X-keys USB Switch Interface

We need to use pushbuttons for subject response input, and have been stymied because the parallel ports on our SV-1’s are not currently supported in SL. As a work-around, we are considering the X-Keys USB Switch interface. This is a twelve-input switch interface that emulates a USB keyboard. Each input can be programmed with a keystroke sequence macro. AFAIK, only switch closures are detected, but I’m not sure about that. Anyway, you can program, say, switch input #3 to send “3-down;wait 50 ms;3-up”, which would emulate a keyboard input on the “3” key.

Hopefully, this would be recognized by SL as an ordinary keypress and be handled appropriately. When I receive the device, I will test it and post the result here.

Another, smaller device is Don Johnston’s five-input switch interface, which can, depending on its mode, emulate either a keyboard or a mouse. The smaller number of inputs and almost equal cost of the DJ made me lean toward the X-Keys device; from the point of view of SL, they both should work the same way (i.e., both are extra USB keyboards).

Has anyone already tested either of these with SL?

Greg Shenaut

I don’t know if anyone has tasted either of these devices. However, SuperLab simply asks the OS if it has any keyboard input events in the queue. Even logging in via VNC or Windows Terminal Services will work (as a programmer, I’ve done this on Macs and PCs). Therefore, I would think the devices in question will work too.

I don’t have an estimate for when any of the additional digital input devices will be available.