Arduino as a HID device ("gamepad") still able to recieve data ?

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi,

i am currently building some sort of a F1-Steeringwheel-dashboard, with 7 segment displays and led's.
It is connected to the PC via the regular USB connection and a software running on the PC is constantly sending
data over the serialport (COM3) to the arduino. This works just fine :slight_smile:

Now i want to add some buttons to the thing. I could let the arduino send button states over the serial connection back to the PC-software and send keystrokes to windows to control stuff with the buttons.

But what i really want to realize is that the arduino acts as a game controller, so that i could assign button functions directly in a game for example. I already read a little about the LUFA project, where the atmega8u2 gets a new firmware to act as a HID device, fine.

BUT my question now is : When the arduino then is a actual HID device, will i still be able to send serial data as before ?? Or is there a different comm protocol to use then ??

I am a little confused here.

Help appreciated !

Thanks,

Chris

2

When the arduino then is a actual HID device, will i still be able to send serial data as before ?? Or is there a different comm protocol to use then ??

you mean that while you are using it as the HID device you can simultaneously access the serial port as well?

3

NI$HANT:
you mean that while you are using it as the HID device you can simultaneously access the serial port as well?

exactly ! :slight_smile:

I dont know if a HID device will offer similar functionality i need (sending data to the device).

4

yes it seems have a look at an extensive post here --> http://hunt.net.nz/users/darran/