Keyboard Panel

HITIPanel lets you control your Arduino projects (e.g. servos, robots) with your computer keyboard. 

Indeed, the Keyboard Panel lets you connect a keyboard key to the Command Panel of a Digital Data. When this Command Panel is used as a Virtual Switch:

• pressing the key activates the Switch
• releasing the key deactivates the Switch

It is also possible to use a combination of keys like SHIFT+R or CTRL+N to activate a Virtual Switch.

The keyboard control can be enabled or disabled by selecting the corresponding option in the Keyboard Panel.

Examples

Refer to this example: Digital Data (Switch).

Refer to this example: HITI Servo (Keyboard control).

Assigning a key

Let’s say you are using Digital Data 2 as a Virtual Switch to control for instance the rotation of a robotic arm. When the switch is activated, the arm rotates. But you would also like to use the “S” key to “push” on the Switch. Here is how to that.

1) Open the Keyboard Dialog box (CTRL+K or Tools\Keyboard)

2) Click in the “Key” textfield of Digital Data 2 and press the “S” key (to use a combination of keys like “SHIFT+S”, simply press “SHIFT+S”).

3) If required, you can clear the link by clicking on the corresponding “CLEAR” button. You can also clear all the links by clicking on “CLEAR ALL”.

Enabling keyboard control

1) Select “Enable keyboard control” and click “OK” to validate. At any moment, you can unselect this option to disable keyboard control.

2) Now, press/release S to activate/deactivate your virtual switch. Enjoy!

Preventing modifications

When you select the option “lock user interface” in the Settings Panel to prevent interface modifications, this option locks the Keyboard Panel. It prevents further modification of the keys configuration and prevent action on the “Enable keyboard control” checkbox.