Sure, here was some days off.
I wasn't aware of your KADE project at all when we started the work on Key Strike. The Key Strike was born since I wanted to make a keyboard encoder alone coming from our Dual Strike Project.
http://joca-tech.de/Arcadeforge/product_info.php?products_id=17We was making this Dual Strike Project some years ago. I think it`s now 3 or 4 years old and used the V-USB framework. We extended the V-USB lib because it was not fast enough, the PS3 and xbox1 gave some issues also. We made our own bootloader plus firmware that supports PS3, xbox1, PC Game Controller HID, PC Keyboard HID with four different Keyboard to Button Layouts. Since there is no place left on the device for more features and the V-USB in only a software based USB solution we`re headed to Keyboard only solution. The Dual Strike is open source and you linked it already on your forum.
The Key Strike USB core schematic was born some time ago while making led controller stuff with 32teeth and purplearms.
We shared our project ideas on platform called Strike Devices
http://strike-devices.net32teeth made a nice led controller board called sparky based on Arduino. First he used FTDI interface for programming the LED button color. After some month he came up with an board layout based on Arduino Leonardo which supports USB by hardware (ATmega32U4).
I`ve stripped some parts of his design like some debug leds, fuse, replaced the clock parts and extended the size of the board. Additionally I`ve added screw terminals for the buttons signals and added the arduino led.
Then I made a layout for the key strike based on the development board AVR USB KEY 2 based on AT90USB1287. We discussed ages about the pro and cons of both approaches but finally decided on Arduino approach because the half of the bootloader stuff was already offered in the arduino libs. So we scratched the AVR USB KEY approach.
Neanwhile Michael got very ill and all firmware project stands still for several month. After that he had a time out and then he started his diploma thesis
.
Michael programmed a new compatible Arduino Bootloader, because we want Firmware upload on the fly and programming of new button mapping just with one click. He also extended the Keyboard HID to make it able to allow at least 30 button press at same time. We needed this adaption for the 30 concurrent button press because we want to make a 2 player version.
I wanted to wait with the release of the 2 player version pictures, but here they`re.
The firmware for 2 player projects has some other need than just 1 player. Michael did a short review of your code and saw that your keyboard implementation foresees 8 button presses at same time. So I assume that you`re not going to make 2 player version?
So, this is the project history. I don't know what you made thinking the Key Strike is a copy of the KADE.
Key Strike will support
- complete hardware on one board. Yours is a sort of piggyback with a third party board. From a legal point of view I`ve to release only products that are WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) compliant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electronic_Equipment_DirectiveThe WEEE thing is a big topic here in EU and I prefer to be conform with that stuff. For me is also a big financial drawback because it`s very expensive and I`ve to fill out monthly reports and such.
- 2 Player Version : maybe the biggest difference from the KADE
- no support of consoles out of the box. We`ve the Dual Strike for the consoles ps3, xbox1 plus a padhack interface.
- partly Arduino compatible : The Key Strike can be recognized as Arduino Leonardo Board. So it can be used as Arduino development board and projects like PS2 or nes converter can be used quite easy.
For me I`m very happy that you`re giving me the chance to tell the differences about my projects. The last thing I had in mind when doing Key Strike was the KADE
