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Keyboard Emulator
Tiger-Heli:
Hi Slinger,
I took a cursory look at your project, but I'm no electronics expert, so take all my comments with a grain of salt.
Just looking at the circuitry, the PCB design looks very similar to the layout of the buttonbox, as shown here: http://w1.132.telia.com/~u13205992/buttonbox/bbox2/pictures.htm
Note: I said SIMILAR, I realize the actual compnents used are different and am NOT accusing you of copying their design. Mainly I wanted to point out for others that your design will probably have the same features (and drawbacks) as building a ButtonBox.
Other Comments - I notice your design uses Matrix Mode. I am familiar with this from keyboard hacking and usually (with keyboards), you are limited to the number of rows in the matrix (without ghosting/blocking). I.E. a 16x8 matrix keyboard has 16 available key assignments. Since you and ButtonBox both say there are no blocking problems in matrix mode, I assume you have a solution that avoids this.
Most users are more familiar with using direct mode encoders. There is no real problem with Matrix Mode, except, you have to convert things yourself (i.e. input 11 means I want to connect Row 2 and Column 3, etc.)
I realize you are still trying to get the prototype developed, but once this is done, could you post details on how to get 96 inputs with the unit.
Also, I think these would be much more successful if they were available pre-assembled, FWIW!!!
Anyway, thanks for posting the details and I look forward to more information as it becomes available.
slinger:
--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on March 19, 2003, 07:44:10 am ---Hi Slinger,
I took a cursory look at your project, but I'm no electronics expert, so take all my comments with a grain of salt.
Just looking at the circuitry, the PCB design looks very similar to the layout of the buttonbox, as shown here: http://w1.132.telia.com/~u13205992/buttonbox/bbox2/pictures.htm
Note: I said SIMILAR, I realize the actual compnents used are different and am NOT accusing you of copying their design. Mainly I wanted to point out for others that your design will probably have the same features (and drawbacks) as building a ButtonBox.
Other Comments - I notice your design uses Matrix Mode. I am familiar with this from keyboard hacking and usually (with keyboards), you are limited to the number of rows in the matrix (without ghosting/blocking). I.E. a 16x8 matrix keyboard has 16 available key assignments. Since you and ButtonBox both say there are no blocking problems in matrix mode, I assume you have a solution that avoids this.
Most users are more familiar with using direct mode encoders. There is no real problem with Matrix Mode, except, you have to convert things yourself (i.e. input 11 means I want to connect Row 2 and Column 3, etc.)
I realize you are still trying to get the prototype developed, but once this is done, could you post details on how to get 96 inputs with the unit.
Also, I think these would be much more successful if they were available pre-assembled, FWIW!!!
Anyway, thanks for posting the details and I look forward to more information as it becomes available.
--- End quote ---
My design was made completely from scratch, the reason they look simular (in components not traces) is that you need certain hardware to do the job and we both use those (uC,Max232,headers)
I'm acutally not using a matrix, there are currently 4 common line and 8 data lines (4x8=32) each common line is turned on the the data is scanned seperately then turned off and the next common line is turned on, and so on.
how do I get 96 inputs? there are 8 extra I/O lines unused (actually 9 but that one is open collector) so 4 that I am using + the extra 9 (4+8*8=96), I don't need that many so you are free to edit the PCB to do this yourself.
I couldn't care less how successful it is I built it for my own purposes and not for anyone else. I decided to make it open source, if you want it make it(and edit it)make it, if you don't then just browse.
I'm a little busy right now but I hope to do more on it soon, I only posted the info becasue everyone wanted to see it, I make no claims as to it's functionality yet, the first board had a few errors on it but I fixed them, also my first board didn't turn out as expected the transparency lifted from the board during exposure and the lines became a little fuzzy, so I'm going to make another.
Another thing about the software, I remember that the type-o-matic delay is not set up but is there and the Keyboard in is wired but not polled (the routines are there though)
DJ Gary-N:
I do alot of circuit board etching. and would love to have plans to build something like this. So I would be Interested in seeing a schematic and parts list. That would be cool.
Grasshopper:
--- Quote from: slinger on March 19, 2003, 06:11:43 pm ---I'm acutally not using a matrix, there are currently 4 common line and 8 data lines (4x8=32) each common line is turned on the the data is scanned seperately then turned off and the next common line is turned on, and so on.
--- End quote ---
I'm a bit confused, I thought that was how a scanning matrix worked.
Anyway that point aside, your circuit looks very interesting. The more alternatives that builders have the better.
I have been toying with the idea of building a ButtonBox. However I've been put off by the price and difficulty of obtaining the Atmel chip that Leif uses in his design. If I ordered the components from abroad (I live in the UK) over the internet then I believe the total cost would be cheaper than an Ipac but the savings aren't huge.
I have a few questions.
Is the PIC chip you use significantly cheaper than the Atmel, and can it be programmed directly from the parallel port?
Also I'm sure a lot more people would be interested in building the circuit if you designed a layout that could be used with standard stripboard. I doubt many people would want to go to the expense of getting their own board etched.
SirPoonga:
--- Quote from: slinger on March 18, 2003, 07:56:51 pm ---OK here is the vapourware.....
http://home.cogeco.ca/~ron.hayes/main.html
Click on the Projects folder on the right hand side and choose Keyboard Emulator.
For now I ask that you just review the infomation until I can verify that everything is working correctly (unless you want to take that chance!)
I have to drill the board and populate it still before I can test it
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Could you give suggestions or point to a howto to transfer your plans to pc board:)