PlotLost · Amateur Radio · Arduino
CW Keyer
A standalone CW keyer with touchscreen and browser controls.
Built for the GIGA R1 WiFi.
A development of Anthony Good’s Arduino CW keyer, designed for the Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi and GIGA Display Shield. It includes a standalone touchscreen interface and a web interface served directly by the keyer.
Interface shield in development
A plug-in interface shield is in development for the CW Keyer hardware setup, with the aim of simplifying the external connections needed alongside the Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi and GIGA Display Shield. Further hardware details and availability will be added as development progresses.
Firmware 0.1.31
Complete source, documentation and license
This is Arduino source firmware, uploaded through Arduino IDE, rather than a Mac or Windows application. The included user guide is version 0.1.31; the package also includes precompiled firmware.
Firmware 0.1.31 supports only the GIGA R1 WiFi Main Core (M7); legacy board profiles have been removed. It checks PlotLost over HTTPS for newer versions. Updates are installed manually through Arduino IDE.
Morse code cheat sheet
A printable, one-page PlotLost reference for letters, numbers, common punctuation and Morse timing.
Installation
- Install Arduino IDE 2 and the Arduino Mbed OS GIGA Boards platform.
- Install Arduino_GigaDisplay_GFX, Arduino_GigaDisplayTouch, Adafruit GFX Library and its Adafruit BusIO dependency.
- Download Arduino USBHostGiga hosted by PlotLost and install it using Sketch → Include Library → Add .ZIP Library.
- On a new GIGA, upload PlotLost_GIGA_Storage_Setup, open Serial Monitor at 115200 baud, answer Y and wait for USER STORAGE READY.
- Upload PlotLost_CW_Keyer.ino to the GIGA M7 core.
Refer to the package’s PlotLost_CW_Keyer, PlotLost_GIGA_Storage_Setup and Documentation folders for hardware, storage preparation and configuration. Firmware defaults to stopping after 30 minutes of inactivity; SYSTEM settings offer 10, 30, 60 minutes or OFF. Press RST to restart after firmware shutdown.
GIGA R1 GPIO uses 3.3 V logic. Radio keying, PTT, sequencer, interlock and audio connections require suitable buffering, isolation, level conversion and protection. Do not connect radio control or speaker-level signals directly to GPIO pins.
License & credits
Based on the Arduino CW keyer, Copyright Anthony Good 2011–2021. GIGA R1 WiFi Keyer, Copyright 2026 PlotLost, W0FFS. Distributed under GNU GPL version 3 or later. The complete source archive includes LICENSE, COPYING.md and original source notices.
Hear W0FFS in Morse
A little woodpecker rhythm for the radio shack. Try my callsign, or enter your own message.
Set both speeds equal for standard timing. Lower the spacing speed for more thinking time between characters and words.