Two Keyboards

[Guest pwapilot]

Hi Again :D Today, I went to my electronics store and picked up a keyboard along with 4 switches, wire, a terminal strip, and a breadboard. I stripped down my keyboard and this one is going to work fine. I tested out one switch and it works great. But I have a problem...How am I going to use my regular keyboard with the emulator? Will everything work with two keyboards? I am planning to buy a PS2 to USB adapter (if there is such a thing). One more thing - this should work with 767 PIC, right?I'll start posting some pics when I start building some components. Maybe I'll put up a website with my wonderful experiences on it. :-lol Take care, pwapilot

[rickalty 0]

pwapilot:>>How am I going to use my regular keyboard with the emulator? Will everything work with two keyboards? I am planning to buy a PS2 to USB adapter (if there is such a thing). You can use a PS2 keyboard and a USB keyboard simulataneously, but not two of the same type. I'm sure that there is such an adapter, but it would be cheaper to just buy a USB keyboard in the first place.Richard

[tigert 0]

>You can use a PS2 keyboard and a USB keyboard simulataneously,>but not two of the same type. You can have several USB keyboards at once.//Tuomas

[Guest Glenn Weston]

I think I remember reading somewhere a long time ago you can have up to 16 Simultaneous USB Keyboards connected & working, I have tested up to 4 at once plus the PS/2 connected as well, Total 5, This worked perfectly, I think the same stands for USB Mice (16 Supported) & USB Joysticks (16 Supported).Cheers Glenn.

[npbosch 0]

I once read an article about connecting 2 PS2 keyboards to one pc.It is possible to make a kind of Y connector. The diagram for that was in that article.Probably most simple solutions to use an usb and ps2 kb together

[rickalty 0]

Yes, I've seen a wiring diagramn for that Y-adapter, but it's not just a question of connecting wires like a gameport Y-adapter, it's fairly complex - includes electronic stuff.I stand corrected on the multiple USB keyboards - when I tried it I got all sorts of errors - I must have done something wrong.Richard

[Guest pwapilot]

I'm not ready to connect two together yet. WHat I do need to know is how to do the multiple keypresses. I couldn't find the schematic on Rob Praather's website.Tonight, I might try to remove the signal ports. That's what you're supposed to do, right? It works fine with them, but the wires dont stay in good.One more problem- the lines on the plastic sheets dont seem to work correctly when I line them up to the ports. Oh well...

[Guest jmi]

>Yes, I've seen a wiring diagramn for that Y-adapter, but it's>not just a question of connecting wires like a gameport>Y-adapter, it's fairly complex - includes electronic stuff.This is quite simple to do. One chip, few transistors and few passive components.Follow link. This is done for DIN-keyboards, but works with PS2 too. I have done it and it works just fine.http://dragonsden.emuunlim.com/arcaded/split.htm- J

[rickalty 0]

jmi:One chip, few transistors and few passive components.chips. transistors. black magic.Richard

[Guest pwapilot]

DOes anybosy know how to do the multipile keypresses? pwapilot

[Guest jmi]

I tested it on my very early cockpit project what is currently abandoned and all electronics are recycled.Problem is delays. First you have to pust one key and some 10-20ms later second one. You have to build some delay circuit. And also use 2 pole buttons (switches) or use some other way to separate key presses coming from one push button to get actually two different key presses.I used normal one pole push button. From button i sended signal to two separate circuits. One was simply optocoupler what "pressed" shift (or ctrl). Second one went thru analog delay circuit, simple resistor/capasitor combination, to another opto coupler and "pressed" another key. Example A.Optocoupler outputs were soldered right to keyboard controller card.This way i got Shift + A key press combination.This is not best way to do this. But it worked for me.And. I'm sorry that i don't have schematics anymore. I thought that i still have them. But i have lost them.- J

[Guest jmi]

>chips. transistors. black magic.Well, in cockpit buildin you usually have to build something itself. Even electronics. (and in Finland we usually grow our woods for cocpit shell too)When you know some basic electronics. Know where to look after chip and transistor pinouts. With ready schematics circuit like that PS2-splitter is really easy to do. - J

[rickalty 0]

jmi:>>(and in Finland we usually grow our woods for cocpit shell too)LOL, now THAT'S scratchbuilding.... but it must make for slow projects !Richard