Eivind wrote on 2024-05-25, 17:46:

About the button - if you decide to move it to 3.4, you'd still need to keep some kind of way to short 4.6 to ground for bootloader mode, right...?

I'll make sure my firmware checks for 3.4 before it does anything else. So 4.6 will only be needed if the firmware gets corrupted somehow.

As a last resort to de-brick the device you could short C5 using a pair of tweezers.

rasteri wrote on 2024-05-25, 18:09:

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-25, 17:46:

About the button - if you decide to move it to 3.4, you'd still need to keep some kind of way to short 4.6 to ground for bootloader mode, right...?

I'll make sure my firmware checks for 3.4 before it does anything else. So 4.6 will only be needed if the firmware gets corrupted somehow.

As a last resort to de-brick the device you could short C5 using a pair of tweezers.

Ah, so you're able to enter bootloader mode from a running firmware as well as by shorting 4.6 to ground at startup? That should do the trick then! 😀

Edit: oh, and nice work on placing the crystal, looks like it fits perfectly!

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-25, 18:14:

rasteri wrote on 2024-05-25, 18:09:

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-25, 17:46:

About the button - if you decide to move it to 3.4, you'd still need to keep some kind of way to short 4.6 to ground for bootloader mode, right...?

I'll make sure my firmware checks for 3.4 before it does anything else. So 4.6 will only be needed if the firmware gets corrupted somehow.

As a last resort to de-brick the device you could short C5 using a pair of tweezers.

Ah, so you're able to enter bootloader mode from a running firmware as well as by shorting 4.6 to ground at startup? That should do the trick then! 😀

Edit: oh, and nice work on placing the crystal, looks like it fits perfectly!

This has been a very interesting thread to watch! I love seeing the different troubleshooting steps taking place.

snipe3687 wrote on 2024-05-25, 21:12:

This has been a very interesting thread to watch! I love seeing the different troubleshooting steps taking place.

glad you're enjoying it 😀

Port 3.4 seems to work great for the switch. I think hidman is just about ready for a 1.0 release!

rasteri wrote on 2024-05-28, 17:15:

Port 3.4 seems to work great for the switch. I think hidman is just about ready for a 1.0 release!

That's awesome! Will you be selling any of these pre-assembled?
Also - for connecting the box to a computer using PS/2, is there anywhere one can buy male-to-male PS/2 cables...?

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-28, 17:27:

That's awesome! Will you be selling any of these pre-assembled?
Also - for connecting the box to a computer using PS/2, is there anywhere one can buy male-to-male PS/2 cables...?

Yeah I'll probably get a small batch made up. And I found my cables on ebay. male-male ps/2 cables were often used on old KVM switches so they're not too hard to find spares of

rasteri wrote on 2024-05-28, 17:34:

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-28, 17:27:

That's awesome! Will you be selling any of these pre-assembled?
Also - for connecting the box to a computer using PS/2, is there anywhere one can buy male-to-male PS/2 cables...?

Yeah I'll probably get a small batch made up. And I found my cables on ebay. male-male ps/2 cables were often used on old KVM switches so they're not too hard to find spares of

Heh, yeah I probably should have done an ebay search first - found plenty! 😀

Are you having JLC or someone else do the board assembly or do you order bare boards (with stencils)?

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-28, 17:51:

Are you having JLC or someone else do the board assembly or do you order bare boards (with stencils)?

PCBway, Your Trustable PCB Prototype Partner!

(they're my channel sponsor so I kinda have to use them, but they do great work and I get a discount)

rasteri wrote on 2024-05-29, 10:48:

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-28, 17:51:

Are you having JLC or someone else do the board assembly or do you order bare boards (with stencils)?

PCBway, Your Trustable PCB Prototype Partner!

(they're my channel sponsor so I kinda have to use them, but they do great work and I get a discount)

😁 How does assembly work with them? I've been using JLC exclusively because of their enormous inventory of parts (LCSC) and low prices. Is there a self-service solution with PCBway where you pick your parts from different sources yourself, or do you just upload a BOM and they get back to you with component prices and sources...?

Eivind wrote on 2024-05-29, 10:56:

😁 How does assembly work with them? I've been using JLC exclusively because of their enormous inventory of parts (LCSC) and low prices. Is there a self-service solution with PCBway where you pick your parts from different sources yourself, or do you just upload a BOM and they get back to you with component prices and sources...?

