Thread: xbox360 chatpad, awsome backlit mini keyboard

Originally Posted by sporty_drew

That looks like a very nice keyboard except for the rechargeable batteries. You should be able to rig it up to power. Isn't bluetooth more dependable than most other wireless technologies?

If you want to permanently install something you most likely want it wired for dependability. Thats why i asked that. and there are post of keyboards that don't meet the main thing 2 reasons the thread was created. back lighting, and permanent install. I personally have a ps3 keyboard, but would rather have on installed somewhere. and would like a back light. . . I agree with you on the wireless part when they aren't permanently installed. My wireless x-box controller is great, but to each his own.

Well it also depends on the vehicle. If they really want to see the keyboard, they just turn on the dome light..... Hopefully MAD CATZ will eventually make it backlit.... I already love the thinness, but I also hate that I have to use all 3 transmitters. My wireless handheld mice can all work off the same transmitter. When it comes to wired or wireless, i love wireless. Yea you have to worry about charging them, but you can easily pass them around.... Also what I like about the PS3, you can charge it, and use it at the same time

well, how would you like it if your climate control or head unit didn't light up? yeah, I guess you could turn on the interior light, but that's far from ideal. ideally I know what I want the end results to look like, I want it to look like the keyboard came that way from the factory & I want it to match the rest of the interior well. every switch & button is back lit orange & I want a keyboard to match as good as possible. I want it to look perfect, not just good


the fact that I want to build it in means that I won't be able to just switch it out in 6 months when something else comes along, it becomes a permanent part of my install, it'll probably be motorized ejecting in some way. the labor & fabrication involved with this is pretty high & isn't even worth doing if I'm not going to get the desired results.

the cost of the keyboard itself doesn't matter too much really because it's only a small factor in the overall cost of what I'm looking to do. I'm not just looking for a keyboard to use, yeah, I could used any keyboard & shine a light on it , but that's not what I'm looking for really.

that logitech looks like the one... I would have preferred hard wired but I can hard wire the power & then just use it bluetooth for actual communication, or I may consider having it permanently installed, motorized ejecting, but removable docked style too since the ability is there, gotta have it in my hands to see exactly how I'll approach it. it's supposed to be available next month, I'll be first in line for one of those, if anyone wants a few 360 chatpads hit me up, I got one in pieces with cut wires & one intact new, still in the package

Originally Posted by turbocad6

well, how would you like it if your climate control or head unit didn't light up? yeah, I guess you could turn on the interior light, but that's far from ideal. ideally I know what I want the end results to look like, I want it to look like the keyboard came that way from the factory & I want it to match the rest of the interior well. every switch & button is back lit orange & I want a keyboard to match as good as possible. I want it to look perfect, not just good


the fact that I want to build it in means that I won't be able to just switch it out in 6 months when something else comes along, it becomes a permanent part of my install, it'll probably be motorized ejecting in some way. the labor & fabrication involved with this is pretty high & isn't even worth doing if I'm not going to get the desired results.

the cost of the keyboard itself doesn't matter too much really because it's only a small factor in the overall cost of what I'm looking to do. I'm not just looking for a keyboard to use, yeah, I could used any keyboard & shine a light on it , but that's not what I'm looking for really.

that logitech looks like the one... I would have preferred hard wired but I can hard wire the power & then just use it bluetooth for actual communication, or I may consider having it permanently installed, motorized ejecting, but removable docked style too since the ability is there, gotta have it in my hands to see exactly how I'll approach it. it's supposed to be available next month, I'll be first in line for one of those, if anyone wants a few 360 chatpads hit me up, I got one in pieces with cut wires & one intact new, still in the package

Use the pad on your XBOX 360, and if you dont have one, buy a 360 :-) . Has anyone tried taking apart the PS3 thumbpad and maybe customizing it to have LEDs on the inside to light up the keys? Kinda like how the new Apple MAC BOOK AIR does? You see the glow around the keys and also the number or letter glowing. MAybe just accomplising the out glow will be enough to see the keys in the dark.

For those of us who would still like to use the Chatpad 360 on a computer, good news: I bought a USB protocol analyzer.

I'm shipping it to Colin Munro in Scotland, because he has done a lot of successful work with XBox 360 controllers in the past, both wired and wireless. See here: http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/Pro...x360Controller

Colin writes software for Mac OSX. It's open source, so some clever person can probably write a Linux version no problem, if they have the source of a working OSX version. Dunno about Windows.

Just as a reminder, the number one thing we needed the USB protocol analyzer for is to determine what message the XBox sends to the controller to activate the chatpad. While we're at it, we might as well determine what sort of messages the chatpad sends for each key, but, if we know how to make it active we could figure that out on a PC anyway.

I'm sure that Colin will provide some data from the USB dump in a few days.

Cheers,
--Dave

Turbocad -> How much for the brad new keypad? :-)

that logitec is like $150.. if the chatpad can still be developed for the pc I do still think it is every bit as awesome as I thought it was when I started this thread..., hobbes, hope that works out... who knows, if it makes it out by the time the logitec is available then I'll have to weigh my options at that point, but if the logitec comes out & the chatpad is still useless, then I'm going to just finalize with the logitec I think

@ Hobbes: This is great news, and another testament at just how good bunch of guys there are involved with these Carputers.....

Good going, and keep us posted, I am sure there are many people here that will be keen to get a solution - I am one of them

Turbocad -> Wastalking og the new 360 chatpads you have, you talked about selling it... And would like to buy it, if it's a good price... And then i'm in the development like you other guys, would be awsome to use this in a car :-)

Hi,

I'm basically at my wits end with this Chatpad code project I've been working on every now and then, and I've decided to hand it over to this thread as-is. I provided some documentation in the readme, and I just maintained the GPL from the library I was using.

It's a C# project coded in Visual Studio 2005. Have fun! ...because for now I