#keyboards #numpad #macropad #qmk #zmk #vial #rp2040 #rotary-encoder #handwire # Overview Survey of the numpad / numpad-sized macropad landscape as of **2026-08-26**, covering both open-source DIY projects and buildable commercial kits. Scope was weighted toward three features: **rotary encoder + OLED**, **wireless ZMK/BLE**, and **3D-printable / hand-solderable** construction. The single most useful finding: **no actively-maintained, popular project combines wireless ZMK + rotary encoder + display in a numpad form factor.** [NumBLE](https://github.com/joelspadin/NumBLE) was the attempt and it stalled in 2024-03 with the encoder marked "Untested" in its own README. You pick two of the three, or you build the third yourself — see [[#Decisions]]. Star counts and last-commit dates below were pulled live from the GitHub REST API on 2026-08-26; prices and stock were read off live product pages, not search snippets. Anything unverified is highlighted in [[#TODO]]. # Design ## Open-source DIY projects | Project | ★ | Last commit | MCU / firmware | Encoder | Display | Build | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | [ScottoKeebs](https://github.com/joe-scotto/scottokeebs) (ScottoNum / ScottoPad) | 1,567 | 2026-08-20 | Pro Micro (QMK) **or** nice!nano v2 (ZMK) | No | No | Handwire, 3D print, `.stl` + `.step` | | [Hapticpad](https://github.com/dmcke5/Hapticpad) | 783 | 2026-02-02 | RP2040-Plus, XML config | **Haptic BLDC knob** | 2.42" OLED | Module-based, no custom PCB | | [dumbpad](https://github.com/imchipwood/dumbpad) | 502 | 2026-03-04 | Pro Micro, QMK/VIA | **Up to 2× EC11** | OLED variant | PCB order, through-hole | | [yampad](https://github.com/mattdibi/yampad) | 381 | 2026-05-26 | Pro Micro, QMK/VIA | No | 0.91" SSD1306 | PCB order, SMD-lite | | [Iskra](https://github.com/vostoklabs/Iskra-handwire-numpad) | 67 | 2026-03-25 | nice!nano v2, **ZMK + Studio** | No | No | Handwire, 3D print, ~€6 BOM | | [TheUltiPad MK2](https://www.printables.com/model/299781) | — | 2025-01-25 | Pro Micro, QMK | **Yes** | Yes | Handwire, fully printed | | [BigNum](https://www.printables.com/model/989079) | — | 2026-08 | ==unconfirmed==, **Vial** | No | No | Handwire, hotswap or direct-solder | Notes: - **ScottoKeebs** is by a wide margin the most active project in this space. ScottoNum is a 17-key numpad, ScottoPad an 18-key. Ships both a QMK tree and a ZMK tree (including ZMK Studio via the `studio-rpc-usb-uart` snippet) per board. No PCB to order — handwired matrix, 1N4148 through-hole only. Cases are published as `.step` as well as `.stl`, so they're CNC-friendly. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ~$30–50. - **dumbpad** has the best encoder + OLED + hotswap combination in the size class. Six PCB variants (`combo`, `combo_oled`, `combo_oled_low_profile`, `combo_teensy`, `reversible`, `hotswap_rgb`) let you pick your own difficulty. In QMK master with Configurator support. - **yampad** is the classic "OLED + RGB + hotswap numpad under $50," still the highest-starred *dedicated* numpad. In QMK master as `keyboards/yampad`. **No rotary encoder.** PCBs are ~$1/board at PCBWay, or $15 assembled-blank from [beekeeb](https://shop.beekeeb.com/products/yampad-v2-0-pcb). A [ZMK fork](https://github.com/Tulip2MF/YamPad) exists for a nice!nano drop-in. - **Iskra** is the cheapest credible path to a wireless ZMK pad — ~€6.30 itemized BOM with AliExpress links, prebuilt `.uf2` included. Only 10 keys (3×4 Choc matrix), so it's a macropad, not a numpad. - **Hapticpad** isn't a numpad, but it's the standout knob-and-display maker project of 2025–26: gimbal BLDC motor + TMC6300 + magnetic encoder synthesizing detents in firmware, three feel modes. Closest thing to a reference design for haptic encoders. - **TheUltiPad MK2** is the only fully-3D-printed, no-PCB design that hits numpad-size + encoder + OLED + RGB all at once. Republished 2025-01-25 with firmware rebuilt against current QMK. ## Buildable kits | Kit | Price | Stock | Encoder | Display | Wireless | Firmware | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | [nullbits TIDBIT](https://nullbits.co/tidbit/) | £25 / ~$40 | White in stock @ Mechboards | **Up to 4** | OLED header | No | QMK/VIA | | [Keychron V0 Ultra 8K](https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v0-ultra-8k-wireless-custom-number-pad) | $69.99 | In stock | Knob | No | **BT 5.3 + 2.4G** | **ZMK** | | [YMDK 12-Key