Adding a numeric keypad.

As my keyboard is mounted on the wall behind the -X axis end, jogging into the middle of the x axis leaves me at arm's length, trying to see the tool piece !
It only occurred to me yesterday that a usb keypad might give me the "arm" extension I need, and perhaps I could even map an E stop to one of the keys ?

Is it this simple ?

John

Hi

See www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/compo...=21&id=14675&limit=6
for a long discussion about key mapping

As for the keypad itself, so long as it is detected OK it just inputs the same codes as your keyboard so should not be a problem.

regards

Hi Alex, and thanks.
Yes, I've been reading the link you gave me already this morning, and have my own machine in a similar position to the OP.
Taken me a little while to find a pad that actually says it is compatible with Linux, but having identified one, I'll give it a go.
As I get older, my arms seem to be getting shorter
Regards
John

Hi

You should find that you can plug in second USB keyboard and it will be detected and you can use either/both keyboards.
Same applies to a restricted keyboard ie numberpad
Very few manufacturers say their products work with Linux, because they know nothing about it.
Normally you just want one that doesn't need drivers, because a generic device like this shouldn't even for Windoze.

If you plug in whilst running tail -f /var/log/messages in a terminal, you can see if the device is recognised.

This is what I got when I plugged in a 2nd keyboard to this computer

May 10 14:01:20 INTEL-QUAD kernel: [ 1099.444019] usb 7-1: new low speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2
May 10 14:01:20 INTEL-QUAD kernel: [ 1099.620173] usb 7-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
May 10 14:01:20 INTEL-QUAD kernel: [ 1099.638462] input: CHESEN USB Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb7/7-1/7-1:1.0/input/input14
May 10 14:01:20 INTEL-QUAD kernel: [ 1099.638558] generic-usb 0003:0A81:0101.0004: input,hidraw3: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [CHESEN USB Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.1-1/input0
May 10 14:01:20 INTEL-QUAD kernel: [ 1099.668155] input: CHESEN USB Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb7/7-1/7-1:1.1/input/input15
May 10 14:01:20 INTEL-QUAD kernel: [ 1099.668274] generic-usb 0003:0A81:0101.0005: input,hidraw4: USB HID v1.10 Device [CHESEN USB Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1d.1-1/input1

regards

PS
Alex Joni's name is on all the email notifications, he set up the system.

Thanks ArcEye.
Key pad ordered, so I hope I'll be less stretched soon.
John