Author Topic: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?  (Read 2523 times)

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Offline TheGrey

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Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 09:03:18 »
Dear all,

I know of the Rapoo V7, but are there any mechanical keyboards around that allow you to store custom key functions?

Cheers,
TheGrey

Offline davkol

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 09:21:16 »
I can think of only custom designs (ErgoDox, the Korean stuff), some vintage/POS keyboards, and the Kinesis Contoured.

Offline hoggy

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:22:35 »
Pos boards - both tipro and access-is are programmable.   The access will be nkro if it's ps/2.
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Offline SmallFry

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:28:21 »
The Filco tenkeyless boards are custom programmable if you put in an HID Liberator.

Offline Acetrak

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:34:43 »
Phantoms yo

Offline SmallFry

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:35:52 »
I thought that was covered in Davkol's post, hence why I didn't include it.

Offline rknize

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:36:38 »
If you are looking for something you can pick up right now in retail, then only the POS boards come to my mind.  If you are willing to build your own kit, then there are some options now (Phantom) with more to come.  Then there is the aftermarket controller for Filco, as SmallFry mentioned.
Russ

Offline SmallFry

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:38:58 »
Also, Biphany may be working at getting a few other drop in replacement controllers in the future including the QFR, the Rosewill RK9* series, and Filco Fullsize(may be the same as Rosewill).

Offline davkol

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 13:53:37 »
I guess Roccat Ryos should be programmable, but I'm not sure about release date. If you don't need mechanical switches, Cherry G86 are quite common.

Offline Acetrak

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 14:00:50 »
Autohotkey is also an option, however your mappings will not be saved at the keyboard level, but rather the computer you are using. Could be a simple solution for what you might need though.

Offline sordna

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 14:04:01 »
The Kinesis Advantage as well the Comfort Keyboard System are programmable from the keyboard itself, no software or drivers needed.
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Offline iri

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 14:19:38 »
pos, pos... which ones?
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

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Offline davkol

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 14:32:08 »
pos, pos... which ones?

Most if not all models by Tipro, Access-IS, Elcom,... Some Cherry keyboards as well (especially higher-end G86).

Offline rootwyrm

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Re: Hardware Programmable Keyboards?
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 05 February 2013, 15:54:11 »
In theory, any keyboard is programmable to a limited extent. The problem is that you have a fixed set of scancodes which are valid, a fixed set of memory, and potential layout issues. (e.g. impossible to create certain Function Layer combinations in matrix layouts without true dioded NKRO.)
Roccat Ryos is probably going to be your best bet, depending on how open the SDK is - 94 key layer and 2MB of addressable memory for layers. There was another keyboard - Korean IIRC - we were recently discussing that offers a high level of programmability but the name escapes me.
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