User manual

PoKeys user manual

www.poscope.com

1. Description

PoKeys products line consists of simple, easy-to-use USB and network devices with the extended list

of features making them powerful input/output devices. PoKeys55, PoKeys56U and PoKeys57U

devices also incorporate a virtual USB keyboard and joystick with a simple setup. PoKeys devices

enable user to design specially built robust computer interfaces. The devices are highly adjustable

and as such require no complex knowledge on device programming. Virtual USB keyboard supports

emulation of single key presses or various programmable series of keys (keyboard macro sequences)

while virtual USB joystick emulation supports mapping of analog inputs to joystick axes and mapping

of digital inputs to joystick buttons. All peripherals can be tested via included software with highly

intuitive graphical user interface. Chosen settings can be stored on device, so no special software is

needed on target system.

If additional input and output capabilities are needed, the devices provide 55 digital 5V tolerant

inputs or outputs, 5 10-bit analog inputs (on PoKeys55) / 7 12-bit analog inputs (on PoKeys56 and

PoKeys57 series devices) with adjustable software low-pass filter and one 10-bit analog output (on

PoKeys55). These are complemented with 6 high-speed fully configurable PWM (pulse width

modulation) outputs. User can freely set PWM period and PWM duty cycles. PWM module runs at 12

MHz (on PoKeys55) / 25 MHz (on PoKeys56 and PoKeys57 series devices) and allows high-speed

output switching.

PoKeys devices also support up to 25 pairs of quadrature encoder signal inputs for which can be

freely connected to any of the 55 inputs on PoKeys devices. These inputs increment or decrement

the counters that can be read via provided software of other third-party applications. Changes in

those signals can trigger virtual keyboard presses on USB versions of PoKeys devices. PoKeys devices

also support three additional fast encoders, when higher frequencies of the quadrature encoder

signals are in use. PoKeys56 and PoKeys57 series devices add additional support for one ultra-fast

quadrature encoder signal that can handle even greater frequencies of these signals with ease.

In the cases when the application requires more than 55 inputs or outputs, PoKeys devices have the

inbuilt support for matrix keyboards sized up to 16x8 with freely assignable key codes for virtual USB

keyboard, while the PoExtBus bus feature adds the support for additional 80 digital outputs.

PoKeys devices also support hd44780-compatible character LCD displays and two serially driven 8x8

matrix LED displays.

Third-party application developers that are adding the support for PoKeys devices, are encouraged to

use the supplied communication DLL that can be simply used in the different .NET framework based

applications and various other programming languages that provide support for ActiveX interface.

There is even an open-source cross-platform C library available at https://bitbucket.org/mbosnak/pokeyslib.

To aid developers that are communicating with PoKeys devices on the low-level, the extensive

documentation on device communication protocol can be downloaded free of charge from the

product webpage.