Keyboard Builders' Digest / Projects

Tentacle

Gareth Gummow's ortholinear Tentacle is using the author's SquidHID firmware.

KBD.news
Published December 2, 2025

The Tentacle is the first device using Gareth Gummow's (aka gargum/Outrageous-Half) SquidHID firmware. This wireless 4x12 ortho keyboard with display, utilizing a Japanese duplex matrix, serves as a test board to work with all Super Mini and Xiao variants.

This 4x12 test board is the first keyboard to use SquidHID, the firmware I'm designing specifically to support more over-the-top featuresets on my pre-existing WIP projects – Outrageous-Half.

The Arduino-based SquidHID allows you to make an ESP32 microcontroller act as a keyboard, mouse, gamepad, or other HID device.

Features

• 48 keys (4x12 ortho)
• MX or Choc switches, hotswap
• ESP32-C3 Super Mini controller
• per-key LED
• 128x64px OLED screen
• rechargeable battery system (TP4056)
• SquidHID firmware

Resources

• https://github.com/gargum/4x12-Tentacle

Published on Tue 2nd Dec 2025. Featured in KBD #203 (source).

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