is it possible to get a keyboard input and pass it to a PC running windows 8?

Projects Programming
1

hi, this is my first time posting on the community.

i was wondering if there was someway for an arduino (Leonardo/Due/Yun) to receive the key commands from a USB keyboard and pass them through to a PC.

i want to be able to have specific key combinations activate different pins on the Arduino, but i'm not sure how... of if its even possible.

to break it down:

i want to plug a USB keyboard into my Yun and read the incoming data

then i want the arduino to check for specific key combinations ( Shift + A + B )

and have the arduino toggle a pin.

i know a decent amount about arduinos, but i have just gotten into the whole USB host/client thing

if anyone knows what i'm talking about please help...

and thanks in advanced

2

i was wondering if there was someway for an arduino (Leonardo/Due/Yun) to receive the key commands from a USB keyboard and pass them through to a PC.

With a USB Host shield, the Arduino can get data from the USB keyboard, once you write the driver. Passing it on to the PC is the easy part.

The YUN already has a USB host capability, so it might be the best choice.

3

well i own a Yun... and that's kind of why i started looking into this idea

i think i may have a slight idea on how to pass the data along, but i have no idea how to detect the individual keys and compare them to the keys i want to turn into "hotkeys"

basically i have a desk lamp wired into a relay with an optocoupler and i want to be able to toggle it(and others) from various key combinations.

(Shift+a+b = pin1
Shift+a+c = pin2
...etc)

but i dont want to run a second keyboard as that seems a little redundant.

im sure there is a way to do it, but i am not entirely sure how.

i want the arduino not to send the keys if it detects a combination (A+B don't get sent if all three keys are detected at once)

is there anyway to use only one keyboard? or will i just have to bite the bullet and use a second USB keyboard as input?

4

PaulS:
With a USB Host shield, the Arduino can get data from the USB keyboard, once you write the driver. Passing it on to the PC is the easy part.

just read that in further deatail, sorry...

can you give me tips/URLs on how to write the drivers?