Easy AVR USB Keyboard Firmware and Keymapper

[metalliqaz]

This is a known issue with NKRO in Linux.  You can disable it in the config console.

Switching to 6KRO did not fix the issue, unfortunately. I tried the two 6KRO modes and I still had this issue.

After switching modes, did you unplug your keyboard?  Those settings only take effect when the USB device is enumerated when it is plugged in.

[pichu23]

Hiya metalliqaz,

I know I've asked before and this is a long shot but could the bl_enable for techkeys be set to default for your next update? D: i feel it's a super waste of a key to be set for bl but then again I know not many people will want it on.
The latest version techkey bl_enable doesn't work for some reason too but the older ones are fine.
Many thanks again !

[metalliqaz]

Hiya metalliqaz,

I know I've asked before and this is a long shot but could the bl_enable for techkeys be set to default for your next update? D: i feel it's a super waste of a key to be set for bl but then again I know not many people will want it on.
The latest version techkey bl_enable doesn't work for some reason too but the older ones are fine.
Many thanks again !

I must have missed it last time.  You make a good point.  The Techcard doesn't get any love.  I'll take a look.

[metalliqaz]

Hiya metalliqaz,

I know I've asked before and this is a long shot but could the bl_enable for techkeys be set to default for your next update? D: i feel it's a super waste of a key to be set for bl but then again I know not many people will want it on.
The latest version techkey bl_enable doesn't work for some reason too but the older ones are fine.
Many thanks again !

Well, I took a look at the code and I can't find any reason why the BL_ENABLE key wouldn't work on the Techcard.  It works on the other boards.  That worries me a little bit, because the LED code got an overhaul and I want to make sure everything is perfect.  I at least made backlights on by default.  When I finish Octagon support I'll upload a new version.

thanks for the feedback

[pichu23]

Hiya metalliqaz,

I know I've asked before and this is a long shot but could the bl_enable for techkeys be set to default for your next update? D: i feel it's a super waste of a key to be set for bl but then again I know not many people will want it on.
The latest version techkey bl_enable doesn't work for some reason too but the older ones are fine.
Many thanks again !

Well, I took a look at the code and I can't find any reason why the BL_ENABLE key wouldn't work on the Techcard.  It works on the other boards.  That worries me a little bit, because the LED code got an overhaul and I want to make sure everything is perfect.  I at least made backlights on by default.  When I finish Octagon support I'll upload a new version.

thanks for the feedback

Great, thanks I'll try again tomorrow to see what when wrong. :3

[metalliqaz]

New version posted.  See changelog in 3rd post.

I don't know why it took me so long, but I fixed the picker tool to actually be something I'd want to use.  It automatically brings the other window to the top when clicking a button, which has the effect of halving the number of clicks required to assign scancodes to keys.

If anyone actually uses Octagon or Lightsaver, you're probably going to have to help with some debugging first.  I don't own either board, so I can't test it.

[tedk84]

im going to build the hypermicro - will there be support for it ? its a teensy 2.0 controller (atmega32u4).
shipment of the pcb will be in a couple of weeks i think...

http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/hypermicro-development-t8490.html
http://deskthority.net/group-buys-f50/hypermicro-t9565-150.html

can i help you somehow ?

[metalliqaz]

im going to build the hypermicro - will there be support for it ? its a teensy 2.0 controller (atmega32u4).
shipment of the pcb will be in a couple of weeks i think...

http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/hypermicro-development-t8490.html
http://deskthority.net/group-buys-f50/hypermicro-t9565-150.html

can i help you somehow ?

Absolutely.  I won't own one, so I'll need someone to try some test builds to work out the kinks.  Just let me know when you have your hardware and I'll bring it in.

[pichu23]

New version posted.  See changelog in 3rd post.

I don't know why it took me so long, but I fixed the picker tool to actually be something I'd want to use.  It automatically brings the other window to the top when clicking a button, which has the effect of halving the number of clicks required to assign scancodes to keys.

If anyone actually uses Octagon or Lightsaver, you're probably going to have to help with some debugging first.  I don't own either board, so I can't test it.

Thank you The techkeys card now works now like a charm!
Btw, just wondering if the blue led on the top right is meant to light up as well? It's nothing serious/big, just wondering hehe
Once again, thanks again for your hard work!

[metalliqaz]

I believe that by default that is assigned to any_fn_active, but i don't have one, so I'm not sure.  The card does have an indicator led,  though.

[fendent]

This is a known issue with NKRO in Linux.  You can disable it in the config console.

Switching to 6KRO did not fix the issue, unfortunately. I tried the two 6KRO modes and I still had this issue.

After switching modes, did you unplug your keyboard?  Those settings only take effect when the USB device is enumerated when it is plugged in.

Works great! Thanks!

