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Wim Van Gool

@wimvangool.bsky.social
801 followers 221 following 250 posts

Founding member @ area3001.com // Founder @ phyx.be // Team badge @ fri3d.be

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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This looks like a job for @aisler.net 😅 But first I've got to clean up all the routing and finish the production data. For those wondering what this board is, it's another excuse to make a small board, this time with the CH32X035 MCU in a XIAO/QtPy compatible form factor. More details will follow.
Picture of a small white PCB. It's a WCH CH32X035 based TNY board that is compatible with Seeed XIAO and Adafruit QtPy boards.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I was recently interviewed by my local FabLab where I also run a Hackerspace with lots of friends. You can read the interview now at www.linkedin.com/pulse/good-k...
linkedin.com
A good kind of crazy: Wim taught 20,000 people to solder
Wim Van Gool (38) is someone who can’t sit still. In his day job, he’s a project manager at Dekimo, where he works on electronics development.
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Lectronz: The new maker marketplace. @lectronz.com · 24/08/2026
How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs lectronz.com/u/lectronz/a...
lectronz.com
How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs
European Union's new packaging rules threaten to kill the world of makers and micro-entrepreneurs, putting jobs, livelihoods and an entire ecosystem of innovation at risk.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
To say Fri3d Camp was awesome is an understatement... Met, and reconnected, with a lot of wonderful people in the woods. Looking forward to the next edition! 🫣
RGB lights lighting up the woodsA view of the main stage tent and large dish lit up with a lot of lights. A wide shot of the events site at night showing various tents. The Fri3d Camp flags lit up at night.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I've been working on this USB MIDI controller in between all the work for Fri3d Camp. The resulting device is so much fun to play with. It's powered by a WCH CH32X035 USB microcontroller and has 64 WS2812C LEDs. 3D printable and laser cuttable housing are finished. Next step: CNC enclosure
A closeup shot underneath the silicone keypad of the Blooppad Maxx. Close up of the heart of the device. The CH32X035 microcontroller Overview of the finished devices. 2 are shown. One with a 3D printed enclosure and one with a matte acrylic laser cut cover. Blooppad Maxx connected to a PC running sequencer software. The interface is Web MIDI which is supported by various modern browsers.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Playing with USB MIDI on the (prototype) Blooppad Maxx. This PCB has a WCH CH32X035 microcontroller, 64 WS2812C LEDs and an 8x8 silicone button array. I have no musical talent whatsoever. Bit having 64 buttons with RGB LEDs is right up my alley. Alternative USB HID firmware is in the works.
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KiCad EDA @kicad.org · 22/07/2026
KiCad v11 will be gaining geometric constraints. This is based on the excellent library by @freecadnews.bsky.social planegcs. You can test-drive this feature in today's nightly builds downloads.kicad.org/kicad/
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Filling up flux syringes for Fri3d Camp makes me feel like a drug dealer somehow...
A box containing multiple 5CC syringes filled with flux and a short medal dosing needle.
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Jason Coon @evilgeniuslabs.org · 20/04/2026
Looking for an active marketplace for makers that hasn't been down for a week for unannounced yet "scheduled" maintenance, that uses via Stripe instead of PayPal, has VAT handling, doesn't throw '504 Gateway Timeout' errors every time you try to update stock, etc? It's @lectronz.com: lectronz.com
lectronz.com
Welcome to the maker market!
Lectronz.com is a marketplace for electronic enthusiasts with a focus on the open-hardware and DIY electronics community.
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abadidea @0xabad1dea.infosec.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 02/04/2026
IT'S HAPPENING GITHUB, THE FIRST ENTERPRISE CLOUD SOLUTION TO REACH ZERO NINES RELIABILITY mrshu.github.io/github-statuses #github
uptime graph reading: 95 incidents in last 90 days - 89.91% uptimeclassic meme image: "it's happening" with Ron Paul laser show
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
I ran out of time to come up with a design for the silkscreen for the 8x8 midi controller... 🤷
Assembled PCB for an 8x8 midi pad based around the CH32X035 microcontroller. The back side of this large PCB reads "This side was intentionally left blank"
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Lectronz: The new maker marketplace. @lectronz.com · 18/03/2026
Now in stock on Lectronz: Mini Airport.00 lectronz.com/products/fs-plate-00 #LEDs
lectronz.com
Mini Airport.00
USB power for your solder kit planes
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jonah @jonahedwards.com · 24/12/2025
If you're looking for a nice fireplace video tonight, or really anytime, we have an excellent three-hour fire with lots of crackling on @archive.org -- streaming, or to download for later: archive.org/details/TheB...
screenshot of a fireplace video
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
That @solder.party keyboard everyone is so hyped about arrived. That tactile feel is crazy for a silicone keyboard. It types practically the same like the old Nokia E63 / Blackberry keyboards. Too bad you can't feel it through the photo, but if you're fast @pimoroni.com might have some stock left!
me holding the Solder Party KeebDeck Basic. A silicone based, but very tactile, miniature keyboard with USB-C interface made out of a stack of PCBs.
