Author Topic: Simple Noppoo Choc Mini fix for Macs (Read 18166 times)

regca · « **on:** Thu, 08 March 2012, 20:54:06 »

I haven’t seen anyone post something like this so I decided to share! It costs a bit of money but hey, I shelled out ~$100 for a keyboard, might as well spend the extra $10 to make sure the thing works…

As a mac owner, I was very hesitant to buy a Noppoo Choc Mini. As amazing as this keyboard is, it is known to not work on a Mac. After a bit of searching, I found various (and quite complicated) compatibility fixes. I switch macs a lot from work and school, and installing something on all of them is a little out of the question.

I saw a youtube comment from a user named jonmarimba that said

Quote

Just solved this today. Go buy a blue cube from clickyKeyboards and then use one of those cheap direct connection USB to PS/2 adaptors. You'll convert (not kidding) usb -> PS2, then the blue cube will TRANSLATE the resulting PS2 to USB the way Mac OS X likes it to be. I'm typing this with a noppoo choc mini on OS X Lion.

While this makes sense, I found it still a little discomforting that validity of a hundred dollar purchase was some youtube comment. Regardless, I bought the Noppoo anyways…

It works! (whew) (I am currently using OS X Lion)

Here is a picture of what it looks like.
[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ] 43229[/ATTACH]

I haven’t encountered any problems so far. I have written an essay with it and everything seemed to be fine.

This is what I got:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TH7GV4/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSJFJS/

The USB to PS/2 was free with one of my keyboards.

Hopefully this brought some peace of mind to some people who are in the same position as I was.

Edit: referral links changed to normal amazon links, dorkvader

RTbar · « **Reply #1 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 09:37:36 »

Quote from: regca;539720

I haven’t seen anyone post something like this so I decided to share! It costs a bit of money but hey, I shelled out ~$100 for a keyboard, might as well spend the extra $10 to make sure the thing works…

As a mac owner, I was very hesitant to buy a Noppoo Choc Mini. As amazing as this keyboard is, it is known to not work on a Mac. After a bit of searching, I found various (and quite complicated) compatibility fixes. I switch macs a lot from work and school, and installing something on all of them is a little out of the question.

I saw a youtube comment from a user named jonmarimba that said

While this makes sense, I found it still a little discomforting that validity of a hundred dollar purchase was some youtube comment. Regardless, I bought the Noppoo anyways…

It works! (whew) (I am currently using OS X Lion)

Here is a picture of what it looks like.
(Attachment Link) 43229[/ATTACH]

I haven’t encountered any problems so far. I have written an essay with it and everything seemed to be fine.

This is what I got:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TH7GV4/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSJFJS/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details

The USB to PS/2 was free with one of my keyboards.

Hopefully this brought some peace of mind to some people who are in the same position as I was.

Thanks, I was looking for a mini keyboard exactly like the choc that would work with mac, now I guess there is no need to

sth · « **Reply #2 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 11:24:20 »

Sorry, this **** is just absolutely unacceptable for me. I rarely support hardware that relies on a particular OS, especially when:
a) it's obvious that Noppoo is just cheap and/or absolutely does not care about this segment of the market
b) USB NKRO solutions do exist that work with OS X and Linux
c) it's motherfridging 2012, we shouldn't have to worry about device conflicts like this

also, @RTbar - KBT RACE. Basically the same layout, but it has the added benefits of not being ugly and actually working across multiple platforms.

sth · « **Reply #3 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 11:29:16 »

Quote from: ripster;540144

What's worse is the Chinese don't care enough to FIX IT.

That is why China will never be #1.

Man, I've found myself agreeing with you more the longer I stick around but sometimes you say some really messed up ****. China is fridging HUGE bro. The 'Chinese' don't give a **** about some nerdy keyboard. Noppoo is just a lame company that happens to be based in China.

