ps/2 keyboard conversion

[Thresher]

Hi All,

I was wondering where to find more info on how to merge a joystick
into a keyboard.

I want to somehow turn an xbox controller into a keyboard. Not a
fully functional keyboard just one to fulfill the functioins that the
normal controller handles.

This is what the controller looks like inside.
http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/Controller_Cleaning.htm

How do I get started on something like this? Any pointers out there?

 

[soundman]

"Thresher" <ccampan@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a6be6de4.0404190017.81de930@posting.google.com...

Hi All,

I was wondering where to find more info on how to merge a joystick
into a keyboard.

I want to somehow turn an xbox controller into a keyboard. Not a
fully functional keyboard just one to fulfill the functioins that the
normal controller handles.

This is what the controller looks like inside.
http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/Controller_Cleaning.htm

How do I get started on something like this? Any pointers out there?

PS2 keyboards use a standard 2 way commuication protocol that needs a
processor or similar to make it work. As I see it, you can either:

use a PIC, design the open collector data and clock drivers, research the
protocol and write software to emulate certain key presses when buttons are
pressed on the X box control, making sure you send the key pressed and key
released codes each time. Lots of work - you really don't want to do this.

Or, remove all the active components from the controller and wire the button
contacts from the controller to the contacts on the keyboard keys that you
want to emulate. You also need to find a keyboard that will accept the
contact closure of a rubber carbon coated button that does not go to 0 ohms
when pressed. Its' worth doing some tests before you go trashing
controllers ad keyboards

Or, hope that someone has had the time, patience and skills to produce an
X-Box to PS2 converter. I am sure someone must have done this - all you
have to do is to track him down

There - that hardly helped at all did it? Sorry

 

[Garrett Mace]

PS2 keyboards use a standard 2 way commuication protocol that needs a
processor or similar to make it work. As I see it, you can either:

use a PIC, design the open collector data and clock drivers, research the
protocol and write software to emulate certain key presses when buttons
are
pressed on the X box control, making sure you send the key pressed and key
released codes each time. Lots of work - you really don't want to do
this.

Or, remove all the active components from the controller and wire the
button
contacts from the controller to the contacts on the keyboard keys that you
want to emulate. You also need to find a keyboard that will accept the
contact closure of a rubber carbon coated button that does not go to 0
ohms
when pressed. Its' worth doing some tests before you go trashing
controllers ad keyboards

Or, hope that someone has had the time, patience and skills to produce an
X-Box to PS2 converter. I am sure someone must have done this - all you
have to do is to track him down

There - that hardly helped at all did it? Sorry

The middle option is the only really viable one. The other two are not going
to happen, as the Xbox controller is a USB device. Quite a complex one,
actually, with an HID device, a hub, and mass storage. It's also difficult
to change what the controller does in USB, because the functions are
essentially hardcoded into the OS unless you manage to write an entire
replacement driver. Perhaps the firmware on the controller could be
modified...not likely either.

 

[Andrew Howard]

I want to somehow turn an xbox controller into a keyboard. Not a
fully functional keyboard just one to fulfill the functioins that the
normal controller handles.

As someone has said already, an xbox controller is a USB device.

There is an article at www.metku.net that describes how to connect an xbox
controller to a computer through the USB port. It's called "xbox combicable"
I think. It includes a link to some driver software.
Maybe this can be used somehow for what you want.

Andrew Howard