10
What are the different kinds of pins on a microcontroller for? And, how do you fit a microcontroller onto a crowded PCB? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/mechanical_keyboards@programming.dev
4 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/37481146

I'm making a custom keyboard with a Raspberry Pi Pico as the MCU, and i don't understand what all the different pins are for and how they should be wired up to my key matrix and trackpoint.

My current understanding is that GPIO are normal pins that can be wired to the rows and columns, but what of VBUS, VSYS, 3V3, and all the others that aren't just GPIO or GND? And how should the ground pins be used here?

The schematic currently doesn't include the trackpoint because i'm planning to hand wire it and the MCU to the PCB, so i can put them under the PCB in the case and i don't have to try to fit them onto the board. Is there a better way to connect these that won't require adding a bunch of space to the board to fit the MCU?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [S] 2 points 1 year ago

I have a good idea of where the trackpoint should go and i put a hole in the PCB for the stem to go through, but that's the only change i've made for it.

Sure enough, i could just fit the Pico on the middle pad if i move some diodes. I still think putting it under the PCB and hand wiring it will be neater and make the trackpoint easier to wire, but thanks for pointing out that possibility.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent