The Ploopy Knob is an open-source control dial for your PC

The Ploopy Knob controller tin treble arsenic a desktop fidget toy. | Image: Ploopy

Ploopy has announced different desktop accessory called the Ploopy Knob that tin relation similar a power dial for adjusting volume, scrolling documents, oregon scrubbing done media connected a computer. The Canadian institution isn’t precisely a household sanction similar Logitech, but Ploopy’s open-source peripherals connection a batch of customizability, and similar its rodent and trackballs, you tin customize the look of the Knob by 3D-printing your ain hardware.

The Ploopy Knob is available present done the company’s website for $49.99 CAD (around $37). Unlike galore of the company’s different products, which tin beryllium purchased arsenic cheaper DIY kits you physique yourself, the Knob is lone disposable arsenic a afloat assembled merchandise with bundle preinstalled that works close retired of the box. However, since it’s open-source, you tin download each the plan files and bundle connected Ploopy’s GitHub page if you privation to root the parts and physique your ain from scratch.

Powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, the Ploopy Knob uses a presumption sensor with a 12-bit solution and a polling complaint of implicit 1kHz to way its rotational movements. The institution says the Knob supports high-resolution pixel-by-pixel scrolling connected Windows and Linux, but warns that the acquisition whitethorn not beryllium arsenic creaseless connected Apple computers. “macOS does smoothing for input devices automatically. This interferes with the codification that runs connected the Knob, meaning that pixel-by-pixel high-resolution scrolling doesn’t enactment connected macOS. It inactive functions arsenic a scrolling device, but the scrolling is successful discrete steps.”

As with the company’s different peripherals, the Ploopy Knob uses the open-source QMK firmware, which runs wholly connected the instrumentality truthful you don’t request to instal further bundle connected your computer.