MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - I'm developing an alternate keyboard for disabled users, and have questions.

eewestcoaster · 04-22-2011, 12:48 AM

Yeah, http://breadboardconfessions.blogspot.com/ is the blog I set up for this project.

Thanks to the posts on this forum thread I was able to Jailbreak the Kindle, install Launchpad and set up the page turn script. I thought I could just remap the button signals but then I found exactly the post that Tanga linked to and was able to turn the pages that way. Great minds think alike!

My initial thought was to solder to the buttons but they're WAY too small for that, and they seem to be covered by some sort of plastic film that would need to be cut away (and I'm not sure about corrosion, etc). Also, the edge-mounted page turn keys are routed through a second, much smaller connector that I can't solder to. Scratch that - i can solder the connector (barely), I just can't get it to stick to the board with any sort of strength. As soon as I pressed the cable into the connector, it popped off the board.

So, I ended up using Launchpad to turn the page directly from the main keypad, which uses the larger 20-pin connector. I broke it out to a breadboard and used some simple tactile switches to mimic the key press event, and everything is shiny.

I will need a microcontroller to handle the timing and sequencing of the multiple key presses. I want the user (my sister in this case, but it could just as easily be Robar46's dad) to only have to actuate their button of choice once, and the system to take it from there. I think I'll use the Teensy++ I've got laying around from a previous project. Along with some simple multiplexers to handle the actual switch closures, I should be off and running.

Thanks again for all the support - I couldn't have done it without you guys. Check the blog, I'll be updating it as the project (and a couple others I've got brewing) come along.

04-22-2011, 12:48 AM	#5
eewestcoaster Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Yeah, http://breadboardconfessions.blogspot.com/ is the blog I set up for this project. Thanks to the posts on this forum thread I was able to Jailbreak the Kindle, install Launchpad and set up the page turn script. I thought I could just remap the button signals but then I found exactly the post that Tanga linked to and was able to turn the pages that way. Great minds think alike! My initial thought was to solder to the buttons but they're WAY too small for that, and they seem to be covered by some sort of plastic film that would need to be cut away (and I'm not sure about corrosion, etc). Also, the edge-mounted page turn keys are routed through a second, much smaller connector that I can't solder to. Scratch that - i can solder the connector (barely), I just can't get it to stick to the board with any sort of strength. As soon as I pressed the cable into the connector, it popped off the board. So, I ended up using Launchpad to turn the page directly from the main keypad, which uses the larger 20-pin connector. I broke it out to a breadboard and used some simple tactile switches to mimic the key press event, and everything is shiny. I will need a microcontroller to handle the timing and sequencing of the multiple key presses. I want the user (my sister in this case, but it could just as easily be Robar46's dad) to only have to actuate their button of choice once, and the system to take it from there. I think I'll use the Teensy++ I've got laying around from a previous project. Along with some simple multiplexers to handle the actual switch closures, I should be off and running. Thanks again for all the support - I couldn't have done it without you guys. Check the blog, I'll be updating it as the project (and a couple others I've got brewing) come along.