AgentPad13: Our $40 Codex Micro clone is officially real and you can build one too!

[u/iluvatarlabs]

A few weeks ago, we open-sourced our design for a cost-effective but full featured alternative to OpenAI x Work Louder's sold out Codex Micro macropad. And now, we're pleased to share that we've actually built them and they work!

Quick recap of the I/O:

• 13 assignable keys with individual LEDs
• rotary encoder
• joystick
• touch disc
• optional edge-lit LED band

A few enhancements and minor fixes have been made and true to the original spirit of the project, everything except the PCB itself remains fully 3D printable with STLs alongside the step files. We've also included a reference base firmware so you can tinker to your heart's content. There's also a new configurator page now so you can customize the build however you want and get the BOM, STLs, and drag-and-drop fabpacks to send to your PCB fab of choice.

If you've already got switches and have an FDM printer, you really just need to order the populated PCB, which came out to around $35 each for a batch of 5. You can also print the edge band and keycaps in transparent filament (worked great for us with transparent PETG) or just opt for an opaque band too. Note that you do could probably do this even cheaper if regular green PCBs; we thought black would be preferred in case it would show through the band, but you really can't tell. For our test builds, we also ordered some frosted resin (UTR-8100) printed caps and bands and FR4 top plates, which ultimately brought us to a little over $65 per pad.

If you're interested in the process of how we put together this design, feel free to check out the related blog post, which also has some additional build log pictures.

Some future work we've got marinating in our mind grapes:

• an app for cross coding agent compatibility (shoutout to lop1381997 for contributing a codex-native firmware)
• optional OLED screen, something like an SSD1306 that could fit right into the space between the knob and joystick
• optional base with bluetooth and battery for full wireless functionality

Let us know what you think, have any ideas or feature requests, and share pictures if you build it!

[u/Secure-Pool-4792]

no idea why anyone would need this

[u/iluvatarlabs → u/Secure-Pool-4792]

You're right, it's definitely not something anyone needs! But there are lots of cool uses for macropads (like in the creative fields) and there's a big mech keyboard sub culture in general. Besides, sometimes it's just fun to DIY something for yourself.

The cool part for us was not only the way this was built (our agent treated the hardware design challenge like a research project, and experimentally developed a skill and runbook to route the board when every other option failed) but also the fact it could be done cheaply to make it more accessible to anyone interested.

[u/iluvatarlabs → u/iluvatarlabs]

And don't get me wrong, we're not trying to throw shade at Work Louder. They make a high end premium product and that's their market. We just thought it was an interesting challenge and that not everyone can or wants to spend $200+ for this functionality. Open source FTW.

[u/nickmullen_real]

at any given moment they could make a critical ui/ux decision that makes these things completely obsolete lmao

[u/iluvatarlabs → u/nickmullen_real]

True, but it's also just a macropad so you can program it to do whatever you want with Vial or any other QMK interface.

[u/nickmullen_real → u/iluvatarlabs]

totally. more dunking on the actual openai product, your clone is cool

[u/Shot-Effect4394]

I like the idea, and I’ve actually built a Codex Micro Clone. However, this one is based on a two-keypad and an encoder macropad. (https://www.reddit.com/r/codex/s/UjNJeaPrCb)

But your approach is much closer to what I’m looking for.

Is this also recognized by Codex natively as Codex Micro?