Homebrewed Macro Keyboards?

MightyMaus asks: "So I've been checking out various hardware websites lately, paging through computer retail catalogues, and basically pining for a better-paying job. But one device that's really caught my eye is the Programmable Keypad. Looks pretty cool, but $140? No way. Even the smaller version carries a hefty $90 price tag. Now, it seems like making one of these should be relatively easy; but the almighty Google returns nothing but more places to buy these things. So where do I turn? To Slashdot. Has anyone hacked together one of these before?"

Comments

Gotta love cheapskates

[BortQ]

This guy probably uses a keyboard 8+ hours every single day. And yet he won't lay out 140 bucks for a nice one.

My keyboard is like a part of me. I'd kill myself without its sweet tactile feedback.

Re:Cost of production

[cybermace5]

I agree with the "do it for fun, not to save money" point.

However, I could build a completely custom USB keyboard for less than $140 NOT counting labor. Everyone knows hobby time is worth $.0025/hour anyway. ;-)

It would be up there in price, around $80 to $90 since the circuit board would be custom. That's only if I had someone else make the board, though. Guess I could etch my own board.

Anyway, all that would be required: one of the many cheap ($3-$5) USB-capable microcontrollers, some trivial encoding logic, and keyswitches. I'd probably go with surplus opto-interrupters and spring-loaded buttons on a custom panel. Easier to do if you have access to a CNC machine.

The benefit? Using the HID device standard, your button-box can become anything. Keys mapped anywhere, even macros depending on how fancy you get with the firmware. Could also add some more status lights, or outputs to control the coffeemaker.