[metalliqaz]

RFC: "Rapid Fire" game mode

I'm adding a new mode for gaming; it's an automatic repeating function for held keys.  The basic idea is you press and hold a key for $HOLD_TIME ms, at which point it starts automatically tapping the key every $REPEAT_TIME ms.

I could do it one of a few ways:
(1)  Any key that is held long enough will start rapid fire.  Not sure this is useful because if you are holding W to run forward, it will start tapping which is most likely not helpful.
(2)  Only the most recently pressed key will start repeating.  Same issue as above.  Is there any other use for this?
(3)  Only Macros can start repeating.  This allows you to program a key into a spare macro and when you hold it the whole thing will repeat.  Useful if for some reason you want to rapid-fire two or more keys in sequence.  The Macro could be placed on a gaming layer.
(4)  Only a programmable key location on the board will be assigned to rapidfire.  This would be pure gamer, but wouldn't respond to layers, so it would have to be programmed per game layout.

No matter which is used, the feature would have to be enabled first with a key that works similarly to Scroll Lock.

Right now I'm leaning towards #3.

Feedback welcome.

[vicibz]

What about being able to configure each key individually with two modes: "Normal" (default) and "Rapid Fire".
This way you could have the space bar in "normal" mode in the default layer and in "rapid fire" mode in layer two (i.e. triggered with Fn0).

[pichu23]

I believe that by default that is assigned to any_fn_active, but i don't have one, so I'm not sure.  The card does have an indicator led,  though.

hehe, got it sorted. amazing as always! 
thanks!

[metalliqaz]

What about being able to configure each key individually with two modes: "Normal" (default) and "Rapid Fire".
This way you could have the space bar in "normal" mode in the default layer and in "rapid fire" mode in layer two (i.e. triggered with Fn0).

The architecture doesn't actually support that right now, but you made me think about something I've not considered before, and I may actually change it.  Thanks, I'm going to think more on this.

[metalliqaz]

It's good to have a creative outlet

[RavenII]

DUDE!...I love you. That's it, you and Jack Humbert. I love you guys.

[Wilba]

I had only just finished building the first Planck prototype PCB with switches and case, and asked metalliqaz for Planck support. I sent him my TMK fork and he sent back a beta version in a couple of hours.

I know it's a pretty bog standard ATmega32U4 matrix, but still... 

[metalliqaz]

Nice!  I like it with the black caps

[badboybry9000]

I see you added locking caps some time ago which I am very interested in. Would it be possible to also add support for a locking scroll lock?

[metalliqaz]

Possible? Yes.  But would anyone actually use it?

[greath]

RFC: "Rapid Fire" game mode

I'm adding a new mode for gaming; it's an automatic repeating function for held keys.  The basic idea is you press and hold a key for $HOLD_TIME ms, at which point it starts automatically tapping the key every $REPEAT_TIME ms.

I could do it one of a few ways:
(1)  Any key that is held long enough will start rapid fire.  Not sure this is useful because if you are holding W to run forward, it will start tapping which is most likely not helpful.
(2)  Only the most recently pressed key will start repeating.  Same issue as above.  Is there any other use for this?
(3)  Only Macros can start repeating.  This allows you to program a key into a spare macro and when you hold it the whole thing will repeat.  Useful if for some reason you want to rapid-fire two or more keys in sequence.  The Macro could be placed on a gaming layer.
(4)  Only a programmable key location on the board will be assigned to rapidfire.  This would be pure gamer, but wouldn't respond to layers, so it would have to be programmed per game layout.

No matter which is used, the feature would have to be enabled first with a key that works similarly to Scroll Lock.

Right now I'm leaning towards #3.

Feedback welcome.

A bit confused on the options you are listing, but let me explain to you how I personally would use it (and I feel like other gamers may use it) and maybe you could determine the best solution from there?

I would like the WASD cluster to be able to double-tap for some FPS instead of repeating forever. For example I would like to hit "W" and the keyboard sends "W" once and then quickly sends "W" again and holds the key.

[badboybry9000]

Possible? Yes.  But would anyone actually use it?

I suppose most people would not use it. My thinking was if I can free up the caps lock indicator LED for some other purpose by using a locking switch for caps lock, it may be worthwhile to free up the scroll lock LED as well.

[metalliqaz]

Possible? Yes.  But would anyone actually use it?

I suppose most people would not use it. My thinking was if I can free up the caps lock indicator LED for some other purpose by using a locking switch for caps lock, it may be worthwhile to free up the scroll lock LED as well.

Yeah, I see what you mean.  I also want to have more indicators, that's why I'm designing myself a new board that will have at least 6 status LEDs, rather than just two or three.

The original inspiration for Locking Caps was to emulate old-school Shift Lock buttons.  However it's also useful for this purpose.  Of course, you also need to dig up an MX Lock switch.

[RavenII]

I was trying to think of a decent way to implement one of the LEDs to act as status indicators, but I'm not sure how you'd trigger it...

