Ploopy Knob: an open-source rotary controller for PCs

Ploopy has announced an interesting PC accessory called the Ploopy Knob, The Verge reports. It's a rotary knob that can be used to adjust volume, scroll through documents, web pages, or media files. Canadian company Ploopy isn't very popular, but it makes interesting peripherals. Among the main features are open source, which allows you to configure the device however you want. And the ability to print parts yourself on a 3D printer. Unlike many of the company's other products, which can be purchased as self-assembly kits, the Knob comes fully assembled with pre-installed software, allowing you to connect and use it right away. However, you can download all the 3D models and software from Ploopy's GitHub page and modify the controller to your liking.

Inside the Ploopy Knob is a Raspberry Pi RP2040, which uses a 12-bit resolution position sensor with a polling rate of over 1 kHz to track rotation. The company claims that the Knob supports high-resolution pixel-by-pixel scrolling on Windows and Linux. But it warns that it may not work as well on Apple computers, as macOS automatically smooths input devices. This interferes with the code running on the Knob. It still functions as a scrolling device, but scrolling occurs in discrete steps. Like the company's other peripherals, the Ploopy Knob uses open-source QMK firmware, which runs entirely on the device, so there's no need to install additional software on your computer. The Ploopy Knob sells for 49.99 Canadian dollars (about $37) on the official website.