IPC2 and P2 keyborard wars


I see no particular reason why the iCP and Pandora key layouts should necessarily be the same. One's a universal controller, the other is a complete system. Brightness and volume control don't necessarily make sense on an iCP, for example. As a result, this thread is a little confusing! I'd like to suggest it trend towards the iCP2 layout discussion, as it's the more imminent device.


Those of you who want two shoulder buttons; I agree. Definitely worth exploring, and it has been talked about at length.


There are, none-the-less, some great ideas for layouts here, and those which align closely to standard keyboard layouts seem to be the best.
 
I see no particular reason why the iCP and Pandora key layouts should necessarily be the same. One's a universal controller, the other is a complete system. Brightness and volume control don't necessarily make sense on an iCP, for example. As a result, this thread is a little confusing! I'd like to suggest it trend towards the iCP2 layout discussion, as it's the more imminent device.


Those of you who want two shoulder buttons; I agree. Definitely worth exploring, and it has been talked about at length.


There are, none-the-less, some great ideas for layouts here, and those which align closely to standard keyboard layouts seem to be the best.

I disagree. I think that it makes 100% great sense to have them be the same. The iCP2 then becomes the natural remote for a Pandora2 sitting connected to the TV across the room.


The iCP2 is also a media device & multimedia computer controller. Brightness and volume make perfect sense.


I started working on a key layout last night. My big eureka moment was in figuring out that the bottom left big button on the keyboard should -not- be shift. In my design this is a keyboard mode shifter.


Keyboard mode shifter. Each time it is pressed it could shift to a whole different keyboard mapping - for everything BUT the mode shifter button. A multi-color LED between the nubs would change color to show which mode the controls are in. Alternatively the back light could do this.


Starts in 'normal' mode. LED off.


Tap it once and it goes into 'green' mode. LED glows green.


Tap it again and it goes into 'red' mode. LED glows red.


Tap it again and it goes into 'blue' mode. LED glows blue.


In each of these modes the keyboard, including shift and Fn assignments, can be remapped. Since we're using an RGB LED set, different shades or flashing modes could be used for additional user-defined mappings - software driven of course.


With that in mind, it is possible to have a left shift, left control, left alt, space bar, right alt, right control, right shift all in a row.


So you could have the 'perfect' layout for your game or device, push the keyboard mode button and be on to the next keyboard definition, etc... The big question then isn't how many keyboard mappings there can be - but how much information do we want to try to print on each key.


That reminds me - something to consider for the iCPII and maybe even for the Pandora II - install an IR blaster I/O and consider what hardware is needed for different consoles and set top boxes so it can be used to control them all - or at least as many as can be practically done.


I'll try to find some time tonight to continue making the mapping that I started last night. I thought I would share some of the larger ideas of it with the crowd here though in case anyone gets inspired.
 
Keyboard mode shifter.

This could work, although I'd rather make it a tertiary function of the number keys, which I've been discussing adding indicator LEDs either underneath or as the backlight. So:


1+START = Power on in hard mode 1, whatever that may be


THEN


Mode Shift + 1 = Switch to soft mode 1


Mode Shift + 2 = Switch to soft mode 2


Gives us potentially 10 soft modes for various keyboard trickery. Although how much will actually fit into the firmware remains to be seen.
 
I like the idea of individual, per key backlighting, for at least some buttons
 
^ isn't that what gadgetoid was talking about?


There would need to be may backlight leds anyway wouldn't there - how complicated would it be to have 12 different power connections?
 
From what I can find, even a laptop keyboard backlight only has around 6 LEDs.
 
If we have separately controlled leds, I would recommend using groups. Control buttons one group. The Keyboard a second group. This way groups may be deactivated/activated with an indication.
 
I have one of these PS3 remotes: http://www.amazon.com/3-1-Remote-PS3-Playstation-3/dp/B003WTNGW0


The keyboard part looks to be slightly larger than the ICP2 keyboard. I just took it apart to see how the backlight works and it only uses 14 leds. The keymat is translucent with black keys glued on top. I think with the smaller keyboard of the ICP2 it could easily be done with fewer leds. This remote is actually quite bright.
 
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^ Interesting device, strange that they left out the analogue sticks though being a PS3 game and media controller.


One thing to bear in mind is that Craig mentioned that one of the target uses for the ICP 2 , was that it can be used with those stick PC's like the MK802 and all the others like it . Those things are primarily used as media playing PC's, so if someone was going to buy the ICP2 to use with one of these, it definately would have to have some keys (secondarily) marked as media controls.
 
What is an IPC?
I dunno, maybe Intelligent Personal Controller

What is an IPC?

an iCP from the point of view of someone who doesn't proof read too thoroughly :)

or of someone whose cares so little about it, that he even does not care to spell it right..i wish

I see no particular reason why the iCP and Pandora key layouts should necessarily be the same. One's a universal controller, the other is a complete system. Brightness and volume control don't necessarily make sense on an iCP, for example. As a result, this thread is a little confusing! I'd like to suggest it trend towards the iCP2 layout discussion, as it's the more imminent device.
definitetly

I disagree. I think that it makes 100% great sense to have them be the same. The iCP2 then becomes the natural remote for a Pandora2 sitting connected to the TV across the room.
no, because


wait for it...

One thing to bear in mind is that Craig mentioned that one of the target uses for the ICP 2 , was that it can be used with those stick PC's like the MK802 and all the others like it . Those things are primarily used as media playing PC's, so if someone was going to buy the ICP2 to use with one of these, it definately would have to have some keys (secondarily) marked as media controls.
there you go
 
It always stuck me that media controls would be on the face buttons, rather than the keyboard. An analogue stick could make a reasonable variable-speed tracker.
 
Something like:


dpad up/down - volume


dpad left-right - previous/next track


nub - ff/rw


other nub - mouse


shoulder buttons - mouse buttons


ABXY - play-pause/stop/show-hide gui/view index or library
 
^ sounds reasonable. The again, I'd be happy with anything ,so long as some keys / buttons or nubs are secondarily marked as media controls . Im easily pleased
 
Strikes me that it would be just as coherent to place + - play pause on face buttons as it would to put ABXY. They both serve as distinct symbols, and as the iControlPad is a universal controller, it's highly unlikely anything is going to refer to the buttons by name.


On the iControlPad1 you would get esoteric ABXY button combinations to switch into the different modes, but number keys fix that fairly nicely.
 
Strikes me that it would be just as coherent to place + - play pause on face buttons as it would to put ABXY.

Marking the buttons with media controls would also avoid complaints about the layout being "nonstandard".


I think using media controls to mark the face buttons would be an excellent idea, even though I wouldn't use this for a media player myself.
 
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