Content

This page summarizes the key areas I explored while developing the
DIY-MIDI-MUSIC-WORKSTATION-PEDAL-BOARD.

Hardware

Microcontroller

The project uses two microcontrollers, the Arduino Nano for simplicity and the ESP32-S3 for higher performance and USB class-compliant connectivity. Pinouts for both are documented. Along the way, I revisited microcontroller fundamentals, opcodes and instructions, reflecting on “the good old days”. I even simulated circuits without touching a soldering iron, using online tools.

LCD Displays

I²C

Software

GO

Java / JavaFX

C++

Flutter / Dart

Tools

HUGO

The blog itself is powered by HUGO, a static site generator written in Go. Combined with the StackTheme, it forms the backbone of the site by simple Markdown. Naturally, I extended the menu system and sidebar to fit my workflow ( see).

Thanks to tools like Falstad’s Circuit Simulator, I can model hardware like the button matrix — without burnt fingers or blown components.

DOCKER

Graphics

When writing documentation, it’s surprising how many non-development tools end up in the toolbox. For this pedalboard project, apart from pure coding, I found myself juggling: GIMP to slice, rotate, and scale images for diagrams and blog visuals. Online video editors for quick overlays, captions, and step-by-step visuals without heavy desktop suites. TrueType fonts tools to simulate LCD displays in software and design custom glyphs for special characters.

UML tools – because a picture (or a component diagram) really can explain in seconds what a thousand words struggle to.

In the end, documentation becomes its own mini-project, with as many moving parts as the hardware itself.

2D

3D

Repository

Simulation

Electronic Circuits

Thanks to tools like Falstad’s Circuit Simulator, we can simulate our button matrix hardware, without burned fingers.

You find everything on github