Maybe cool it with the racism?

regca · « **Reply #4 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 12:27:46 »

Quote from: ripster;540144

What's worse is the Chinese don't care enough to FIX IT.

That is why China will never be #1.

Quote from: sth;540142

Sorry, this **** is just absolutely unacceptable for me. I rarely support hardware that relies on a particular OS, especially when:
a) it's obvious that Noppoo is just cheap and/or absolutely does not care about this segment of the market
b) USB NKRO solutions do exist that work with OS X and Linux
c) it's motherfridging 2012, we shouldn't have to worry about device conflicts like this

also, @RTbar - KBT RACE. Basically the same layout, but it has the added benefits of not being ugly and actually working across multiple platforms.

My best guess is that there is pretty much no market for mac computers in China, so making the noppoo/ducky mac/linux compatible might not be worth the financial benefit?

I studied abroad there for 3-4 months and did not see anyone who had a mac. Even at malls people just stare at the shiny macs in the store and then just leave. People did have iPhones and iPads and stuff, but no macbook. None of the school software was mac compatible either.

I was going to buy RACE keyboard but I kind of needed a small keyboard fast, and the only place I could find one was in iMav's group-buy. I was also looking at the Poker but the many complaints about the structure of it's base and the fact that the up arrow key is the shift key (i feel like that would bother me) made me think it might not be the keyboard for me at the moment. Plus I likes brown switches the best and qtan doesn't have any brown pokers in stock.

hcry4 · « **Reply #5 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 12:31:07 »

Because China...

Human · « **Reply #6 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 12:46:42 »

Quote from: ripster;540144

What's worse is the Chinese don't care enough to FIX IT.

That is why China will never be #1.

Are you sure? I pretty sure that they at least dreamed to be #1 in their dreams.

regca · « **Reply #7 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 13:00:40 »

Quote from: ripster;540203

Good engineers don't think that way. They fix things until they work.

It works!

...just not on Mac ;;

I guess they will fix things until they work only if their employers tell them to.

Quote from: Human;540223

Are you sure? I pretty sure that they at least dreamed to be #1 in their dreams.

Maybe Windows domination is part of their dream to be #1 :O

Daniel Beardsmore · « **Reply #8 on:** Fri, 09 March 2012, 16:19:55 »

TDWTFedTFY.

kubo · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 16 March 2012, 22:07:29 »

When applying this fix, all of the functions still work?

hasu · « **Reply #10 on:** Sun, 18 March 2012, 10:21:17 »

OSX is no fault? Looks like Apple also can be blamed.
I know at least one Apple stakeholder appeared in this thread

Grimey · « **Reply #11 on:** Sun, 18 March 2012, 12:53:09 »

Quote from: sth;540142

Sorry, this **** is just absolutely unacceptable for me. I rarely support hardware that relies on a particular OS, especially when:
a) it's obvious that Noppoo is just cheap and/or absolutely does not care about this segment of the market
b) USB NKRO solutions do exist that work with OS X and Linux
c) it's motherfridging 2012, we shouldn't have to worry about device conflicts like this

also, @RTbar - KBT RACE. Basically the same layout, but it has the added benefits of not being ugly and actually working across multiple platforms.

Never had problem using my Noppoo with Linux at work when I had one. In fact I used it on a iMac running Ubuntu and OSX dual booted as we need to test Safari compatibility (gross). So when it comes time to do testing I had to get another keyboard out when OSX was booted into.

I wish I still had a Noppoo to see if it worked under *BSD of some flavor. I actually have a FreeBSD box running, but don't have a keyboard to test on it anymore.

snowboarder3 · « **Reply #12 on:** Sun, 18 March 2012, 16:43:30 »

Mac. It just works.

Daniel Beardsmore · « **Reply #13 on:** Mon, 19 March 2012, 19:14:17 »

Oh man.

