chris_j67

This might be helpful for anybody who wants to make their own input solution, ie i-knob or similar. Works great, and comes whith an easy programmable software for up to 128 different input options..
http://www.ymouse.com/custom/xkmatrix.php

mox

Good find -- I was leaning towards an Ipac keyboard controller (http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html) to link my OEM stalk control to the pc, but with my stalk control being wired as a 3x3 matrix of pushbuttons rather than independent switches, the X-keys controller definitely seems the better option.

Can you tell me more about the bundled software and the programming procedure? E.g., my stalk control contains some sort of a rotary encoder that I would like to use to browse playlists, skip songs etc.. Maybe you can take a look at http://elektron.pol.lublin.pl/users/...mg/pilmega.gif which is the wiring diagram of my stalk control. As you can see, the encoder is nothing but a simple rotary switch, the sequence of which translates to an up/down command. Would it be possible to connect this rotary switch to the X-keys controller? Personally I think I need an extra PIC-processor between the rotary switch and the actual keyboard controller, no matter if it is an X-keys or an I-pac.

__________________
CarPC status: HW all done, SW needs tweaked.
Hardware: VIA MII-12K, 512MB, 60GB 2.5", CW-8123 DVD-CDRW, 7" Lilli ts, Opus 90W, BU-353 GPS, 802.11b PCI, USB bluetooth dongle, AverMedia AverTV Cardbus Plus, Morex Cubid 3677
Software: RR, MM/FD

Scouse Monkey

Any idea id this thing can deal with switches with a common pin. and needing to be activate d in pairs to do different things. EG then A pressed signal is up, then B pressed signal is right but when A+B pressed the signal is diagonal top-right. Does the softare allow that to be programmed?

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Scouse Monkey

Just answered my own question:


and 128 inputs is pretty cool

LOL check this out...http://www.raildriver.com/rdcontrols/desktop.php

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RoyN

Is anyone able to figure out if the alps encoder can be interfaced to this card? I tried looking at it but I cant figure out the wiring 100%... would it control the joystick, center button, and rotary functions?

http://www3.alps.co.jp/WebObjects/ca...KJXT/RKJXT.PDF is the PDF with the wiring information for the Alps control...

Scouse Monkey

A few of us are working on that ALPS contoller too. It is perfect but the rotary thing is a bit odd.

From data sheet:

8 directional switches that are closed in combinations to do the inter diagonals

Centre push switch that is closed whenever the joystick action is used. When the button is pressed down only the centre swithc is closed.

1 common pin for all these 9 switches.


Then the encoder has 2 phase pins A & B with one common pin.

If you want more info on the encoder phases look at a simple alps encoder as it will have better info on those data sheets.

EDIT:
Because of the combinations needed for control then a PIC in needed but that matirx thing can do sequences and stuff so it should work. Just depends. The Encoder is another matter but it says it will work. We were wonderin if you could simply combine the encoder and switch common pins.

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wizawuza

RoyN, I'm betting it would work just fine.. but for $60, why don't you just rip apart a mouse? Or do you need all those inputs?

A mouse with 5 total buttons (including middle click) and a scroll wheel should work fine for 4 directions (up, down, left, right) and push.

If you need the diag's as well for 4 more buttons, I could see why you'd care. My alps encoder from mouser should be here wednesday, and I'm going to wire it up wed or thur night. Personally, just the 4 directions is enough, especially if girder can utilize "double clicks." In other words, if I want to launch GPS at any moment, double click up.

RoyN

I have the encoder with me too... I'm just trying to figure out if that board might be a better option than tring to hack up a keyboard... I'm going to have to mkae 2 of these, so that is why I'm looking for something easy

When you say "common" is it like the ground pin, i.e. common +(connected with)+ pinX would mean movement to X?

Scouse Monkey

yeah allt he switches are wired to the common pin. at one end.

if you had 5 LEDS you could wire one leg to each switch and then combine the remaining to the battery and connect the commont ot he other battery terminal.

Then then you move the joystick up you will get the LED connected to the centre lighting up and the LED connected to the up position switch....and so on.

If you see what I mean.

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Scouse Monkey

on a keyboard matrix you get a bunch of keys all with a common node. This cuts down on wiring. UK_MP3car has combined his steering wheel controls with a keyboard matrix to control his PC. The pug controls had 4 swtiches and 5 wires - ie one common node for all swtiches. Otherwise you would need 8 wires. But you have to poke around and fine enough switches with a common node.

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If you want more answers on anything I have posted you can find me at digital-car.co.uk

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RoyN

yep... reiterating (yet again, but just to make sure), when moving joystick in direction B, the circuit would be complete between Common + pin B, joystcik in direction H, completes common with pin H... Pushbutton down completes Common and pinPush...

how would the rotary part be connected to this board? Common+Phase A for 1 movement and Common+PhaseB for other movement?

Scouse Monkey

I made a mistake, there is 8 directional switches + the centre push.

If you look at the pdf file you will see that whenever ANY switch is pressed int he directions the centre is also pressed. So only when no other switch (ie the 8 directional ones) do you want the centre push activated.

So joystick in direction B would close com-B AND com-push (as the PDF says)
Joystick in H closed com-H AND com-push
Joystick in A/B closes com-A AND com-B AND com-push

Pressing it down just closes com-PUSH.

As for the encoder - i have not idea yet as I have yet to exam one of the standard encoder PDFs. If you look for th emost basic encoder with the same number of pulses and indents in the mouser site you will see the phase data explained better.

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RoyN

Hmm I'll do that... tell me something, if I just wire this stuff up to a keyboard, or one of those number pads (for smaller footprint of the control board), would I be able to hook up the encoders as a key, or do they run in a different way? (thus requiring a wheel mouse or other wheel-specific interface?)

Scouse Monkey

As i said before - no idea mate!!!

I am hoping it will be just that simple. As you have an encoder can you do me a favour and connect a multimeter to the encoder common and one of the phase pins and see what happens - eg does it jsut look like a switch getting closed. then connect it to the pther phase and see what happens.

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RoyN

Yes that would be the most intelligent.... Let me get the voltmeter from the car... Will post results in a few minutes! hold tight....