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Author Topic: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation  (Read 23707 times)

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Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« on: May 03, 2014, 02:58:32 PM »
Was asked about Keyboard emulation setup.

Thought Id show everyone how to setup and use the Keyboard as inputs.

Disable Mach4 first
Menu -- Configure Plugins
Make sure it is Enabled
Press Configure button
Press Add Button
Highlight each box from left to right
Input a New InputName
Press the Key you want to use
Shift Alt & Ctrl key options will have to be hit twice to set
when done mach4 will have to be restarted to save the these new settings

Menu -- Configure Mach
Input Signals Tab
Enable Input
Select Device from a pull down list
Select Input Name you created in the Keyboard Plugin from its pull down list
Set Input Active High or Low

that's about all there is to it.


Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2014, 03:07:39 PM »
Nice job! you are the first one that has figured out the keyboard inputs can be used for anything!

Thanks
Brian
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com

Offline Fastest1

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2014, 04:34:52 PM »
Fantastic! I have been wondering how this was done. Except there isnt the plugin you have?
« Last Edit: May 03, 2014, 04:42:54 PM by Fastest1 »
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)

Offline BR549

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2014, 04:48:54 PM »
Craig Here is an example of an early plasma screen with teh Row of function buttons on teh right. The working screen had a row of 24 Function buttons F1-F24 they controlled all teh MAIN CNC functions from teh Fkeys.

WOrks VERY well on a control panel with NO MOUSE. It does have a thumb stick but that is clumsy as well but better than a mouse(;-).

Offline BR549

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2014, 04:53:50 PM »



HIYA" Fastest1" press the disable button at the lower left of your screen THEN the Mach plugin config is accessable. That got me as well untill Steve explained it.

(;-)TP

Offline BR549

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2014, 05:15:42 PM »
OK I have several buttons on teh screen now that control functions like Load gcode edit gcode and cycle start.  They are labeled F1 F2 F3 AND they do work when selected with a mouse

HOW do I link them to a Hotkey {Fkey}.  so that when I press {F1} it does what the F1 button on the screen controls .

(;-) TP

Offline BR549

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2014, 05:18:55 PM »
Sorry Fastest1 that was for the WRONG config.

(;-) TP

Offline Fastest1

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #7 on: May 03, 2014, 07:14:59 PM »
TP, The plugins I have are different than those shown. I do have an earlier version of M4 I am tinkering with. The downloadable M4Hobby has the plugins. Oddly enough I was able to drag them from M4 Hobby to my older M4 on 1 PC and it worked fine. However the machine with an M4 copy wont accept those plugins in the folder. It actually accepts them fine, they just dont show up in the config plugins window.
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)
Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2014, 08:17:54 PM »
Hey Craig,
Enabled as you instructed.
Keyboard jogging works but notice now slight pauses during long jogs that I did not notice earlier.
So, I disabled the plugin thinking the jitter would go away, restarted M4 and kybd STILL jogs. And still jitters.
Double checked and there is a red X in the enable box. Weird.

Also, kybd jog does not respond to the Jog STEP inc., like the screen button does. Continuous only from kybd.

Keyboard Jog Off button does nothing.

Will try to empty the key assignments to see if that disables the plugin.

And, with it enabled, and M4 open, the up/dn arrows will do nothing on any other open pages of other programs/files OR scroll through the gcode file when cursor is put in the gcode window.
Looks like focus is fixed to jog only ... or something.

Care to verify ?

Thanks for the info,
Russ

Offline BR549

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Re: Mach4 Keyboard Emulation
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2014, 08:37:11 PM »
Just off teh top of the head but would not setting up screen button to  HotKeys be better done from the screen editor. It sure worked well for Mach3. and very easy to do.

UNLESS someone can explain how to do it in MACH4.

(;-) TP