PoKeys Questions....

[HimyKabibble]

I am finally going to build myself a control panel for my mill.  The plan is to panel-mount my 20" LCD, surrounded on three sides with momentary pushbuttons to be used as "soft keys" in Mach3, with a separate panel of dedicated pusbuttons for common functions (Run, Stop, Rewind, Spindle On/Off, etc.).  I intend to use a USB PoKeys to provide all the I/O, but I'm not clear on exactly how this interfaces to Mach3.  It doesn't appear to me that using it as just a keyboard emulator will give me what I need, and it's not obvious to me what other options there are.  How to implement the softkeys is particularly unclear, since the function those keys perform has to change based on which screen page is currently active.

Has anyone done anything like this?

Regards,
Ray L.

[BR549]

HI Ray,  Getting fancy on us?? (;-)

For what you are saying I would try the Pokeys as a keyboard emulator. Then place a group of small buttons on each screen to drive the functions you require AND assign hotkeys to each button.

I have something similar but I used an industrial sealed keyboard that has 24 Fkeys AND a 15"LCD display built into a panel. On every screen there is a block of 24 very small buttons that allow me to assign functions for that page. They are very small and you have to look to find them, they line the edge of the screen.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

[HimyKabibble]

Terry.

Does PoKeys support a large number of function keys?  I need at least 20....

Regards,
Ray L.

[BR549]

The manual says it supports an 8x16 keyboard matrix.

Ray IF it were ME I would find a good industrial keyboard with a 24 Fkey setup. I learn LONG ago with Mach nothing is as it seems to be. I have done about a 100 projects that I could get about 90% working BEFORE I hit the wall with can't be done without a MACH fix. OR you can't do that in VB OR the VB is broken.

If you have noticed they are constantly working on the POKEYS plugin and now Brian has taken over the plugin.

The keyboard I used is a IKEY PS2 model so NO possible usb problems to interfere. IT has a built in Thumbstick so NO mouse needed.  IT has been ROCK solid proven technology with Mach3. I paid $50 for it and it is waterproof and small. Fits right under the display in the control panel like it was made for it.

ZERO VB programming or plugins to get it to work(;-), If you are like me you need to USE the MACHINE to make things NOT work on the gizmo's all the time.

Just a thought among friends, (;-) TP

[borisz]

Hi!
PoKeys does support matrix keyboards (128 buttons), It can work as a keyboard emulator and/or as direct IOs for Mach.
Also new "PoNET kbd48CNC" keyboard with LEDs and light sensor will start selling in 1 week. We have a stock already. They must be programmed and tested before. Keyboard is watter and dustproof and has beautifull frame made from hard anodized aluminium. The keyboard is connected to PoKeys with 5 pin cable.

[HimyKabibble]

Boris,

So, does the PoKeys plug-in "Create" a bunch of new inputs, on a different input port?  I assume then a brain is used to trigger OEM codes based on the state of those signals?

Regards,
Ray L.

[HimyKabibble]

Another question - Can I wire the switches in a matrix, but still have each trigger a Mach3 input signal?

Regards,
Ray L.

[borisz]

Answer is yes, twice.

[HimyKabibble]

Boris,

   Thanks!

Regards,
Ray L.