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Keyboard Emulator
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: slinger on March 19, 2003, 06:11:43 pm ---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)
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I realize there will be some common components. What I noticed was the physical layout (shape of the PCB, position of the processor and header and LED relative to each other) and the use of matrix mode seemed similar to the ButtonBox. Of course, I've seen other people come up with ideas that were mine originally without my having said anything previously about my ideas, so it happens. . . didn't mean to offend you . . .
--- Quote ---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.
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Errmm- as Grasshopper said, what do you mean you aren't using a matrix? It says right on the circuit 1-4 X-Axis, 19-26 Y-Axis, sounds like a matrix to me.
What I mean by matrix is a circuit where each button is connected to one Row pin and one Column pin (or in your terminology, one common line and one data line). The button box and the Hagstrom encoders allow this mode, and I believe the X-Arcade uses it, so it is workable. This is opposed to direct mode used by the I-PAC and KeyWiz (and others) where one terminal of each input goes to a unique encoder input and ALL second terminals go to the SAME Common (GND) terminal.
--- Quote ---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.
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That much I figured. What I meant is that when you or someone with more electronics knowledge than myself has time, it would be nice if they posted what terminals connected to what pins on the microcontroller to make 96 inputs work.
--- Quote ---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 . . .
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Fair enough. Thanks for making the details of your design available. Sorry if I sounded overly critical of your project earlier. I wasn't meaning to be. There are all levels of people on this board, anywhere from "What's a keyboard encoder, and why would I want one?" to "Why is your software written in VB and would you like me to convert it to C++ and add these neat features in while I'm at it?" I'm somewhere in the middle, but I thought pointing out matrix mode and comparing it to the buttonbox would put it on the map for people considering your project instead of an I-PAC/KeyWiz/MK40/Hagstrom, without having to de-cipher the circuitry for themselves.
slinger:
I'm glad you mentioned that!
I had figured a way around that but I didn't implement that for the sake of simulation, but I'll add it back in and revise the website.
What I did to take care of that was to not have the inputs set as inputs all the time but to set them as Hi-z, if there is no ground other than the one in use then ghosting cannot happen.
Sorry but I wasn't offended at all, just stating how I felt about it.
As for the matrix, it isn't really a matrix since only one gnd line is active at one time it's more like an addressed buss.
I will post more details for upgrading the PCB on my websitte when I get more time, but I'd suggest that anyone willing to, downloadf the datasheet from Microchip and look to see what pins are free(I didn't hook them up because I didn't feel like finding a route for the extra pins if I didn't need them
Some of the things I'd like to hear back from you guys is what things you'd like to see added to the design. One of the things I forgot to mention is that you don't need any special software to configure it, you talk to the chip through any terminal program and send the value to the chip.(need to send hex though)
slinger:
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Could you give suggestions or point to a howto to transfer your plans to pc board:)
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Load the board into Winboard print it out on a transparency, place this over your presensitized board, expose it to florecent light for 5min/side then develop and etch, drill and populate.
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: slinger on March 19, 2003, 10:41:40 pm ---I'm glad you mentioned that!
I had figured a way around that but I didn't implement that for the sake of simulation, but I'll add it back in and revise the website.
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Mentioned what??? And what did you figure a way around, and what are you adding to the website???
--- Quote ---What I did to take care of that was to not have the inputs set as inputs all the time but to set them as Hi-z, if there is no ground other than the one in use then ghosting cannot happen.
Sorry but I wasn't offended at all, just stating how I felt about it.
As for the matrix, it isn't really a matrix since only one gnd line is active at one time it's more like an addressed buss.
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You lost me on the Hi-z and only one ground stuff, but that's okay. I see what you mean about an addressed buss vs. a matrix.
One problem I will have is that I really need something with direct mode (i.e. a common input for all GND terminals). Can your design be modified to support this? And I assume you are limited to 32 inputs in this mode?
EDIT: For those who are wondering why I need direct mode - Matrix mode works fine for a large control panel on an arcade cab. I am building removable panel using DB25 connectors. In direct mode, I can pass 24 inputs through the DB25 cable. In Matrix mode, I have to allow for 8-row pins so I only have 17 inputs to pass through the remaining pins. There are other obstacles, but that's the highlights.
--- Quote ---One of the things I forgot to mention is that you don't need any special software to configure it, you talk to the chip through any terminal program and send the value to the chip.(need to send hex though)
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Cool, I meant to mention earlier that it says RS-232 on the PCB, so I assumed it uses the serial port. I'm sure many people would like more details on what information you send and structure/format, etc?
SirPoonga:
--- Quote from: slinger on March 19, 2003, 10:55:41 pm ---
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Could you give suggestions or point to a howto to transfer your plans to pc board:)
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Load the board into Winboard print it out on a transparency, place this over your presensitized board, expose it to florecent light for 5min/side then develop and etch, drill and populate.
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Can you get all this (and the chips and whatever) at radio shack? Dop they have a kit that explains what you just said?
Sorry,m I am an electronics n00b, but I like futzing with this stuff. I;d like to make custom hardware as I can make the software easily enough.