CNC](https://ymdkey.com/products/ymdk-12-key-cnc-aluminum-via-vial-hotswap-rgb-knob-support-macro-type-c-mx-switches-mechanical-keyboard-numpad-for-gaming-photoshop) | $37.99 | In stock | **3, pre-soldered** | No | No | VIA + Vial | | [Keebio BDN9 Rev.3](https://keeb.io/products/bdn9-rev-3-pcb-3x3-9-key-macropad-rotary-encoder-and-rgb) | $25.99 | In stock (PCB only) | **Up to 3** | No | No | QMK/VIA | | [42keebs Mysteripad](https://42keebs.eu/shop/kits/with-discrete-mcu/mysteripad-hotswap-numpad-kit/) | €22 | Black in stock | **Up to 4** | No | No | QMK | | [Keebio Demod LM](https://keeb.io/products/demod-lm-kit) | $89.99 | In stock | No | No | No | QMK/VIA | | [42keebs Discipad Pro](https://42keebs.eu/shop/kits/with-discrete-mcu/discipad-pro-hotswap-numpad-kit/) | €20 | Black in stock | 1 optional | No | No | QMK | | [TogKey Pad Wireless v2](https://togkey.com/products/togkey-pad-wireless) | $50 | In stock | No | 0.91" OLED | **BLE** | **ZMK** | | [Glorious GMMK Numpad](https://www.gloriousgaming.com/products/gmmk-numpad-keyboard) | $129.99 | White Ice only | Knob **+ slider** | No | BT 5.0 LE | CORE + QMK | | [Luminkey Nova Kine](https://www.luminkey.com/products/luminkey-nova-kine-keyboard) | $129 | Pre-order | Scroll roller | No | BT / 2.4G | VIA | | [Pimoroni Keybow 2040](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/keybow-2040) | £32.50 | In stock | No | No | No | CircuitPython | Notes: - **TIDBIT** is still the only mainstream kit with a real numpad layout *plus* encoder *plus* OLED *plus* RGB in one open-source package. 100% through-hole except the optional underglow, and the MCU comes pre-made so there's no fine-pitch soldering. **Caveat: treat it as a legacy product** — nullbits.co's footer still reads "© 2022" and `nullbitsco/tidbit` was last pushed 2022-07-16. Not discontinued, but not developed either. - **Keychron V0 Ultra 8K** is the best-value wireless numpad on the market and the trend-in-one-SKU: Keychron moved the V-Ultra line onto **ZMK** while the QMK-based Q0 Max sits sold out. Prebuilt, but hotswap and tear-down friendly. - **BDN9 Rev.3** is the cheapest "bring your own enclosure" encoder pad — PCB only, hotswap sockets pre-soldered, only the encoders need soldering, and the [case files are open](https://github.com/keebio/BDN9-case). Ideal given a printer/CNC. - **Demod LM** is the only genuinely solderless, fully-finished-case numpad kit currently in stock. Low-profile Choc V2, aluminum tray case, plate foam and silicone liner included. - **Mysteripad** and **Discipad Pro** are the budget end — full through-hole solder, +€4 for USB-C pre-soldering. Mysteripad's top row takes a switch *or* an encoder in each position, which is unique at €22. ## Dead, discontinued, or sold out | Item | Status | |---|---| | [NumBLE](https://github.com/joelspadin/NumBLE) | 22★, last commit 2024-03-09. Encoder and 22/24-key layouts marked "Untested" by the author. | | [ocreeb-mk-2](https://github.com/sb-ocr/ocreeb-mk-2) | 588★ but dormant since 2024-02. | | [discipad](https://github.com/coseyfannitutti/discipad) (coseyfannitutti) | 219★, dead since 2020. Design lives on via 42keebs. | | [Hub20](https://github.com/joshajohnson/hub20) | 67★, dead 2022. | | [Draytronics Scarlet](https://github.com/ghostseven/Draytronics-Scarlet-PCB-V1) | 5★, dead 2020-12. Still in QMK master as `draytronics/scarlet`. | | [stdlogicvector/numpad](https://github.com/stdlogicvector/numpad) | 22★, dead 2019. | | [Adafruit MacroPad RP2040](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5128) | **Both SKUs out of stock.** Hardware repo frozen 2024-06. QMK support is early; OLED unsupported. CircuitPython board in practice. | | Keychron Q0 / Q0 Plus / Q0 Max | **Sold out, every variant.** Effectively EOL. | | Keychron Q0 HE | In stock at $139.99 but runs **Launcher-only proprietary firmware** despite the "QMK" branding. | | **Drop.com** | **Store closed.** Corsair ended retail 2026-03-25; site dark 2026-03-31. | | Work Louder Creator Board / XL / Micro v1 | **Discontinued.** Current Creator Micro 2 ($168/$198) is prebuilt with closed firmware. | | 8BitDo Retro 18 Numpad | In stock at $44.99 but **not remappable at all** — official software is firmware-update only. | | splitkb Zima | **Discontinued, will not be restocked.