In this project, we'll build a USB volume control using an Arduino compatible Trinket from Adafruit, and a rotary encoder. Finally, we'll 3D print a housing, fill the base with lead shot to add weight and stability, and laser cut an acrylic bottom cover.The Arduino code and underlying design were o...[original story: Instructables]
If you buy expensive computer speakers, they often have a volume knob you can mount somewhere on your desk so you aren’t dependent on the onboard volume control. [Kris S] decided to build his own version of the remote volume control. Not surprisingly, it uses an Arduino-compatible Digispark board and a rotary controller. The Digispark (that [Kris S] bought for $2) is compatible with the Adafruit Trinket. This is key because the Trinket libraries are what make it easy to send media keys over the USB (using the HID interface) to control the volume.
Really, though, the best part of the build is the good looking knob made out of a pill bottle (see the video below). The micro Digispark is small enough to fit in the lid of the pill bottle, and some wax and pellets add some heft to the volume control.
The standard Arduino library has trouble sending multimedia keys, but in a previous post I built a gesture-based volume control that managed to pull it off. We’ve also covered a similar volume control in the past. That one is also very good looking, but was a more complicated build than what [Kris S] pulled off here.
[original story: Hack a Day]