This might work for you, the Pimoroni Keybow. The older version uses a text file to configure it, this new version seems more advanced but might still be a fit for what you’re after.
this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2024
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Giving it a look now, much appreciated.
I don't think there is any commercially available macropad that allows remapping without compiling. A custom macro with a controller that runs MicroPython though, like the Raspberry Pi Micro, can be modified by changing the source code, so no extra software needs to be installed. See this as an example https://blog.4dcu.be/diy/2021/04/05/Macropad.html
No - however you could look for macro boards that have VIA firmware, as most of those can be configured using Chrome browser (WebHID), unless your org has an enterprise policy that interferes with that? The config software runs in Chrome as a website - so worth checking if the VIA keyboard web app is accessible on your work machine before purchasing a macro pad.
VIA firmware stores the config in the keyboard's internal eeprom AFAIK, so you should be able to setup your macros from another computer or android phone and still use them when connected to your work machine - unlike other software like Logitech Options where the config is deleted from the peripheral after a connection interruption...
Does your employer have a policy allowing you to request software to be installed on your machine, especially if it's needed for work? I had Logitech Options installed on my first day with no hassle from IT. Your situation sounds a lot like an unfortunate case of possibly power tripping IT admins doing more harm than good
My employer does have a process for requesting software, but it's a very large company and requires that it go through a whole vetting process and security audits before having it added to the approved software list. I'm already applying some pressure to have some more important software added and am trying not to burn up all the good will I may have 😅.
I am actually able to connect to the VIA web app, but I don't have any compatible devices currently. It's very possible though that we may have some software or policy that will block it when I attempt to do so though (it's not unusual to be able to connect to a website and do certain things only to have specific actions trigger some piece of our security suite). Knowing what the average user is like I can't really fault them for it, but it is annoying.
All that said, would you have a recommendation for the cheapest VIA pad on Aliexpress that I could buy to test with?
If it's a government type place, I can say that I can access the VIA site and connect to and update my keyboard. However, having a keyboard that allows a text file to be saved on it would probably be against policy, so I'm not sure that would even be a good workaround.
VIA is at the firmware level. You can program it on a personal computer then plug it into your work computer.
That's my worst case, but I'd rather not as there are times when I'd like to change the macros during work and I won't be bringing a personal computer with me to work to do so.
If you're allowed to have flash media, KMK as mentioned elsewhere just lives on the microcontroller as a python script, and the keymap is very human readable. I have made everything from a 4x3 macropad to a 102-key compact 1800 with it.
Buy the cheapest VIA capable device you can find and bring it in to work to test.
I think https://github.com/KMKfw/kmk_firmware might be what you are looking for: It exposes itself as flash drive in bootloader-mode and the files on there are just regular Python scripts. If you search for "KMK macro pad", you'll find a bunch of projects - most of them diy. If you want to start from scratch, Jan Lunge created an awesome tool for setup and keymap adjustments (video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtYJYFMWjNM, repo https://github.com/JanLunge/pog) - with the idea being that after setup you do not need the tool anymore to adjust the keymap.
I mean, I don’t know how comfortable I’d be bringing one to work, but the behavior you’re looking for (complex macros with swappable config files) remind me of pentesting devices like the Rubber Ducky.
You may want to check out vortex keyboards. They don’t have macro pads only keyboards though. You do get 3 layers to reprogram any key, no software needed. I know all their older keyboards like the core, cypher, pok3r are all programmable, not sure about the newer ones.