go away spammer

Author Topic: Where can I buy just the PCB and USB wire for keyboard hacks?  (Read 2881 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ROBOT420Topic starter

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 66
  • Helpful? 0
  • The Geeks shall inherit the earth!!
I need like 20 of them, and spending $200 on wal-mart keyboards JUST to chop 'em up seems like a waist. I just need the smart part, not the keys and case ect. Thanks, Steve!
Don't know jack, but want to know it ALL....let the journey begin!

Offline jwatte

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,345
  • Helpful? 82
Re: Where can I buy just the PCB and USB wire for keyboard hacks?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2013, 12:38:50 PM »
If you need to send keyboard-like commands to a computer, all you need is a USB-capable microcontroller. Those can be had for a few dollars from popular microcontroller series like PIC or AVR, or something like a Cypress EZ-USB. These microcontrollers can be had at Digi-Key and other distributors.
Loose pigtail USB cables can be had at Digi-Key and other distributors.
You could also get USB-capable experimenter boards and re-flash them to be HID input devices. For example, the Atmega8u/16u on the arduino Uno can be used like this, as can the Arduino Leonardo, and the clones of it (which are typically < $15, and perhaps less in bulk.)

Offline ROBOT420Topic starter

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 66
  • Helpful? 0
  • The Geeks shall inherit the earth!!
Re: Where can I buy just the PCB and USB wire for keyboard hacks?
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2013, 12:52:22 PM »
So to be clear, if I got one of those and wanted to control two F function keys at the same time with a seperate button then that would do it? If so then you were "helpful" as usual (I pushed the helpful "yes" button for ya. Thanks!
Don't know jack, but want to know it ALL....let the journey begin!

Offline jwatte

  • Supreme Robot
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,345
  • Helpful? 82
Re: Where can I buy just the PCB and USB wire for keyboard hacks?
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2013, 04:28:03 PM »
Quote
if I got one of those and wanted to control two F function keys at the same time with a seperate button then that would do it?

Yes, although you would have to write some software to make it do that.
There are HID device examples for the AVR chips in the LUFA library download.
Easiest way to try this out:
1) Buy a MattairTech AT90usb162 board: http://www.mattairtech.com/index.php/development-boards/mt-db-u1.html
(Personally I prefer the slightly more expensive 32u4 boards, but optimizing cost is useful for quantity 20!)
2) Download LUFA: http://www.fourwalledcubicle.com/LUFA.php
3) Tweak the Keyboard Device sample project to do whatever you need, like pretending to press F-keys.
4) Program using the CDC bootloader and AVRDude
5) Profit!


 


Get Your Ad Here