friendly subset of Ebitengine)
• Fully Customizable Keyboard: It's Vial-compatible, allowing you to remap keys and change settings directly from your web browser

#### Morning: Soldering Workshop

You'll assemble your own zero-kb02 from scratch — soldering the RP2040 microcontroller, keys, joystick, rotary encoder, OLED display, and RGB LEDs. Expert staff will guide you through every step.

#### Afternoon: Programming with TinyGo

With your macropad assembled, you'll bring it to life with TinyGo firmware. Learn how to program key mappings, control the OLED display, drive RGB LEDs, and read the joystick and rotary encoder — all in Go. By the end of the day, you'll leave with a custom keyboard that you built and programmed yourself.

See you there!

Cheers,
GoSG for GopherConSG 2026