For example, you double tap numlock and it blinks the corresponding number of times to indicate what layer you're on...

[metalliqaz]

I was trying to think of a decent way to implement one of the LEDs to act as status indicators, but I'm not sure how you'd trigger it...

For example, you double tap numlock and it blinks the corresponding number of times to indicate what layer you're on...

It has a built-in "status" system that you can see when you record a macro (repeating series of two blinks) or if there is an USB error (1 blink).  However, I dunno about this one... If you can't keep track of what layer you're using, how are you every going to type effectively?

[RavenII]

¯\(°_o)/¯ just an idea, that's all.

[Jerri]

Hi there, just got a short question.
Got my Pegasus Hoof yesterday (it's the 2015 revision), made a keymap, flashed it onto the Hoof, and now there are many keys on the keyboard that plainly are not working.
Doesn't it work yet with the new hoof?

[metalliqaz]

Hi there, just got a short question.
Got my Pegasus Hoof yesterday (it's the 2015 revision), made a keymap, flashed it onto the Hoof, and now there are many keys on the keyboard that plainly are not working.
Doesn't it work yet with the new hoof?

It doesn't. Will you be my test subject?

[metalliqaz]

¯\(°_o)/¯ just an idea, that's all.

You may be on to something though. I'm adding programmable status to my wish list

[Jerri]

Hi there, just got a short question.
Got my Pegasus Hoof yesterday (it's the 2015 revision), made a keymap, flashed it onto the Hoof, and now there are many keys on the keyboard that plainly are not working.
Doesn't it work yet with the new hoof?

It doesn't. Will you be my test subject?

how can i help? Test subject sounds rude!

[metalliqaz]

Since I don't own the hardware I need someone to load test builds until it works

[Jerri]

I thought something like that, but yes, i can try out some builds. Can't be worse than the weird working controller 

[metalliqaz]

Thanks.  First things first,  can you try building a Flake V2 build and running that on your Hoof V2?

[Jerri]

Done,
if i try all keys on the main block (numbers/letters) and i go through from left to right, only these ones work:
476890-=ruyiop[]\fjhl;'bnm

Then i wanted to try shift, shift seems to work like the F3 key (search in notepad popped up), and F3 seems to work like the win key.

Edit: My Filco TKL is Majestouch 1 and it's ansi US layout... my keymap in windows is english international (for the deadkeys)

[metalliqaz]

Okay sounds like it at least works better than hoof1. I'll start with flake2

[Jerri]

wait, didn't seem so to me, i'll flash hoof again, and write what works, be right back

[Jerri]

So hi again,
on Hoof keymap/software Shift works as intended, winkey, too, and these are the keys working (like last time, after that with left shift):
`1234567890-=qwertyuiop[]\asdfghjkl;'bn/
!@#$%^&*()_+QWERTYUIOP{}|ASDFGHJKL:"BN?

[metalliqaz]

Alright, cool.  I'm going to start hacking.  I'll probably have a new build tomorrow.

[Jerri]

Then i've to say thank you for helping me out  .

[worldspawn]

I'm trying to get this to work with a modified Atreus:






Can someone help with the matrix-pin association?

[metalliqaz]

I added support for the PCB that the guy has on his web page, so the "vanilla" atreus.

It uses these pins:

const matrix_def_t PROGMEM ROW_LIST[NUMBER_OF_ROWS] = {
   { REF_PORTD , 0 },
   { REF_PORTD , 1 },
   { REF_PORTD , 3 },
   { REF_PORTD , 2 }
};
const matrix_def_t PROGMEM COL_LIST[NUMBER_OF_COLS] = {
   { REF_PORTB , 7 },
   { REF_PORTB , 6 },
   { REF_PORTF , 7 },
   { REF_PORTF , 6 },
   { REF_PORTD , 6 },
   { REF_PORTD , 4 },
   { REF_PORTE , 6 },
   { REF_PORTB , 4 },
   { REF_PORTB , 5 },
   { REF_PORTC , 6 },
   { REF_PORTD , 7 }
};

If you changed that assignment when you created your custom version, then you are going to need some custom firmware.

[worldspawn]

I've got an extra row and column that he didn't have so I need to have a different mapping.  Is that data in a file that I can modify myself? I couldn't find anything like that in the download.  There were a couple errors in the image I posted, corrected below.