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Lectronz: The new maker marketplace. @lectronz.com · 28/11/2025
Lectronz: Black Friday for Makers! Solder-hot deals on indie hardware all day long. 👉 lectronz.com
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Glad you enjoyed the little kit! In the meantime we've also published the how-to guide on the @adafruit.com Learning System blog.adafruit.com/2025/11/24/r... which takes the guesswork out of the assembly process 😅
blog.adafruit.com
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Solder Party @solder.party · 24/11/2025
Now in stock at @pimoroni.com shop.pimoroni.com/products/kee...
shop.pimoroni.com
KeebDeck Basic
A maker-friendly QWERTY handheld USB keyboard with a silicone keypad.
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Solder Party @solder.party · 21/11/2025
Anyone feeling retro? We sure did while working on this cassette tape-inspired case for the KeebDeck Basic! stl files available here: www.printables.com/model/148279...
A photo of a 3d printed case similar to a cassette tape case, but without the reel holder part. The case is standing on its side, open at a 100-ish degree angle, inside is the KeebDeck Basic.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Another productive evening at the Area 3001 hackerspace. Hand assembled 5 PoE+ WLED Light controllers for Fri3d Camp. Paste distribution was not perfect because of the manual alignment and not putting any tension on the stencil. But the boards came out great, no rework needed.
Closeup of a PCB with solder paste applied and some parts already mounted. Picture is showing a set of tweezers mounting a bridge rectifier on the PCB.Close up of the fine pitch QFN that was soldered on the board.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
This time it's our turn to release a stocking stuffer ;-) A small Holiday themed solder kit that's easy to assemble.
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Liliputing @liliputing.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Solder Party’s KeebDeck is a cheap, open source 69-key thumb keyboard #Keebdeck, #KeebdeckBasic, #KeebdeckKeyboard, #Keyboards, #OpenHardware, #SolderParty, #ThumbKeyboard
liliputing.com
Solder Party’s KeebDeck is a cheap, open source 69-key thumb keyboard
A few years ago Solder Party started selling tiny USB keyboards made by combining an actual BlackBerry keyboard (ripped from an old device) with a custom PCB and USB-C connector. But since BlackBerry is out of business, eventually it's going to get harder to find devices to cannibalize for their keyboards. So Solder Party has now introduced two brand new products.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
Perfect timing by @arturo182.bsky.social ! If you're looking for a gift for your nerd friends this holiday season, get them a KeebDeck Basic! We will be using the KeebDeck Keyboard again for the 2026 badge of Fri3d.be after selling out in no time in 2024.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Apparently not what she meant when she asked me to "cut the apple in 8" 🤷 (Why only 2 slices you ask? She stopped me 🫣)
2 apple slices cut in the shape of the number 8. As requested by my wife, or so I thought...
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Solder Party @solder.party · 23/10/2025
The @hackadayofficial.bsky.social Supercon Badge this year will feature a KeebDeck derivative! ⌨️ hackaday.com/2025/10/23/a...
hackaday.com
Announcing The 2025 Hackaday Superconference Communicator Badge
It’s the moment you hard-core hardware nerds have been waiting for: the reveal of the 2025 Hackaday Supercon Communicator Badge. And this year, we’ve outdone ourselves, but that’s thanks to help fr…
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Andy Kostrub @andrewkostrub.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
Updating my LEGO White House
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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 01/10/2025
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
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dr lee cyborg @leeborg.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
If you want this poster to remind you to slow down you can get it by following me and @cyborggarbage.bsky.social October 6 on the Goshwassociation 12 hour Livestream! Any new members or donations of any size will get you a cool slow sloth riso poster! Woohoo! 💾⚙️🦥
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Solder Party @solder.party · 26/09/2025
Great time to buy Solder Party boards from Pimoroni! shop.pimoroni.com/search?q=Sol...
shop.pimoroni.com
Search - Pimoroni
A curated range of the best of breed Maker products from Raspberry Pi to breakouts and components. Worldwide delivery, huge product range, great customer reviews, and personal support.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
There is something wrong with the blue Lego bricks from a few years back... They seem way more brittle than their white, red or black equivalent bricks.
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Solder Party @solder.party · 11/09/2025
Today we're at KiCon, the @kicad.org conference, showcasing our past, present, and future products! Of course the biggest focus is on #KeebDeck 😊 Closeup on each column below.
A table with black fabric on it, and lots of A4 sheets with text on it. Each sheet describes a project, and there are PCBs and products on the sheets too. Photo from above so the 9 sheets are seen. There are also some stickers.
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Solder Party @solder.party · 09/09/2025
Curious about our upcoming KeebDeck products (www.keebdeck.com)? Find us at KiCon in Bochum, Germany later this week, we’ll be showing off those boards and more!
keebdeck.com
KeebDeck
The KeebDeck Keyboard is a compact (85x48mm) 69-key alphanumeric silicone keypad with an orthogonal layout based on standard PC keyboards. It has all the keys a hacker would expect and a few extra one...
