Hardware keyboard converter

Emulate a NABU keyboard and joystick from a Windows PC
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masto
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:15 pm

Hardware keyboard converter

Post by masto »

Here's something I just hacked together:



I need to call it a day, so the details are a little light now, but there's not much magic to it. What's needed to replicate this is an Adafruit Trinket M0, a TTL to RS422 converter (I'm using an RS485 one because it's what I had lying around, but I believe https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BJJ4J64 would be a more appropriate part), and the attached firmware, which is just https://github.com/gdsports/usbhostcopr ... BDUARTUSBH with the baud rate changed to 6992. And a bunch of wires.

This was mostly out of curiosity to see if it would work. It works.
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KBDUARTUSBH.uf2.zip
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LeoBinkowski
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Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by LeoBinkowski »

Hey, that's another wonderful keyboard solution. I love it!
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DJ Sures
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Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by DJ Sures »

That’s a nice one because it don’t use the pc! Nice option :)
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Kerploppus
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Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2023 6:30 am

Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by Kerploppus »

Oh, neat! I have most of this stuff lying around. I'll give this a whack.

The "just stuff the wires in the holes" bit is the best part.
masto
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:15 pm

Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by masto »

When you don't have a 6-pin DIN connector lying around, you use what you can find... I did put ferrules on the wires for a better fit.

ook ook
masto
Posts: 39
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Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by masto »

For anybody following along, I've put my modified keyboard converter firmware at https://github.com/masto/usbhostcopro/tree/nabu.

Specifically, the https://github.com/masto/usbhostcopro/b ... ket_m0.uf2 is ready to drag-and-drop onto a Trinket M0. It just does basic ASCII, so making it handle extra NABU-specific keys, joysticks, etc., could be an interesting starter project for someone who wants to fiddle around with this stuff.

ook ook
masto
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:15 pm

Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by masto »

Leaving this video unlisted to avoid filling my channel with too many of these work-in-progress videos, but folks here might be interested. Here's a prototype of an all-in-one keyboard converter board.


ook ook
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DJ Sures
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Re: Hardware keyboard converter

Post by DJ Sures »

Real great!! I'm going to get a few from you when you're done for the nabu that I'm missing a keyboard for
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