Members of the Quantum Technology Club gathered to undertake the build of the club’s latest project; QuanClick.
QuanClick is a USB device that can emulate multiple keyboard and mouse operations at the touch of a single button. For example, one button could be programmed to enter your email address – something we all have to type very often in this Internet-led world. Another could be programmed to open a particular application. Still another to create a new record in your amateur radio logbook and enter default information. The possibilities are, seemingly, endless.
The QuanClick itself is based around a Raspberry Pi Pico 2; a micro-controller that is very versatile, easy to program and, best of all, cheap. Add a ribbon cable, a few pins to connect them to the Pico, and some buttons and you’re ready to go.
Participants were provided with an example script to upload to the Pico to showcase how to make the buttons do exactly what you want them to. Soon, members were modifying the script file themselves and exploring what could be done. You could also see light-bulb moments happening as the versatility of the device started to become apparent.
All of those taking part completed their project in good time, showing how simple the project is to build and program.
We hope to have the project available for everyone to download and try at home; we just need to make a few changes to the documentation.
Many thanks to Steve Leatherbarrow for all his hard work bringing this project to life and we look forward to seeing what else he has in the pipeline.