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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Strelok on Sun, 17 February 2013, 23:31:30

Title: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: Strelok on Sun, 17 February 2013, 23:31:30
I'm not exactly sure about how the firmware of keyboards work, but since the GH60 is programmable, I could potentially use MX Locks on the caps lock key and write proper functionality into the firmware, correct?

Could I put MX Locks in the shift keys and replace caps lock with some other key? Just theoretically.

I like the idea of having the key stay down, as opposed to an LED indicator. It adds an air of uniformity to the function of keys.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: dirge on Mon, 18 February 2013, 01:03:19
It supports mx lock. That's what's on my prototype board mate.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: Strelok on Mon, 18 February 2013, 01:15:49
It supports mx lock. That's what's on my prototype board mate.

Awesome. Where did you get them? The only place I can find them at the moment is the Deskthority Cherry MX Group Buy, and those may take 6 months to come in.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: rootwyrm on Mon, 18 February 2013, 03:00:30
Er, don't the MX locks latch in the 'off' position after passing through 'on' position? I know the behavior of lock keys I've dealt with before was like that, but don't recall if those were MX or Alps or what.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: Strelok on Mon, 18 February 2013, 03:08:40
Er, don't the MX locks latch in the 'off' position after passing through 'on' position? I know the behavior of lock keys I've dealt with before was like that, but don't recall if those were MX or Alps or what.

I don't think there is a 'KEY_ON' or 'KEY_OFF' setting, I'm fairly certain the controller listens for 'KEY_UP' and 'KEY_DOWN'.

So I'm assuming the key is locked down, and doesn't get to send 'KEY_UP'.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: alaricljs on Mon, 18 February 2013, 08:32:24
MXLock latches "closed" which is to say constantly passing a signal.

It's the OS that listens for Key_UP and Key_Down.  The controller just has to decide what to send and send it.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: precarious on Mon, 18 February 2013, 08:39:30
this would be nice for a function key, someone get a buy going for these ;00
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: komar007 on Mon, 18 February 2013, 10:55:27
There's currently implied support for MX lock for layer switching, but not for caps-lock.
But there will be support for caps-lock for sure.

That's concerning my firmware, which I've only released a beta version of so far. There are and will be other firmwares too, so no need to worry.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: The_Beast on Mon, 18 February 2013, 10:57:34
this would be nice for a function key, someone get a buy going for these ;00

Aren't they like $4 per switch? However I'd still like one if I can find one.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: komar007 on Mon, 18 February 2013, 11:19:06
this would be nice for a function key, someone get a buy going for these ;00

Aren't they like $4 per switch? However I'd still like one if I can find one.

Ask 7bit, maybe he still has some
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: rootwyrm on Tue, 19 February 2013, 16:50:31
MXLock latches "closed" which is to say constantly passing a signal.

It's the OS that listens for Key_UP and Key_Down.  The controller just has to decide what to send and send it.

Ah-ha, he gets it. Interesting, I would've thought the MX Locks latched in the open position rather than closed. Or at least would be offered in both variants.
Of course, now I have to figure out which one it WAS that latched in open position with activation points before and after lock engagement.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: BossBorot on Wed, 20 February 2013, 00:41:44
Awesome. Where did you get them? The only place I can find them at the moment is the Deskthority Cherry MX Group Buy, and those may take 6 months to come in.

I drunkenly purchased like 15 of them awhile ago.

Unfortunately I only ship flat rate priority due to convenience which is $5.15 for a small box. I can let them go for $2 a switch.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 06 March 2013, 08:34:15
I would like the shift keys to be allowed to use a MX Lock switch, thus rightly eliminating the need for a Caps Lock key.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: alaricljs on Wed, 06 March 2013, 08:39:28
I would like the shift keys to be allowed to use a MX Lock switch, thus rightly eliminating the need for a Caps Lock key.

Just do it, there's nothing special firmware wise required.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 06 March 2013, 08:44:48
^Ah, I thought it was in there somewhere. Thanks, alaric!
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: alaricljs on Wed, 06 March 2013, 08:49:23
If you want 1 shift lock and one non-locked and be able to *un-shift* by having the locked one down and the other one down at the same time, then that would be something special.  But just having the switch hold it down instead of your finger doesn't change things from the FW's perspective.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: esoomenona on Wed, 06 March 2013, 08:53:27
I'm not familiar with any firmware code, but would that require an IF/THEN type of thing? IF leftshift key_down, THEN rightshift key_up?
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 06 March 2013, 10:55:34
I have lock on my right shift. It works fine. The only thing for me is that I never realized I did certain things, like press shift return together for new line. Then the lock is engaged and some application do some strange things with shift+something. First time I did it I thought my computer posessed.
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: alaricljs on Wed, 06 March 2013, 10:56:31
Well, the way I described it would be that everything is left as normal *except* IF (lshift_down && rshift_down) THEN (don't send any shift)
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: rknize on Wed, 06 March 2013, 11:15:39
There are various things that can be done in the firmware to improve the behavior of a shift lock or even a real caps lock with a locking switch.  It was discussed to some degree here:

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=34959.msg809665#msg809665
Title: Re: MX Locks on GH60?
Post by: sordna on Wed, 06 March 2013, 11:49:20
I got my MXLOCKs from this guy (http://deskthority.net/marketplace-f11/ped-s-sale-switches-phantom-pcb-plates-caps-keyboards-t5182.html), they arrived from the UK in about a week. He still has 19 left.