[Heath] HD-8999 keyboard.

Thu Apr 12 16:58:36 EDT 2012

On 12 Apr 2012 at 11:47, Mike Morris wrote:

> I completely understand that...    Been There, Done That.
> 
> I use a natural keyboard myself.  I got some strange looks
> when I brought one into work but now there are several in
> use there.

I worked at the University of Idaho for 31 years. Part of my job was as an IT 
Professional. I got many in our offices to use the "curvy" keyboard, and it 
wasn't all that difficult. What WAS difficult was to attempt to get them to 
change over to the Dvorak keyboard. I gave up on that one. ;-)

>  One gentleman even bought three on ebay just
> to have spares.

I do the same.

>  >I would like to modify the HD-8999 to be able to plug one of the
>  "curvy" >keyboards into it while using it.
> 
> Very difficult -
> As far as I know the curvy keyboards (and I am typing on one
> right now) are all USB.  There may have been a PS/2 model in
> the beginning of that design but I am not sure.

Yes. All those I used for several years were PS/2 models. I doubt if one 
could by one of those models within the last couple of years. I have at least 
two here though.

> You would need the source code to the internal microprocessor
> and have to add programming for support USB - and that is VERY
> complex.  Even support for a PS/2 keyboard would be a problem
> since that design does not send keystrokes - it sends one code
> when you press a key and a second (different) one when you
> release the key.  There are USB keyboards that have extra features
> like this one:
> <http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/acc/P76379/sk8135.jpg> It has 8
> extra buttons and a volume knob, plus two USB jacks that are on the
> rear of the keyboard (next to the cable entrance point).  Support for
> it is even more complex that for a "standard" USB keyboard.
> 
> To quote Steven Smith WA8LMF on USB support...
> % USB devices have a master/slave relationship with their host.
> % They depend on a complex, multi-layer assembly of driver
> % software and operating system support to even acquire an
> % identity, let alone talk to the master.   The requirement for
> % device-specific drivers pretty much says the host has to
> % be a computer-like device capable of accepting software
> % add-ons for whatever device you choose to plug into it.
> %
> % This is why USB cables have two distinctly different kinds
> % of ends.  The  square end with the beveled corners goes
> % toward slave devices.  The flat rectangular end goes toward
> % the master. The two type of connectors are supposed to
> % prevent users from trying to connect two slaves or two
> % masters directly to each other.
> %
> %  Any kind of stand-alone USB-slave-to-serial converter
> % would wind up being  a fairly complex dedicated embedded
> % processor or a driver program running in a computer.
> %
> % Since new USB devices with unique driver requirements
> % are appearing constantly, such a converter would have
> % to have some means of adding new firmware, assuming
> % the vendor had the resources to constantly develop the
> % new drivers.

OK. Obviously it is far more trouble than it is worth. :-(

>  >Secondly, I am wondering if it would be possible to somehow modify
>  the HD- >8999 to accept the input of a text file of some sort from an
>  
> external source,
>  >like a computer, so that the keyboard would automatically send that
> text file
>  >as perfect machine-sent CW.
> 
> Again, you would need to seriously modify the internal programming of
> the Heath processor.  You would need to add hardware (like a serial
> port) to receive the file, and programming to support that hardware,
> and to read the file and translate it into CW characters.

Again, sounds like it is more trouble than it is worth.

>  >The built-in memory is much too small to be effectively used for
>  what I have >in mind.
> 
> You got it.
> Adding external PS/2 keyboard support might fit, but adding USB
> keyboard support will use more that what is in that Heath keyboard
> design to start with.

Yes. Obviously.

> I'd leave the Heath keyboard alone and look at this product:
> <http://www.hamgadgets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=31&p
> roducts_id=106&zenid=ughrc59d9jqfso8hb0t2f2lh27>

Thanks for that. I'll take a look at it immediately.

> It will do everything you have asked for, except send the text file.
> 
> The manual is here:
> <http://www.hamgadgets.com/pdf/MasterKeyer_MK-1_V1_30.pdf>
> and worth looking at.
> 
> As to sending the text file, back in January I asked N0XAS (the
> company owner) the following:
> 
>  >>Can your Masterkeyer send code from a text file
>  >>on a USB thumb drive?
>  >>That would be so handy for code classes - even
>  >>if it is just one file and has to be a special
>  >>filename?  (like code-test.txt)?
> 
> I received the answer of:
>  >>As for sending a text file, I had not thought of that

Weird. Well, he SHOULD have! 

> - thanks for
>  the >>idea!  It will be very easy to implement in the next firmware
>  release.

Good. 

Well, thank you, Mike. I'll do some more research.

vy 73,

Ken W7EKB