** 0xC.pad sold out at splitkb. | | Keebio Choconum, Nyquistpad | Discontinued. Irispad sold out. | | KBDfans TOFU PAD | Case sold out (all 15 variants); pre-order closed 2026-05. Internals still purchasable. Worth watching. | | KBDcraft Addams (LEGO numpad) | Delisted; only the $6.99 case remains. | | [42keebs Sub-Etha Pad M](https://42keebs.eu/) | **"Coming soon"** — €29, hotswap, 100-step CNC knob, OLED, RGB, Pro Micro socket. Best encoder pad on the horizon. | **Products that don't exist** despite common assumption: Boardsource, ZSA, and Typeractive have no numpad or macropad. Bastardkb, Sofle, Sweep, Cassette, Sinc and Iris families have no dedicated numpad variants. Ploopy's only relevant SKU is the [Knob](https://ploopy.co/shop/knob/) — one encoder, zero keys. # Decisions - **Decision**: the recommended build path is a **ScottoKeebs `.step` case modified in CAD, driven by a nice!nano + ZMK, with a 5-pin EC11 encoder and a nice!view display added.** - **Why**: it fills the exact gap nobody has shipped (wireless + encoder + display in a numpad footprint). ZMK supports EC11 natively. ScottoKeebs is the only project here that's both actively maintained *and* publishes CAD-editable geometry, which is precisely what the `.step` files exist for. No PCB order, no SMD work — direct continuation of the handwire/print skills from the [[Lily58 Pro Build Shopping List|Lily58 build]]. - **Alternatives rejected**: - *NumBLE* — closest thing to the target on paper, but dormant since 2024 with the encoder never tested. Requires a custom PCB order plus fine-pitch hand soldering for a design nobody has validated. - *TIDBIT* — best encoder density and the friendliest solder job, but wired-only and frozen since 2022. - *Keychron V0 Ultra 8K* — the right feature set commercially, but prebuilt. Not a project. - **Decision**: if a *bought* pad is wanted alongside the build, **BDN9 Rev.3 at $25.99** over the assembled options. - **Why**: PCB-only pricing, three encoders, hotswap pre-soldered, and open case files — the enclosure becomes the CNC/print project rather than a sunk cost. # TODO - ==Confirm BigNum's MCU — the Printables listing never states it, likely Pro Micro or RP2040 class== - ==Verify nullbits direct-store stock (JS storefront blocked automated fetch); Mechboards White at £25 was the only confirmed in-stock channel== - ==Check duckyPad Pro pricing on Tindie — [dekuNukem/duckyPad-Pro](https://github.com/dekuNukem/duckyPad-Pro), 164★, last commit 2026-08-21, has OLED + encoder + BLE but runs duckyScript, not QMK/ZMK== - ==Confirm whether 42keebs Mysteripad's source repo ever materialized — the shop page still says "coming soon"== - ==Watch for KBDfans TOFU PAD case restock (dual-mode BT with VIA/Vial)== - ==Watch 42keebs Sub-Etha Pad M release — encoder + OLED + hotswap at €29 would beat everything in the kit table== - ==Verify Draytronics shop is still operating at draytronics.co.uk== # References - [[Lily58 PCB Revision Comparison]] - [[Lily58 Pro Build Shopping List]] - [[Lily58 Pro SMD Soldering Method]] - [ZMK docs — EC11 encoder configuration](https://zmk.dev/docs/features/encoders) - [awesome-macropad](https://github.com/prcutler/awesome-macropad) — 358★, last commit 2026-07-06 - [kbd.news macropad tag](https://kbd.news/) — where new pad releases surface first - [Hackaday: e-ink macropad](https://hackaday.com/2026/01/29/an-e-ink-macropad-for-improved-productivity/) (2026-01-29) - [Hackaday: haptic feedback wheel macropad](https://hackaday.com/2026/02/05/diy-macropad-rocks-a-haptic-feedback-wheel/) (2026-02-05) ## 2025–2026 trends worth tracking 1. **ZMK crossed from splits into pads, and reached retail.** Keychron moved the V-Ultra line off QMK onto ZMK; KBDfans' TOFU PAD ships dual-mode BT with Vial and explicitly no 2.4GHz "because of the open-source solution." TogKey shipped two ZMK BLE pads in 2025 with source on GitHub. The counter-signal proves it — Adafruit's flagship USB-only pad is out of stock in both SKUs. 2. **Screens and knobs are baseline, not differentiators.** TIDBIT, yampad, TogKey v2, dumbpad and CoryDora all have both. The 2026 frontier moved to e-ink panels and firmware-synthesized haptic detents. 3. **Firmware split cleanly: VIA/Vial for wired, ZMK for wireless.** QMK-with-a-config-app is the losing middle. A $129 premium aluminum vendor (Luminkey) documents VIA instead of shipping a driver; YMDK ships Vial on a $38 pad. Meanwhile the proprietary tier struggles to justify itself. 4. **3D-printed cases are now a feature, not a compromise.** TogKey, Creavi and Elecrow all ship printed enclosures on paid products.