Qw/ST Pad (I2C Game Controller)

by Pimoroni

Add a whole bunch of buttons to your Raspberry Pi or Raspberry Pi Pico project with this cute, compact, chainable I2C gamepad.

Each Qw/ST Pad has eight chunky buttons for inputs (plus two smaller buttons for settings adjustments) and four user controllable white LEDs (we've used them in our examples to show how many controllers are connected, but you could use them for whatever you like). We've added cuttable traces on the back to change the I2C address of each Qw/ST Pad so you can have up to four Qw/ST Pads connected at the same time - perfect for multiplayer shenanigans!

Connecting it up is easy thanks to the two Qw/ST connectors which let you plug it into any microcontrollers or HATs with Qwiic or STEMMA QT connectors, like our Space  Unicorns, Pico Display Pack  or Display HAT Mini. Qw/ST cables are sold separately, we sell a variety of different ones here.

Click here to view everything Qw/ST!

Features

  • TCA9555 I/O Expander (datasheet)
  • 8x large user buttons (labelled U, D, L, R, A, B, X and Y)
  • 2x small user buttons (labelled + and -)
  • 4x white LEDs
  • 2x Qw/ST (Qwiic/STEMMA QT) connectors 
  • I2C interface, with addresses: 0x21 (default), 0x23, 0x25 or 0x27
  • 3V to 5V compatible
  • Fully assembled, no soldering required
  • Compatible with Raspberry Pi computers (Python library)
  • Compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040/RP2350 (MicroPython library)
  • Schematic

    Software

    If you're planning on using Qw/ST Pad with Raspberry Pi Pico (or other RP2040 / RP2350 boards) we've spun up a standalone MicroPython library, with some fun examples to try. You can install the library through Thonny's 'Manage Packages' by searching for qwstpad-micropython.

    There's also a full-fat Python library for if you want to use Qw/ST Pad with a Raspberry Pi computer.

    Notes

    • Dimensions: 58x25x6.7mm (LxWxH, approx). The mounting holes are M2.5 and are 3mm in from the top corners (52mm centre to centre). Corner radii are 3mm at the top and 10mm and the bottom.

    4 customer reviews

    2 years ago
    Very impressed with this tiny board. I quickly flashed a project I had developed for another ESP-32 board to it from the Arduino project I had in PlatformIO. Took it outside to test how far it could still send real-time data peer-to-peer to another ESP32 (my previous limit was 65m). This tiny board with the antenna supplied was giving me an instant response from the receiving board at 124m. I couldn't get further away and still see my receiver due to trees getting in the way, so I don't know just how far I could have got and still had good remote data transfer.
    by Paul about XIAO ESP32C3 via REVIEWS.io
    2 years ago
    Very interesting device. Trying various examples currently. It seems very capable.
    by Donald about XIAO ESP32C3 via REVIEWS.io
    2 years ago
    A fantastic microcontroller with WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, high-speed dual-core processor, ample memory. It's compatible with multiple development environments and programming languages, making it ideal for various projects. However, the initial setup can be challenging. Overall, highly recommended.
    by Richard about XIAO ESP32C3 via REVIEWS.io
    2 years ago
    Brilliant little microcontroller at an astonishing price, given it's performance and spec. I've used 5 of 6 of these now as controllers for puzzles in an Escape room linked via WiFi to a RaspberryPi server using MQTT.
    by Anonymous about XIAO ESP32C3 via REVIEWS.io

    User photos