Noe and Pedro are back at the bench after a short break, and the latest 3D Hangouts picks up right where the soldering iron left off. Two builds steal the show this week: a pocket-sized GPS compass that always knows which way is home, and a handheld game console nicknamed “Prop It.” Watching the timelapse of a Minecraft Enderman slowly rising off the print bed in the background only adds to the maker-den charm.
What they built
The first project is a GPS compass — a standalone device that reads your position and orientation, then points you toward a destination on a crisp color display. The second is “Prop It,” a chunky handheld game built around Adafruit’s Propmaker ecosystem, the kind of thing that pairs buttons, sound, and a bright screen into something genuinely fun to hold. Both are the sort of weekend-scale electronics projects that look intimidating but break down into very approachable steps.
How they built it
Under the hood, the compass leans on an RP2040/RP2350 Feather brain, a PA1010D GPS module for location, and an LSM6DSOX + LIS3MDL 9-DoF IMU so it can sense heading as well as movement. A 3.5″ TFT FeatherWing handles the map-style readout. “Prop It,” meanwhile, builds on the Feather RP2040 Propmaker for audio and motion-reactive effects, with an alphanumeric LED display adding a retro arcade touch. The Feather form factor keeps everything stackable, so wiring stays sane and swapping a part later is a snap rather than a rewire. Noe and Pedro walk through the firmware live, showing how CircuitPython turns each sensor reading into something the display can show in real time.
- RP2040 / RP2350 Feather microcontroller
- PA1010D GPS + LSM6DSOX/LIS3MDL 9-DoF IMU
- 3.5″ TFT FeatherWing display
- Feather RP2040 Propmaker for sound and motion
The takeaway
What makes these builds worth your bench time isn’t just the finished gadget — it’s how cleanly they stack reusable modules into something new. Learn the Feather pattern once and a GPS compass, a handheld game, or your own wild idea all become variations on the same theme. Grab a Feather, pick a sensor, and start stacking. Looking for the boards and modules to get going? Circuit.Rocks stocks the Feather family and matching FeatherWings to kick off your own build.
Frequently Asked Questions
What powers the Prop It handheld game?
It is built around the Feather RP2040 Propmaker, which drives sound and motion-reactive effects, paired with an alphanumeric LED display for a retro arcade feel.
Which sensors does the GPS compass use?
A PA1010D GPS module supplies location, while an LSM6DSOX + LIS3MDL 9-DoF IMU provides heading and motion data, all read out on a 3.5-inch TFT FeatherWing.
What will I learn if I build this?
You will pick up the Adafruit Feather stacking pattern, how to wire and read GPS and IMU sensors over I2C, and how to drive a TFT display — skills that transfer directly to navigation gadgets, handheld games, and your own custom devices.
