Help with design of computer input devices
Help with design of computer input devices
(OP)
I am not an electrical engineer (although I did take a digital logic class) so please excuse the amateurishness of my questions. I think that I may have found a niche market for a specialized usb keypad input device for a computer. The questions I have pertain to how exactly I would go about making a prototype to test the idea. Keep in mind, when I ask these questions I need to know just enough so that I can find someone who can do it for me and how I can specify the different components so that they all to tie together nicely. Specifically, are there any good resources on:
PCB Design
Plastic Enclosure Design
Interfacing with a USB port
Hardware Drivers
Also, if there is anything else that I missed that would be important please let me know.
Lastly, are there any OEM manufacturer of say, keyboards or anything like that that can do custom stickers for the keys so that I can adapt their already made designs into a product?
Thank you all in advance for your help.
PCB Design
Plastic Enclosure Design
Interfacing with a USB port
Hardware Drivers
Also, if there is anything else that I missed that would be important please let me know.
Lastly, are there any OEM manufacturer of say, keyboards or anything like that that can do custom stickers for the keys so that I can adapt their already made designs into a product?
Thank you all in advance for your help.





RE: Help with design of computer input devices
Yes, there are, you just have to do a websearch for them.
And yes, again, you can search for manufacturers that make custom keypads and keyboards.
My question would be why? Is there such a driving need for any custom kayboard for any application? Most applications that I've seen that might have had a custom keyboard opt for custom GUI overlays and touchscreens. A typical example is restaurant wait-staff terminals.
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RE: Help with design of computer input devices
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
Good Luck
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
http://www.usb.org/developers
just a couple....
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RE: Help with design of computer input devices
The circuit is simple, USB interfaces are quite easy and add a micro and your done. I just finished a design not too long ago.
I work with several vendors on keypads, so lots of choices there as well. If your trying to sell the idea to a customer, you will want the proto to look, feel and act like the real thing. Thats why you will need to spend that much, because proto's are always expensive to build.
Drivers...for win7 you will need signed drivers. If you don't care about the VID/PID showing up as SiLabs or whomever chip is used, then they provide those. Otherwise you need to join the USB org and get your own VID then you can assign a PID as you wish. And now you will have to get the drivers signed, its not expensive, few hundred if I recall from last year.
RE: Help with design of computer input devices
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com