Quote from: ripster;549827

(Attachment Link) 44773[/ATTACH]

That would be awesome with an integrated LED from a Dell power brick:

Plug the USB end in first, show your victim that it's receiving power, then insert into DC jack.

auskr4 · « **Reply #14 on:** Mon, 29 October 2012, 11:33:12 »

Could you repost that picture of how you have it all set up regca?
thanks

Daniel Beardsmore · « **Reply #15 on:** Mon, 29 October 2012, 12:54:11 »

The problem is that the Noppoo N-key rollover implementation doesn't work on Mac OS X.

What he did was to connect the USB to PS/2 passive adapter (the little purple doobrey that comes with the keyboard) to switch the keyboard to PS/2. He then connected an active PS/2 to USB converter (a Blue Cube in his case but any should do) to construct a pure, simple USB device that the Mac will understand.

This bypasses the complex and incompatible USB implementation of the keyboard. At the time of posting it seemed weird that anyone could break USB that badly, but it all makes sense to me now :-)

auskr4 · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 29 October 2012, 16:47:16 »

thanks for explaining that, would these 2 parts work?
http://www.frys.com/product/3470803;jsessionid=Bc5EUZ2WGpQaKDuDQ3NPqA__.node2?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://www.frys.com/product/3470833;jsessionid=Bc5EUZ2WGpQaKDuDQ3NPqA__.node2?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Daniel Beardsmore · « **Reply #17 on:** Mon, 29 October 2012, 17:38:14 »

Like this (just posted this page with my typically terrible photos):

http://deskthority.net/wiki/NKRO-over-USB_issues

The second Amazon link in regca's post is to the "Blue Cube" adapter, although any suitable active PS/2 to USB adapter should suffice. It MUST BE ACTIVE – the little purple doobreys that come with the keyboard are simply wiring adapters that remap the four contacts on the USB lead to a PS/2 plug and the keyboard switches to PS/2 automatically.

However, generating the complex USB communication from this PS/2 signal requires an intelligent piece of hardware, i.e. a PS/2 to USB converter as pictured. I have no idea what that second Fry's link does – doesn't state clearly enough for my liking that it's a proper converter.

auskr4 · « **Reply #18 on:** Mon, 29 October 2012, 18:12:18 »

awesome, you've been a huge help Daniel.
thanks

tufty · « **Reply #19 on:** Tue, 30 October 2012, 07:30:19 »

That's nothing short of total arse.

If you plug the keyboard in 'raw', what does usb prober (prolly need xcode installed for that) tell you about it? If it works without drivers on windows (and maybe even if it works /with/ drivers) it shouldn't need much more than a plist-only extension to make it work native on the mac, I'd have thought.

Daniel Beardsmore · « **Reply #20 on:** Tue, 30 October 2012, 08:33:50 »

I agree it's a horrible hack, that's why I posted it to TDWTF at the time :-P

This multi-endpoint NKRO implementation (simulates a hub plus (typically) three keyboards connected to it) concept works in OS X (after all, Matias use it and they're a Mac specialist) but the Choc Mini amongst others does something wrong that Macs don't like. It's not the concept that's wrong (albeit a bit Heath Robinson), it's that Noppoo did something bad. Quite what, I don't recall, assuming anyone ever figured out the specifics.

Cindori · « **Reply #21 on:** Wed, 31 October 2012, 06:39:34 »

There was a driver made to fix problems (make them work, not NKRO) with some mech keyboards on OSX (i think noppoo too). I saw it here a loong time ago.

mztriz · « **Reply #22 on:** Wed, 31 October 2012, 13:39:12 »

I found a github repo you can build in xcode to create a kext for choc mini support. https://github.com/thefloweringash/iousbhiddriver-descriptor-override
I don't think it has NKRO support though.

Daniel Beardsmore · « **Reply #23 on:** Wed, 31 October 2012, 17:51:42 »

I have added that to the wiki page.

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Author Topic: Simple Noppoo Choc Mini fix for Macs (Read 18166 times)