You just upload a BOM, they figure everything else out. Although I generally pick chinese components anyway (or tell them to pick chinese equivalents) because they can get hold of them quicker/cheaper.

I did get JLC to price up a project a couple years back, but their extra charge for certain components made it more expensive than PCBway. Maybe that's changed now though.

I built one of these a couple months ago. It didn't work with the USB hub in my VGA KVM, but I wasn't expecting it to, based on where the codebase was at, at the time. I was just thrilled it worked as well as it did - very slick!

I saw there's been some activity since then - I built the latest firmware, but still no go with my KVM. Reading the previous page, it looks like I should try the external crystal mod, huh?

Could I get a part number for the crystal you're using? (Or an updated BOM.csv? 😉) Other than package/freq, not sure what exactly I'm looking for on Digi-key and have only narrowed it down to a possible 200 different ones. 😅

ubiq wrote on 2024-06-02, 01:06:

Could I get a part number for the crystal you're using? (Or an updated BOM.csv? 😉) Other than package/freq, not sure what exactly I'm looking for on Digi-key and have only narrowed it down to a possible 200 different ones. 😅

Latest commit has a BOM 😀

(although tbh if you're going to bodge it it doesn't really matter, as long as the frequency is correct)

rasteri wrote on 2024-06-02, 20:05:

ubiq wrote on 2024-06-02, 01:06:

Could I get a part number for the crystal you're using? (Or an updated BOM.csv? 😉) Other than package/freq, not sure what exactly I'm looking for on Digi-key and have only narrowed it down to a possible 200 different ones. 😅

Latest commit has a BOM 😀

(although tbh if you're going to bodge it it doesn't really matter, as long as the frequency is correct)

Sweet, thanks!

Actually, if I'm putting in a parts order, may as well get some new PCBs at the same time.. 😁

ubiq wrote on 2024-06-03, 03:39:

Sweet, thanks!

Actually, if I'm putting in a parts order, may as well get some new PCBs at the same time.. 😁

I should add, I haven't actually tested this revision yet. Order at your own risk!

(I have some on the way soon, though. couple of weeks and we'll have the answer, then if it works this will be v1.0 I guess)

Just so everyone is aware, the "rev c" gerbers currently in github (as well as the BOM and centroid) are now tested and fully working.

I will prepare a "1.0" release shortly once I've tweaked the firmware a bit (USB detection has too many safety delays that now aren't required)

Awesome!! Looking forward to building/buying one or two of these. Super useful.

rasteri wrote on 2024-06-18, 11:56:

Just so everyone is aware, the "rev c" gerbers currently in github (as well as the BOM and centroid) are now tested and fully working.

I will prepare a "1.0" release shortly once I've tweaked the firmware a bit (USB detection has too many safety delays that now aren't required)

Well, I had a crack a doing the bodge on the board I already had, but getting a wire onto pin 17 exceeded the limits of my abilities/equipment.

I'd ordered some "rev c" pcbs a few weeks back, and they recently showed up. I soldered one up, and did zero testing on it before plugging it into my laptop and successfully flashing it.

Pretty happy/surprised that it mostly works..

• It powers up
• Both USB KB and mouse appear to be recognized and activate the blinkenled
• Serial mouse works perfectly

However, the PS2 KB output doesn't work. I tried it initially with a DIN adapter and then a native PS/2 computer. The computers don't see a KB attached. I confirmed continuity between the Mini-DIN connector and the relevant pins on the IC. Might hook a scope up to see if there's any activity, but I expect not. I'm thinking either I cooked the chip a bit too much getting it soldered, or there's an issue with my firmware build.

I've got the stuff to make another board, so I may just do that.

ubiq wrote on 2024-06-22, 17:40:

However, the PS2 KB output doesn't work. I tried it initially with a DIN adapter and then a native PS/2 computer. The computers don't see a KB attached. I confirmed continuity between the Mini-DIN connector and the relevant pins on the IC. Might hook a scope up to see if there's any activity, but I expect not. I'm thinking either I cooked the chip a bit too much getting it soldered, or there's an issue with my firmware build.

Is it in PS/2 mode?