Arduino in conjunction with a bill acceptor and adobe flash

Hi, not sure if this is the right place, but I'll put it out there.
CURRENT SETUP:
We are currently running a bill acceptor on a pc. It is set up such that when a $1 bill is inserted it sends a pulse via the ~ key. A program run in Adobe Flash is reading the ~ key as a pulse to add $1 to the program. The problem is that if anyone hits the ~ key it adds $1, we need to use a key that is not on the keyboard.
PROPOSED SETUP:

  • We would like to hook up the bill acceptor to the arduino. It would send a pulse which the board sends to adobe flash for the $1. As we understand it, adobe flash can read up to 255 different input commands similar to a keyboard (which has 108 of them). So if the arduino could send a signal from one of the remaining inputs, we could read it and add the $1 using this method. Can the board do this, and is there information here about how to do it?

We are currently running a bill acceptor on a pc.

A bill acceptor is hardware. How can you run that on a PC. Software runs on a PC.

That software might interface with some hardware (like a bill acceptor). So, what software are you running? Why does that program "send a ~"? Can you change what it sends?

We would like to hook up the bill acceptor to the arduino.

That might be possible, depending on the mysterious bill acceptor.

Can the board do this

The Leonardo can emulate a keyboard, as can the DUE.

and is there information here about how to do it?

I'm sure that there is.

if bill acceptor support USB keyboard emulation.
Arduino DUE could help. Due support USB Host connect, and connect it with bill acceptor, use USB to TTL 3.3 Adaptor connect between PC to Arduino DUE. Now Due could mapping key to send PC.

Bill acceptor--->USB--->Due--->UART--->USB--->PC

Plan B.

It need no hardware ( Arduino, USB Adpator). Instead of read from stdin (standard input) which mix with bill acceptor and keyboard. read from /dev/input/event*, first find which /dev/input/event* is bill acceptor. and read from it.

The Leonardo can emulate a keyboard, as can the DUE.

Plan C:

DUE as USB Host, Leonardo as keyboard emulator.

Bill acceptor--->USB--->Due--->UART--->Leonardo--->USB--->PC

Pro. no PC site code change.
Con. cost