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Prospector: A ZMK Keyboard Dongle with a Waveshare LCD

Prospector: A ZMK Keyboard Dongle with a Waveshare LCD. The published design includes a printed enclosure, an assembly manual and a separate firmware module.

PineMux Editorial 30 Sep 2026 2 min read

Microcontrollers & Input

Prospector shown between the author’s split keyboard halves.
Prospector shown between the author’s split keyboard halves. Source: carrefinho/prospector · original image.

01 / Project overview

Prospector is an open-hardware desktop dongle for ZMK keyboards with a small color LCD. The published design includes a printed enclosure, an assembly manual and a separate firmware module. Its bill of materials specifies a Waveshare 1.69-inch display, creating a compact reference for putting keyboard information on a dedicated desk accessory.

The original Prospector display and case shown in closer detail.

FROM THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
The original Prospector display and case shown in closer detail.
carrefinho/prospector · View original image

02 / Materials & software

  • Seeed XIAO nRF52840
  • Waveshare 1.69-inch touch LCD module
  • printed case
  • optional APDS9960 light sensor

03 / Compatibility & setup notes

The non-touch Waveshare display has a different mounting pattern and will not fit the documented case. This project uses nRF52840, not an ESP32 or Pico firmware.

04 / Build the project

  1. Use the exact touch-display variant listed in the bill of materials.
  2. Follow the assembly manual and select the case variant that matches the optional light sensor.
  3. Configure the separate Prospector ZMK module for your keyboard setup before final assembly.
The original illustrated assembly manual. Open the source image for the full-size sequence and exact hardware details.

FROM THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
The original illustrated assembly manual. Open the source image for the full-size sequence and exact hardware details.
carrefinho/prospector · View original image

05 / Check the result

Check the display, reset-button access and keyboard connection. If the light sensor is fitted, test brightness changes in both a bright and dim room.

PineMux build note: Keep a record of the board revision, firmware version and first successful test. Follow the upstream guide for exact pins and commands.

06 / Sources & build notes

Upstream attention: 803 GitHub stars, checked 30 September 2026. Stars indicate community interest, not a reliability guarantee.

Original project by carrefinho. This PineMux editorial overview is based on the linked primary source; PineMux has not bench-tested this build.

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