Philip Gust <gust@NouveauSystems.com> writes: (01)
% It would be wonderful to have a new USB keyset. There are precious
% few "vintage" keysets around. As we work towards our goal of making
% NLS/Augment freely available for non-commercial use, we anticipate a
% demand for more keysets that use a standard USB interface. Also,
% Eugene Kim is leading another project with Doug to create a new
% system based on concepts and capabilities from NLS/Augment, and he
% also anticipates a demand for keysets. (02)
% I had planned on looking into what it would take to design and do a
% limited production run (several dozen) of a USB keyset. Is this
% something you'd be interested in taking on, and if so, would you be
% able to move this to the front burner? (03)
One of the places we got stuck was the need for a driver to
coordinate the 5 bits from one keyboard with the 3 bits of the mouse.
That was something that we did not process very well. (04)
My difficulty of getting it on the front burner at AO is just
plain funding. It is an interesting project. We can do this type
of work. But I can't seem to get any attention on it between
the cracks of other projects. (05)
For AO to get it on the front burner will require finding a
funding path. (06)
% I'm thinking of somewhere in
% the May/June time frame to get an electrical and mechanical design
% done, a single prototype built, and be ready to bid it out for
% manufacturing. Would your schedule allow you to do something in that
% time frame? Would you be willing to do this on a volunteer basis,
% with grateful recognition by the NLS/Augment community? (07)
I personally do not have the skills to do the board and driver development.
Gary and Phil at AO are the ones who could knock this out. (08)
I can help with the product definition. (09)
The process of getting a prototype together and the process
of manufacturing a set of them are things that AO is in the
business of doing. But for me to get it to happen in the AO context,
it will not be a donated effort. (010)
It is possible that Gary might be persuadable to do it off the clock.
However, I do not see that happening on the time schedule you
are laying out. I will ask gary tomorrow if the things that he
is interested in stepping up to this project by end of May or
not. (011)
% Please let me know as soon as possible, since we'll need to find
% someone else relatively soon otherwise. If you find that you're not
% able to work on this project, we'd appreciate it if you could return
% the keyset to Doug ASAP. He'll pass it on to Jonathan, who will add
% to the pool for use by the two projects. (012)
Ok. (013)
%
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% > id 1F809g-0001g1-Cb; Sat, 11 Feb 2006 11:11:36 -0800
% >To: Jonathan Cheyer <jonathan@cheyer.biz>
% >Cc: Eugene Eric Kim <eekim@blueoxen.com>,
% > NLS Restoration Technical Discussion <nls-technical@chm.cim3.net>,
% > bootstrap-nsf@ws.blueoxen.net
% >Subject: Re: chord keyset
% >In-reply-to: Your message of Fri, 10 Feb 2006 23:41:12 PST.
% > <43ED9518.2050405@cheyer.biz>
% >Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 11:11:36 -0800
% >From: John Sechrest <sechrest@jas.peak.org>
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% >
% >Hi Jonathan,
% >
% >I do have a keyboard. And I have a diagram of it. It has a DB-15
% >connector on it, but I don't remember at the moment if it is
% >male of female.
% >
% >We have a background task of trying to build a USB chording keyboard.
% >It is on my desk at work, and I am reminded of the task because of that.
% >
% >If you need it back, I can find a way to get it back to doug, so that
% >you can use it.
% >
% >I am currently stalled on the 5 bit vs 8 bit issues that doug was
% >asking for.
% >
% >Is there any value in building some replica units?
% >
% >What time frame do you have on needing it?
% >
% >
% >
% >
% >
% >
% >
% >Jonathan Cheyer <jonathan@cheyer.biz> writes:
% >
% > % Hi John,
% > %
% > % I'm currently working on joint projects with the Computer History Museum
% > % to preserve the NLS/Augment system software and some of its hardware
% > % artifacts (i.e. chord keysets), as well as with Doug Engelbart and
% > % Eugene Kim on an NSF grant to do more current and forward-reaching work
% > % with NLS/Augment.
% > %
% > % I've been trying to locate people who may have one or more keysets, so
% > % we can track how many keysets are still in existence, how many are
% > % working fully, and what pinouts the keysets are using.
% > %
% > % Eugene mentioned that you are currently borrowing a chord keyset from
% > % Doug, and you had been working at some point on building a USB interface
% > % for the keyset. I'm interested in hearing from you about what you've
% > % learned so far. In particular, if you have any technical information
% > % about the chord keyset that you could share, or other useful practical
% > % information, that would be great.
% > %
% > % I've got the pinout information for one chord keyset so far and have
% > % built a driver for it, but I've noticed that not all the keysets are the
% > % same. For example, the single keyset that I currently have access to has
% > % a DA-15 female ending, and the one that Doug uses has a DB-25 male
ending.
% > %
% > % Also, if you're not actively using your keyset, I was wondering if you
% > % would be willing to return the keyset soon. There are very few keysets
% > % available at this point, and it would be useful for members of team
% > % assisting Doug with his NSF grant to use the keysets during the duration
% > % of the project.
% > %
% > % Thanks for your help!
% > %
% > % Jonathan
% >
% >-----
% >John Sechrest . Helping people use
% > . computers and the Internet
% > . more effectively
% > .
% > . Internet: sechrest@peak.org
% > .
% > .
http://www.peak.org/~sechrest
% >
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%
%
% Philip Gust
% Nouveau Systems, Inc.
%
% phone: +1 650 961-7992
% fax: +1 520 843-7217
%
%
% mailto: gust@NouveauSystems.com
%
% (014)
-----
John Sechrest . Helping people use
. computers and the Internet
. more effectively
.
. Internet: sechrest@peak.org
.
. http://www.peak.org/~sechrest (015)
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