DIY Trackball Kit Powered By Raspberry Pi RP2040 Chip
There’s a new trackball kit available at Ploopy for preorder and it comes with our favorite microprocessor. Nestled inside the new Ploopy Adept Trackball kit, you’ll find a PCB with a Raspberry Pi RP2040. The basic kit is currently available for $80 CAD ($58.51 USD) while the pre-assembled unit is listed at $99 CAD ($72.41 USD).
The basic kit includes everything you need to get started including all of the hardware and housing. The case is 3D-printed and is designed specifically to mount the main board, sensors and a trackball. The board arrives with the software necessary to operate as a trackball pre-installed so you don’t need to take any extra steps to set it up.
In addition to selling the RP2040-powered trackball, the case design and firmware has also been made open source. If you want to print it at home, you can easily download the case files and use any filament you want. Everything you need to download is available over at the Adept Trackball project page at GitHub. Ploopy also created a Wiki to serve as a guide for anyone who wants to build one to follow along with.
Because the trackball is open-source, it’s very easy to modify. You can change anything about the case from the size of the hole for the trackball to design elements like texture and shape. If you choose to go this route, you’ll need to purchase the print it yourself kit to get the buttons and PCB or download the PCB schematics to build it from scratch.
The software recommended for the trackball is open-source firmware QMK and VIA. Ploopy didn’t create these tools but rather adapted them to suit the Adept trackball hardware. There are more details about the firmware on the official Adept Trackball page at GitHub for anyone to explore or download.
If you want to get a closer look at the Ploopy Adept Trackball, check out the web store on the Ploopy website. Pre Orders have been available since late September and are expected to ship by early December.
