Windows NT Keyboard Driver question

All,
I know this is a pretty tall request of a newsgroup, but I have a
recent need for a one-handed keyboard. I am not asking you to develop
this for me, but rather just to give me some ideas about where to go
in beginning a project of this sort.
I am a computer programmer, spending most of my development time in
MS Visual Studio 6.0 so I am relatively familiar with the windows
platform and development on the windows platform in general. I have
never written a device driver before, but from the newsgroups, I am
guessing I will have to purchase the MSDN Level II DDK.
I was thinking the end implementation would be similar to the one
handed qwerty keyboard (hardware) you can buy for $1000 at
www.half-qwerty.com. I don't have that kind of money in cash, but I
do have that kind of money in development time for this project.
I know it won't be simple, but I have spent several hours on google
groups searching for a similar type process being undertaken and can
find nothing on it. Is there anyone here who could even give me an
outline on what the process might be, or if it is even possible? If
beggers could be choosers, I would also ask how it could be
implemented on the lowest level possible, such that whether the device
were a USB or PS2 or even Serial keyboard it would all still work,
inside of windows.

Thanks in advance for any help,

-Patrick

It would be great if any responses could be sent to me directly, as
well as to the newsgroup... thanks!

Doron
Wed Aug 13 12:22:36 CDT 2003

if you use USB (which would use the HID protocol) or ps2, there is no driver
to write as long as you conform to the protocol (hid) or hardware (ps2)
spec. this type of device would work on all OS's win98 and forward. win95
would only support the ps2 variant. there are plenty of already built and
tested usb cores and HID implementations out on the market.

d

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Patrick" <mcmichaelps1@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f95a1574.0308130851.d22da09@posting.google.com...
> All,
> I know this is a pretty tall request of a newsgroup, but I have a
> recent need for a one-handed keyboard. I am not asking you to develop
> this for me, but rather just to give me some ideas about where to go
> in beginning a project of this sort.
> I am a computer programmer, spending most of my development time in
> MS Visual Studio 6.0 so I am relatively familiar with the windows
> platform and development on the windows platform in general. I have
> never written a device driver before, but from the newsgroups, I am
> guessing I will have to purchase the MSDN Level II DDK.
> I was thinking the end implementation would be similar to the one
> handed qwerty keyboard (hardware) you can buy for $1000 at
> www.half-qwerty.com. I don't have that kind of money in cash, but I
> do have that kind of money in development time for this project.
> I know it won't be simple, but I have spent several hours on google
> groups searching for a similar type process being undertaken and can
> find nothing on it. Is there anyone here who could even give me an
> outline on what the process might be, or if it is even possible? If
> beggers could be choosers, I would also ask how it could be
> implemented on the lowest level possible, such that whether the device
> were a USB or PS2 or even Serial keyboard it would all still work,
> inside of windows.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help,
>
> -Patrick
>
> It would be great if any responses could be sent to me directly, as
> well as to the newsgroup... thanks!

Maxim
Thu Aug 14 04:35:54 CDT 2003

The best solution is possibly to add a set of Windows hooks (or a keyboard
filter based on KBDFILTR sample) to force the usual keyboard to work as
one-handed - i.e. the ASDFQWERTY keys will generate the scancodes for IOPJKL
keys after pressing some hotkey.

With such a solution, one will get rid of the necessity of purchasing some
special keyboard. This solution will also work for both USB and i8042
keyboards.

