- Forum
- Windows Programming
- Determining source of keyboard input (BE
Determining source of keyboard input (BEEP! Orange juice added to shopping list)
Hi all
BACKGROUND (you can skip to the question if you like):
I have a PC hanging in my living room, right next to the fridge. My family and I use that PC for everything - shopping list, file/print server, notes, calendars, email, surfing, etc. The input source is, of course, a USB keyboard.
Now, I got my hands on an old barcode scanner. It connects via PS2. I would LOVE to be able to scan the barcode of the last carton of orange juice and have that added to the shopping list instead of typing it in myself. I mean, just for the heck of it...
Now, here's the problem: The barcode scanner acts like a keyboard. When scanned, a barcode simply translates to a series of (typically 8) digits. No start/stop code or anything that I can use to identify that these characters originate from a barcode and is not charcters input on the USB keyboard.
I figure what I need to do is to create a program that runs in the background and continuously sniffs input characters and, when detected, determines if they originate from a PS2 device. If so, it finds the shopping item corresponding to the input and adds it to the shopping list.
QUESTION: How do you detect the input source (PS2 vs. USB keyboard) of a character input by the user?
TIA,
Corpus
BACKGROUND (you can skip to the question if you like):
I have a PC hanging in my living room, right next to the fridge. My family and I use that PC for everything - shopping list, file/print server, notes, calendars, email, surfing, etc. The input source is, of course, a USB keyboard.
Now, I got my hands on an old barcode scanner. It connects via PS2. I would LOVE to be able to scan the barcode of the last carton of orange juice and have that added to the shopping list instead of typing it in myself. I mean, just for the heck of it...
Now, here's the problem: The barcode scanner acts like a keyboard. When scanned, a barcode simply translates to a series of (typically 8) digits. No start/stop code or anything that I can use to identify that these characters originate from a barcode and is not charcters input on the USB keyboard.
I figure what I need to do is to create a program that runs in the background and continuously sniffs input characters and, when detected, determines if they originate from a PS2 device. If so, it finds the shopping item corresponding to the input and adds it to the shopping list.
QUESTION: How do you detect the input source (PS2 vs. USB keyboard) of a character input by the user?
TIA,
Corpus
Are both devices connected to the PC at the same time? Or do you unplug the KBD to plug-in the PS2?
I'm pretty sure that part of the USB specification is to identify the type of device that is connected. I really haven't messed with it before (so basically I don't know what I'm talking about :-| ) but you might want to take a look through here
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791083.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791080.aspx
to get started.
Hope this helps.
I'm pretty sure that part of the USB specification is to identify the type of device that is connected. I really haven't messed with it before (so basically I don't know what I'm talking about :-| ) but you might want to take a look through here
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791083.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791080.aspx
to get started.
Hope this helps.
Hi again
Yes, both are plugged in - the KBD in the USB port, the scanner in the PS2 port. Thanks for the links.
Yes, both are plugged in - the KBD in the USB port, the scanner in the PS2 port. Thanks for the links.
Hmm, you could use GetConsoleMode() to test the input (the function returns failure if it is not a console). If it is not coming from a console (or keyboard) then it must be the scanner...
But alas, I don't know any better than that. (That might very well be a really bad solution.)
But alas, I don't know any better than that. (That might very well be a really bad solution.)
Last edited on
Topic archived. No new replies allowed.