Qwiic Digital Desk Sign with MicroMod

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Contributors: bboyho
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Introduction

"Where's Bobby?" A question that comes up when at work. While I'm usually at my desk, there are times that I need to walk away for lunch, take a 15-minute break, head into a meeting, or check inventory. To help notify others of where I may be, I made the Qwiic-enabled digital desk sign using the SAMD51's USB host and a USB keyboard to type short custom messages while I am away!

Qwiic Digital Desk Sign with MicroMod

Required Materials

To follow along with this tutorial, you will need the following materials. You may not need everything though depending on what you have. Add it to your cart, read through the guide, and adjust the cart as necessary.

SparkFun 20x4 SerLCD - RGB Backlight (Qwiic)

SparkFun 20x4 SerLCD - RGB Backlight (Qwiic)

LCD-16398
$26.95
16
SparkFun USB Type A Female Breakout

SparkFun USB Type A Female Breakout

BOB-12700
$4.95
6
Qwiic Cable - 100mm

Qwiic Cable - 100mm

PRT-14427
$1.50
DC Barrel Jack Adapter - Female

DC Barrel Jack Adapter - Female

PRT-10288
$3.50
1
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 0.3m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 0.3m

CAB-15426
$4.50
1
Wall Adapter Power Supply - 5VDC, 2A (Barrel Jack)

Wall Adapter Power Supply - 5VDC, 2A (Barrel Jack)

TOL-15312
$6.50
2
SparkFun MicroMod ATP Carrier Board

SparkFun MicroMod ATP Carrier Board

DEV-16885
$19.95
1
SparkFun MicroMod SAMD51 Processor

SparkFun MicroMod SAMD51 Processor

DEV-16791
$18.95
1

You Will Also Need

You will also need a USB keyboard. The following keyboards were tested.

  • Dell KB216t
  • Logitech K120

Tools

You will need a soldering iron, solder, and general soldering accessories.

Female Headers

Female Headers

PRT-00115
$1.75
8
Break Away Headers - Straight

Break Away Headers - Straight

PRT-00116
$1.75
20
Soldering Iron - 60W (Adjustable Temperature)

Soldering Iron - 60W (Adjustable Temperature)

TOL-14456
$16.50
16
SparkFun Mini Screwdriver

SparkFun Mini Screwdriver

TOL-09146
$1.05
3
Hook-up Wire - Black (22 AWG)

Hook-up Wire - Black (22 AWG)

PRT-08022
$2.95
1
Solder Lead Free - 15-gram Tube

Solder Lead Free - 15-gram Tube

TOL-09163
$3.95
4
Hook-up Wire - Yellow (22 AWG)

Hook-up Wire - Yellow (22 AWG)

PRT-08024
$2.95

Wire Strippers - 20-30AWG

TOL-15220
1 Retired

Suggested Reading

If you aren't familiar with the MicroMod ecosystem, we recommend reading here for an overview. We recommend reading here for an overview if you decide to take advantage of the Qwiic connector.

MicroMod Logo Qwiic Connect System
MicroMod EcosystemQwiic Connect System

We also recommend checking out these tutorials before continuing. If you are using a Qwiic PIR motion sensor with the project, you could also look at its associated tutorial.

Installing an Arduino Library

How do I install a custom Arduino library? It's easy! This tutorial will go over how to install an Arduino library using the Arduino Library Manager. For libraries not linked with the Arduino IDE, we will also go over manually installing an Arduino library.

Installing Arduino IDE

A step-by-step guide to installing and testing the Arduino software on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

I2C

An introduction to I2C, one of the main embedded communications protocols in use today.

AVR-Based Serial Enabled LCDs Hookup Guide

The AVR-based Qwiic Serial Enabled LCDs are a simple and cost effective solution to include in your project. These screens are based on the HD44780 controller, and include ATmega328P with an Arduino compatible bootloader. They accept control commands via Serial, SPI and I2C (via PTH headers or Qwiic connector). In this tutorial, we will show examples of a simple setup and go through each communication option.

MicroMod SAMD51 Processor Board Hookup Guide

This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the MicroMod SAMD51 and highlights the features of the ARM Cortex-M4F development board.

MicroMod All The Pins (ATP) Carrier Board

Access All The Pins (ATP) of the MicroMod Processor Board with the Carrier Board!

Qwiic PIR Hookup Guide

Get started passively monitoring motion using the Panasonic EKMC and EKMB sensors with the SparkFun Qwiic PIR.