Another way to use a USB keyboard on a NABU: hardware solution

[@ChrisMasto]

More details about the build are/will be at forums.nabu.ca/viewtopic.php?t=49.

[@RudysRetroIntel]

Very nicely done!! Thanks for sharing

[@kuenzign]

I was hoping someone was going to make a hardware solution after I saw DJ's video. Great work! Are you thinking of open sourcing the translation code?

[@ChrisMasto]

I started a forum thread at forums.nabu.ca/viewtopic.php?t=49. I don’t have any plans to work on this any further than the demo, but anyone motivated could easily connect the same parts and keep going.

[@arcadeshopper]

very nice!

[@JamiesHackShack]

Neat hack! Is there specific code running on the Arduino to xlate before sending over the 485 adapter?

[@ChrisMasto]

I posted a little more at forums.nabu.ca/viewtopic.php?t=49. There’s no real translation, but code is needed of course for just passing ASCII through.

[@derekchristenson5711]

Nice!

[@TVsHasselhoff]

Can something like this be applied to a USB adapter for a joystick? Since the "Atari-style" joystick plugs into the NABU keyboard, if I use a USB keyboard, I loose the joystick ports. Not complaining about this solution you created. This is awesome! Just thinking out loud now about ways to expand input options since you created this.

[@ChrisMasto]

Yes, it certainly can. DJ’s keyboard emulator already supports joysticks. You could do the same thing with additional software on the microcontroller. It would be slightly more involved, because I’m assuming on Windows you can plug in lots of different kinds of joysticks and they all get drivers. I know nothing about joysticks, so I’m not sure if there is a standard USB profile. github.com/felis/USB_Host_Shield_2.0 already supports many devices, though. Alls I did was stick a couple of things together. That’s also where my interest ends since I have a working NABU keyboard. But it would be very easy for someone who wanted to to build something a bit more finished.

[@TVsHasselhoff]

@@ChrisMasto cool beans! Thanks for the reply!