I'd need it to read(if it's reading top to bottom, left to right):

const matrix_def_t PROGMEM ROW_LIST[NUMBER_OF_ROWS] = {
   { REF_PORTE , 6 },
   { REF_PORTB , 0 },
   { REF_PORTE , 2 },
   { REF_PORTC , 6 },
   { REF_PORTD , 5 }
};
const matrix_def_t PROGMEM COL_LIST[NUMBER_OF_COLS] = {
   { REF_PORTB , 4 },
   { REF_PORTB , 5 },
   { REF_PORTD , 6 },
   { REF_PORTD , 7 },
   { REF_PORTC , 7 },
   { REF_PORTB , 6 },
   { REF_PORTD , 3 },
   { REF_PORTB , 3 },
   { REF_PORTB , 7 },
   { REF_PORTD , 0 },
   { REF_PORTD , 1 },
   { REF_PORTD , 2 }
};


Where the matrix layout is:

____  ____  ____  ____  ____  ____  ____  ____  ____  ____  _____  _____
         |        |        |R4C3|R4C4|         |         |R4C7|R4C8|         |          |           
R3C0|R3C1|R3C2|R3C3|R3C4|R3C5|         |R3C7|R3C8|R3C9|R3C10|R3C11
R2C0|R2C1|R2C2|R2C3|R2C4|R2C5|R2C6|R2C7|R2C8|R2C9|R2C10|R2C11
R1C0|R1C1|R1C2|R1C3|R1C4|R1C5|R1C6|R1C7|R1C8|R1C9|R1C10|R1C11
R0C0|R0C1|R0C2|R0C3|R0C4|R0C5|R0C6|R0C7|R0C8|R0C9|R0C10|R0C11

[metalliqaz]

Sorry, it's not customizable like that.  Hacking on 1-off customs is really a job for TMK, I think.

[worldspawn]

Sorry, it's not customizable like that.  Hacking on 1-off customs is really a job for TMK, I think.

That's very disappointing to hear, I'm making a bunch of these boards for people, and your configurator is so much easier to use/understand, I have no idea how to use that TMK thing...

[regack]

Sorry, it's not customizable like that.  Hacking on 1-off customs is really a job for TMK, I think.

That's very disappointing to hear, I'm making a bunch of these boards for people, and your configurator is so much easier to use/understand, I have no idea how to use that TMK thing...

Learning how TMK works is useful, since it kind of teaches at a low level how the magic is actually happening.  It's also really useful for troubleshooting.  Now, if you haven't already made your PCBs, what you could do is borrow the ATMEGA pin configuration from one of the existing designs supported by metalliqaz's (or should that just be '? I'm not sure) firmware, and it will work.  The biggest problem you'll have with this is that your physical layout won't match the virtual layout in the software.  You'll just have to know how it works for your keyboard/keypad layout.   The other big problem is that you ethically won't be able to ask metalliqaz for help with your unofficial/unsupported one-off configuration

[metalliqaz]

Posted a new version.  If anyone has the new SixShooter PCB, give it a shot and let me know if it works.

[RavenII]

I wanted to see if I'm using/doing this right...

I'm trying to use the utmost lower left key as a FN key (momentary) with the tap being CTRL...but for some reason, it doesn't seem to be working that way. When I'm in my virtual machine, I have to hit CTRL and ALT for it to release my mouse and keyboard to the host OS...for whatever reason, when I hold ALT and tap the FN key, it doesn't release them. Am I using this the correct way?

[metalliqaz]

I wanted to see if I'm using/doing this right...

I'm trying to use the utmost lower left key as a FN key (momentary) with the tap being CTRL...but for some reason, it doesn't seem to be working that way. When I'm in my virtual machine, I have to hit CTRL and ALT for it to release my mouse and keyboard to the host OS...for whatever reason, when I hold ALT and tap the FN key, it doesn't release them. Am I using this the correct way?

The problem is the way the tap key is implemented.  You see, when you assign that setting to a key and the keyboard detects a tap, it secretly queues a mini macro with one key in it.  That's all fine except that the way macros are implemented, they interrupt the normal keyboard buffer when they are playing.  So, your keyboard is essentially lifting the Alt key to press the Ctrl key.

There are many ways to fix this problem.  I'm actually planning a large redesign that will allow far more freedom in mapping keys and will make these kinds of problems go away.  I'm actually designing a whole new keyboard for the purpose of continuing Easy AVR development.  (My Epsilon is getting old)

In the mean time, I may be able to fix this problem with a patch.  I'll take a look at the code tomorrow.

[RavenII]

The problem is the way the tap key is implemented.  You see, when you assign that setting to a key and the keyboard detects a tap, it secretly queues a mini macro with one key in it.  That's all fine except that the way macros are implemented, they interrupt the normal keyboard buffer when they are playing.  So, your keyboard is essentially lifting the Alt key to press the Ctrl key.

There are many ways to fix this problem.  I'm actually planning a large redesign that will allow far more freedom in mapping keys and will make these kinds of problems go away.  I'm actually designing a whole new keyboard for the purpose of continuing Easy AVR development.  (My Epsilon is getting old)

In the mean time, I may be able to fix this problem with a patch.  I'll take a look at the code tomorrow.

Awesome, thanks again. Will the new board be sold? or just a one off for your personal use?