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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : USB keyboard mimic
| Author | Message | ||||
| BeagleHound Newbie  Joined: 21/01/2022 Location: New ZealandPosts: 3 |
Does anyone have suggestions on how a micro/maxi/pico/arm-mite may be used to interface a panel of switches to a PC, by mimicking a USB keyboard? To me, the most difficult part seems to be the USB interface. Many on-line solutions suggest this can be done using a small micro-controller having built-in USB HID support, such as the ATmega32u4 or the SparkFun ProMicro. If I can avoid it, I would rather not have to learn from scratch, how to use another micro-controller. |
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bigmik Guru  Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2950 |
Hi Beagle hound, Grab a cheapo keyboard and hack the chip out of it, use your push buttons to emulate keys from the keyboard by patching them where the relevant keyboard key would have been. These are generally a matrix of X-Y and should be very easy and very cheap. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| BeagleHound Newbie Joined: 21/01/2022 Location: New ZealandPosts: 3 |
That's genius Mick. Thank you. |
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phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2640 |
If you don't want a direct connection there are IR remotes with receiver USB dongles for PCs. Usually used with media programs. They show up in Device Manager as a HID Compliant Keyboard. The companion app allows the buttons to be assigned to whatever keyboard key combination you like. You could use Bigmick's method on that. |
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CaptainBoing Guru Joined: 07/09/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2170 |
@BeagleHound following on from Mick, see this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIlYJSO7lok Not precisely what you are after but the principal is identical and it shows how AS evicerated the keyboard and sussed out the chip. The goodies for you starts around 6 minutes in. Edited 2022-01-21 18:18 by CaptainBoing |
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| Frank N. Furter Guru Joined: 28/05/2012 Location: GermanyPosts: 949 |
Hi! Or you get a HT82K629A and build my keyboard emulator.  I developed the part a few years ago for my MAME project. With it you can connect any button and create any keyboard key. You can use it on USB AND on PS/2! Frank |
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| ElectroPI Newbie Joined: 27/04/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 37 |
Hi, If you install CircuitPython on a PICO it allows HID control so you can easily mimic a USB keyboard or mouse. There's more info here: https://learn.adafruit.com/diy-pico-mechanical-keyboard-with-fritzing-circuitpython/code-the-pico-keyboard Links on that page will direct you to more info on the subject. regards Peter |
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| CaptainBoing Guru Joined: 07/09/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2170 |
Nice! I might build one just to have it - never know when that might come in handy |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5089 |
Before you get too excited, Farnell does not stock the chip anymore... Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7937 |
I like the CircuitPython approach. Probably cheaper than the chip was too. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| CaptainBoing Guru Joined: 07/09/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2170 |
dozens on ebay. 2GBP each |
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| BeagleHound Newbie Joined: 21/01/2022 Location: New ZealandPosts: 3 |
Thanks for all the interesting suggestions and links. I have much to ponder. cheers, BeagleHound |
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