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Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 18:08
by fuzzball27
I'm curious if it is possible to hook a USB keyboard to the NXT. Of course, not using the USB, I would cut the cable
Please, no programming codes, I'm just curious as far as hardware goes.
Thanks
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 18:40
by mightor
Not without some additional hardware like a small microncontroller to sit between the keyboard and the NXT.
- Xander
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 19:09
by HaWe
could you show me where to buy that "some additional hardware"?
probably also a IIC to BT interface which mimicris also the HID BT protocol to access to a wireless BT keyboard?
(ps: and a Java class which is already implemented to that certain "ueber class"
)
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 20:17
by mattallen37
I know this isn't the solution, but you can use a PS2 keyboard with just a couple ICs as an interface. Note, I have not tried this yet, but I have seen it done. Michael Gasperi (
http://www.extremenxt.com/lego.htm) did it. Go to
http://www.extremenxt.com/keyboard.html for details.
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 21:59
by gloomyandy
Well the Java class already exists for leJOS...
http://lejos.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc ... iew=markup
The keyboard that this interfaces to is a Bluetooth SPP device like this one (I think, I've not got one so can't be 100% sure)...
http://www.freedominput.com/technical-s ... al-support
Andy
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 23:13
by fuzzball27
I'm using NXC, not Java or Lejos. What is "additional hardware?"
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 01 Nov 2010, 23:39
by mattallen37
fuzzball27 wrote:...What is "additional hardware?"
It is
xander wrote:...like a small microncontroller...
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 02 Nov 2010, 00:01
by fuzzball27
Have you ever googled "microcontoller"? There are 7,510,000 results. I have no idea what it is or how to use it...is it over my head or an easily attainable skill to use them?
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 02 Nov 2010, 02:15
by mattallen37
So, you looked it up. Good for you. Did you learn anything about what a "microcontoller" is? It is what is in the NXT that does processing (actually 3 of them IIRC).
If you don't have enough electronics knowledge to know how to build circuits and troubleshoot, this is not a project you should attempt. If you do have a fair amount of electronics knowledge, then using a microcontroller shouldn't be overwhelmingly hard. Using them requires a lot of electronic knowledge, logic, and at least some programming ability (if you are using NXC for the NXT, then most other languages should be fairly easy to start using, like BASIC or C++).
If/when you attempt to work on building this project, you should start by using a PS2 keyboard instead of USB. Low level USB is much more advanced than you probably want to get for this, so you should use the best alternative (PS2). PS2 keyboards just send serial commands, which can be easily interfaced to the NXT.
Re: Keyboard->NXT
Posted: 02 Nov 2010, 08:08
by HaWe
Great. Really great. Can you add it to a Java super-class?
(and nice to see that
double is useful to have )
But I also liked to know something specific information about the NXT BT interface you are using - is it external (plugged by I²C) or do you just connect it to via the NXT built-in BT device control (where you connect e.g. to different NXTs)?