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[on:]

Apologies firstly for my absolute ignorance, I am a brand new convert to Arduino.

I was wondering if it would be possible to have 24 LEDs with each LED linked to a corresponding letter on a PC keyboard, so each time the key is pressed the briefly lights up. Pretty simple, but is this possible and what would be the best way to do it?

Many thanks for your help (and patience...)

[Reply #1 on:]

Yes. Two different actions - receive the keypress, and light the matching LED.
Are you getting key information one key at a time from a PC, or from a standalone keypad/keyboard?

[Reply #2 on:]

It will be from the PC rather than standalone, and ideally needs to continue running in the background whilst other software is running - is that possible?

Also, is it possible to program it so that the linked LED changes each time a key is pressed? Not randomly, but in some form of cyclic sequence? For example, the first time I press "G", LED 1 lights up, the next time LED 5 lights up, then 22, then back to 1 etc.

Thanks for your help

[Reply #3 on:]

i don't know the best way to do this, because it's the very first time I've thought about this, but with and Arduino and a shift register or by reading your keyboard has a keypad it should be easy to do that.

[Reply #4 on:]

It will be from the PC rather than standalone

If you have a way to make the USB port output the key pressed on every keypress, the  LED lighting part is pretty simple.
I don't know how you get individual key presses out tho.  The Serial Monitor only transmits after Enter is pressed.

[Reply #5 on:]

Also, is it possible to program it so that the linked LED changes each time a key is pressed? Not randomly, but in some form of cyclic sequence? For example, the first time I press "G", LED 1 lights up, the next time LED 5 lights up, then 22, then back to 1 etc.

Sure. It's software so anything is possible.

The only question is who's going to write the software?

[Reply #6 on:]

Thanks very much everyone

Sure. It's software so anything is possible.

The only question is who's going to write the software?

Haha, that would be me (better get playing about with the code then). I thought it should be doable (as you say, it's software) but just wanted to double-check - and see if anyone had tried this in the past.

Will this be possible on the PC via the serial monitor though? As CrossRoads says, the program is only transmitted when the enter key is pressed, is there a way around this?

[Reply #7 on:]

Will this be possible on the PC via the serial monitor though? As CrossRoads says, the program is only transmitted when the enter key is pressed, is there a way around this?

I don't know for sure if it would work, as I've never thought to try it before, but you could try finding a macro or something that will make your PC think that the enter key is pressed after every time you press a key. As I said, I'm unsure if it would work (but remember, everything is possible with software  ).

[Reply #8 on:]

Here's an instructable of your PS/2 keyboard input to LEDs output...
http://www.instructables.com/id/PS2You-Go-anywhere-LED-digital-message-board/

Not exactly what you want,but I think it would be fine for you,or it might solve you query on making of your own LEDs display of keyboard inouts.