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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: TotalChaos on Thu, 21 February 2013, 07:34:55

Title: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: TotalChaos on Thu, 21 February 2013, 07:34:55

You'll probably think this is a stupid question...

Is there any way of using a Raspberry Pi as a keyboard controller?

I know it is probably considered "extra humongous" by keyboard controller standards but it outputs audio and is seems like it is easy to code for so I decided to ask all u hardware geniuses out there about it.

Title: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: tsangan on Thu, 21 February 2013, 08:04:41

I've seen someone put it in a Cherry 3000 case and uses it as a computer/keyboard

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: Soarer on Thu, 21 February 2013, 08:07:10

But I bet they did the sensible thing and just wired the Cherry controller to the Pi's USB port  :))

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: Parak on Thu, 21 February 2013, 09:12:11

It might be possible hypothetically, but the gpio pins there are few in number and don't provide much current, so there would need to be additional bits and pieces like shift registers and all that. It'd be a rather expensive overkill for a keyboard controller, unless the intention is to use it like a C64.

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: TotalChaos on Thu, 21 February 2013, 09:36:07

I am trying to cook up a custom keyboard.  So as long as I am going to all that trouble I figured I may as well try to figure out a way to get REAL audio output from a keyboard controller.  Real Audio = 16-bit stereo sound samples.  I'm not really a hardware dezine kinda guy.  More a c0der guy.

That one guy made a pretty awesome controller with a piezo speaker, which I am just assuming "sounds awful" (not that I Know anything).

Is there some obvious easy way to get real audio output from a keyboard controller?

I want optional clicky keys where the sound is a user selected sound sample or selected from a bunch of samples built-in to the ROM.

32 GB SDHC cards are only $14.39 at NewEgg which would hold an "unlimited" amount of samples.  Of course a controller with an SDHC port would cost more I guess... I am just trying to come up with a cheap easy way to get some storage space and audio output in a keyboard controller....  The Raspberry Pi popped into mind.

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: mkawa on Thu, 21 February 2013, 09:38:22

otoh a Z80 based keyboard would be hilarious. otoh, we have enough trouble getting production going on our avr based designs; let's not make things more complicated than they need to be ;)

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: mr_a500 on Thu, 21 February 2013, 09:56:13

I think this is pretty frigging awesome:
http://www.instructables.com/id/RaspTI-Convert-a-Vintage-Computer-TI-994A-into/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/RaspTI-Convert-a-Vintage-Computer-TI-994A-into/)

(Raspberry Pi isn't the keyboard controller though. It still uses the Teensy for that.)

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: S2000Gan on Wed, 27 February 2013, 22:50:56

I feel like a Teensy or Arduino would be a better candidate for a controller

Title: Re: Raspberry Pi as Keyboard Controller?
Post by: uzoc on Wed, 27 February 2013, 23:02:04

Time to ask Ben Heck!: http://benheck.com/07-09-2012/raspberry-pi-project