Keyboard emulation

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Thread Starter

Chris Morgan

We've got a system that needs to have info typed in at the beginning of the day, but after that it's just tap, tap on the enter key every 30-40 seconds when the test results are generated.
Also as it's in a wet enviroment we tend to "kill" quite a few keyboards a year.
 
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Alan Rimmington

I would be inclined to simply wire an external pushbutton from the circuit board in your keyboard, either directly soldered or via an opto isolator circuit. Buy a cheep keyboard and have a play!

Alan
 
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There are devices (like barcode readers) that use a software "wedge" concept where the keyboard and device use the same cable input to the computer....the device then generates signals (characters, keypresses, etc) that mimic the keyboard. Although I can't give you a supplier for what you specifically want, a quick search with Lycos for keyboard wedge or software wedge might get you in the right direction.
 
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Paul Wedding

A company we have used to supply us with such a device is Kinematic Controls, they have designed several custom made keyboards for customers.
They can design you a membrane, and map whatever buttons you want to whatever keys (or combination of keys) you want. Because they have all the electronic hardware and firmware already
developed, and because they are a New Zealand company, (low$) I am sure they would be interested in making a couple up for you at a surprisingly low price. Contact [email protected]


Paul W.
[email protected]
Project Engineer
System Controls Ltd
New Zealand
 
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Curt Wuollet

Hi Guys

1 Rip apart a $9.00 keyboard.
2 Trace the two lines that intersect at the key you are using to get the pins on the keyboard decoder you need.
3 remount the tiny encoder board where you need it and connect a button to those two lines.
4 Throw the rest of the keyboard away.

5 Problem solved!

Another method involves using the switch pins on the joystick port, but If you had source for the application you'ld be doing that already.

Feel free to ask questions. Yes, it works, I've done it.

Regards

cww
 
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