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arturo182 @arturo182.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Anyone here into keyboards?
A box with a lot of assembled KeebDeck Basics.
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Tube🍂Time @tubetime.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
i reverse-engineered the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5! check it out at github.com/schlae/cm5-r...
board layout in KiCad with lots of layers and colors
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
The Hackerspace members are having fun with the new ESP32-S3 Stamp using the @solder.party carrier boards!
The Phyx ESP32-S3 Stamp in a circular experiment board from Solder.Party showing the LED ring lighting up.
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arturo182 @arturo182.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
I've created a 2-in-1 Front Panel and Spacer replacement for the #why2025 Badge. While the pretty art is lost (hopefully someone remixes the model and adds more charm to it), the overall rigidity and the keyboard usability is greatly improved. Enjoy ☺️ www.printables.com/model/138614...
A photo of a 3d printed front panel for the badge with the keyboard inserted. The model looks pretty simple from this side, a cutout for the display, and holes for the screws. The holes are sunken so the screw heads fit nicely in there.A photo of the panel installed onto the badge, and used with Dynom's case. The badge is powered on and showing the Application Launcher.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Productive evening at the hackerspace this evening. The first prototypes of the ESP32-S3 STAMP and CH32V203 STAMP have been assembled and can now be tested. Thanks to @aisler.net for the fast and excellent service!
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Woohoo, an official landing page for the keyboard we used for Fri3d Camp 2024! I've even held the fancy KeebDeck SP 🤩 I'm really looking forward to the release of these products. Nice work @arturo182.bsky.social !
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arturo182 @arturo182.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
New RP2350 stepping just dropped, E9 fixed. www.raspberrypi.com/news/rp2350-...
raspberrypi.com
RP2350 A4, RP2354, and a new Hacking Challenge - Raspberry Pi
New A4 stepping of our RP2350 microcontroller now available, with security and other improvements. Plus: another RP2350 Hacking Challenge!
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arturo182 @arturo182.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
RIP Tindie Forums
Tindie Community Forums, full of spam threads.
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TinyTapeout @tinytapeout.com · 25/07/2025
Want to help build a crowdsourced microcontroller? You're invited to design peripherals (UARTs, timers, synths, etc.) for a @riscv.org.web.brid.gy chip that will be fabbed for real! Take part for free! tinytapeout.com/competitions...
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arturo182 @arturo182.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
It's been a while since I promoted my own and others' Maker/Electronics Starter Packs! bsky.app/starter-pack... bsky.app/starter-pack... bsky.app/starter-pack... bsky.app/starter-pack... bsky.app/starter-pack... bsky.app/starter-pack... bsky.app/starter-pack...
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Some members of Area3001 were nagging about the lack of wireless connectivity on the @solder.party Stamp boards. So I quickly drew up an ESP32-S3 based stamp. Now on to prototyping and creating some documentation. Everything fits whilst still using 0603 passives and 125um tracks.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
Thanks to the people at FabLab Leuven for the opportunity. From what I gather it has been a successful workshop over there!
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Solder Party @solder.party · 30/06/2025
If you're looking for an as-simple-as-it-gets breakout board for the RM2, we got you covered. And thanks to our FlexyPins, you don't even need to solder the module to use it! lectronz.com/products/ras...
lectronz.com
Raspberry Pi RM2 FlexyPin Adapter
A breadboard adapter for the Raspberry Pi RM2 module using FlexyPins, no module soldering needed!
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Now is the perfect time to get some cool @solder.party gear!
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
If you're looking for a @raspberrypi.com Pico compatible board, @arturo182.bsky.social had got you covered with a very comprehensive list! 👉 arturo182.github.io/pico-compati...
arturo182.github.io
Pico Form-Factor Compatible Boards List
An ever-growing list of Pi Pico form-factor compatible dev boards.
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Solder Party @solder.party · 30/05/2025
We're at @oshwassociation.bsky.social Open Hardware Summit! Come and see what we have cooking 🔥⌨️
A table with the Solder Party standee, the 10x Stamp, stickers, and lots of keyboard PCBs.
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Lectronz: The new maker marketplace. @lectronz.com · 19/05/2025
10,000 orders. 150 incredible creators. Thousands of happy customers. One thriving community. Thank you for building this with us. 🙏💛 #10000Orders
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Contemplating if I should start offering solder workshops at children parties... It's always satisfying seeing those kids smile when the LEDs light up!
I'm helping a kid aged 7 soldering his first solder kitTable with 4 sets of soldering equipment and 4 enthusiastic kids learning how to solder their first board.yours truly enjoying the fascination of the kids during the workshop.
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Wim Van Gool @wimvangool.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Sometime you've got to stick to the basics. An LED and battery is all it takes to get people soldering!
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