--
Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
maxim@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com


"Patrick" <mcmichaelps1@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f95a1574.0308130851.d22da09@posting.google.com...
> All,
> I know this is a pretty tall request of a newsgroup, but I have a
> recent need for a one-handed keyboard. I am not asking you to develop
> this for me, but rather just to give me some ideas about where to go
> in beginning a project of this sort.
> I am a computer programmer, spending most of my development time in
> MS Visual Studio 6.0 so I am relatively familiar with the windows
> platform and development on the windows platform in general. I have
> never written a device driver before, but from the newsgroups, I am
> guessing I will have to purchase the MSDN Level II DDK.
> I was thinking the end implementation would be similar to the one
> handed qwerty keyboard (hardware) you can buy for $1000 at
> www.half-qwerty.com. I don't have that kind of money in cash, but I
> do have that kind of money in development time for this project.
> I know it won't be simple, but I have spent several hours on google
> groups searching for a similar type process being undertaken and can
> find nothing on it. Is there anyone here who could even give me an
> outline on what the process might be, or if it is even possible? If
> beggers could be choosers, I would also ask how it could be
> implemented on the lowest level possible, such that whether the device
> were a USB or PS2 or even Serial keyboard it would all still work,
> inside of windows.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help,
>
> -Patrick
>
> It would be great if any responses could be sent to me directly, as
> well as to the newsgroup... thanks!

mcmichaelps1
Thu Aug 14 09:23:46 CDT 2003

Doron,
Thanks for your reply! I did a little bit of research on the USB HID
and the PS2 hardware specification, but unfortunately I could not find
anyone who had already written usb keyboard "cores" or how I would
install or implement this type of solution. I am writing to hopefully
not annoy you and to request how I would develop a HID or where I
could look to further understand your answer. I am new to the
hardware world, and because of this many things that are general
knowledge I am completely oblivious to.

Thank you again very much for your help!

-Patrick

"Doron Holan [MS]" <doronh@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:<eIYJx9bYDHA.2592@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl>...
> if you use USB (which would use the HID protocol) or ps2, there is no driver
> to write as long as you conform to the protocol (hid) or hardware (ps2)
> spec. this type of device would work on all OS's win98 and forward. win95
> would only support the ps2 variant. there are plenty of already built and
> tested usb cores and HID implementations out on the market.
>
> d
>
> --
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Doron
Thu Aug 14 10:00:28 CDT 2003

max's solution will work well if you don't want to change the underlying
firmware and just remark the key lables to suit your needs

d

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Maxim S. Shatskih" <maxim@storagecraft.com> wrote in message
news:eYUEfqkYDHA.652@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> The best solution is possibly to add a set of Windows hooks (or a keyboard
> filter based on KBDFILTR sample) to force the usual keyboard to work as
> one-handed - i.e. the ASDFQWERTY keys will generate the scancodes for
IOPJKL
> keys after pressing some hotkey.
>
> With such a solution, one will get rid of the necessity of purchasing some
> special keyboard. This solution will also work for both USB and i8042
> keyboards.
>
> --
> Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
> StorageCraft Corporation
> maxim@storagecraft.com
> http://www.storagecraft.com
>
>
> "Patrick" <mcmichaelps1@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:f95a1574.0308130851.d22da09@posting.google.com...
> > All,
> > I know this is a pretty tall request of a newsgroup, but I have a
> > recent need for a one-handed keyboard. I am not asking you to develop
> > this for me, but rather just to give me some ideas about where to go
> > in beginning a project of this sort.
> > I am a computer programmer, spending most of my development time in
> > MS Visual Studio 6.0 so I am relatively familiar with the windows
> > platform and development on the windows platform in general. I have
> > never written a device driver before, but from the newsgroups, I am
> > guessing I will have to purchase the MSDN Level II DDK.
> > I was thinking the end implementation would be similar to the one
> > handed qwerty keyboard (hardware) you can buy for $1000 at
> > www.half-qwerty.com. I don't have that kind of money in cash, but I
> > do have that kind of money in development time for this project.
> > I know it won't be simple, but I have spent several hours on google
> > groups searching for a similar type process being undertaken and can
> > find nothing on it. Is there anyone here who could even give me an
> > outline on what the process might be, or if it is even possible? If
> > beggers could be choosers, I would also ask how it could be
> > implemented on the lowest level possible, such that whether the device
> > were a USB or PS2 or even Serial keyboard it would all still work,
> > inside of windows.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help,
> >
> > -Patrick
> >
> > It would be great if any responses could be sent to me directly, as
> > well as to the newsgroup... thanks!
>
>