Stop EZ-Key Continuous Key Press

[ButchSLP]

I'm really amateur at this so please bear with me. I'm trying to use the EZ-Key to make a switch interface for the iPad. This would be used for nonverbal students with limited mobility to access the iPad with a single switch. I can get the EZ Key to pair and the iPad to recognize key presses, but I need the key press to stop after the switch is pressed. My students can't release a switch quickly which causes continuous key press activations. For example, the student activates the "I want drink" cell in an app, but because he or she can't release the switch quickly enough the iPad says, "I want drink . . . I want drink . . . I want drink . . ." and so on

Is there a way I can program the EZ Key to just do one key press no matter how long the switch is pressed? I've never really done any programming so please make it as simple as possible. Thanks.

[adafruit_support_rick]

Key repeats are a function of the iPad - they don't come from the EZ-Key. The EZ-Key issues a "key-down" when the switch is pressed, and a "key_up" when it is released. I don't know if there's any way to disable key-repeats on the iPad.

[ButchSLP]

Is it possible to make the EZ Key do a key-down then a key-up without releasing the input (switch)? If not, does anyone out there know a way that I can make what I need - a Bluetooth switch interface to access selections on an iPad?

I currently have and use a Bluetooth iOS interface made by RJ Cooper company. It costs $115. I was hoping I could make my own for much cheaper. Also, this interface makes a ~1 or a ~3 when a switch is pressed. I can't figure out how to remap the EZ Key to make a tilde (~) symbol.

Thanks for any answers.

[adafruit_support_bill]

The EZ-Key has a serial port that allows you to transmit keycodes via Bluetooth: http://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-b ... via-serial
You can connect a microcontroller to that port and program it to send whatever keycodes you want.

[ButchSLP]

Thanks for bearing with my noobness. I'm a speech therapist, but like learning new skills. Anyway, if I'm right I can use a Teensy 2.0 as my microcontroller. I'm not sure about the connections, though. Does the TX from the EZ Key go to the RX of the Teensy, and the RX of the EZ Key go to the TX of the Teensy? I've been using a 9 volt battery to power the EZ Key. Would it be ok for me to keep the 9 volt on the EZ Key and use the 3v pin to power the Teensy? I'm trying to keep this setup as compact as possible. Maybe with more experience and once I get it working correctly I'll try to connect a LiPo. Thanks.

[adafruit_support_rick]

That all sounds right!

[adafruit_support_bill]

Does the TX from the EZ Key go to the RX of the Teensy, and the RX of the EZ Key go to the TX of the Teensy? I've been using a 9 volt battery to power the EZ Key. Would it be ok for me to keep the 9 volt on the EZ Key and use the 3v pin to power the Teensy?

Be sure to also connect from GND on the EZ Key to GND on the Teensy.

[ButchSLP]

I hate to do this but I’m going to need someone to walk me through this. My objective is to use the EZ Key with attached Teensy 2.0 to allow a switch press to make a ~1 on an iPad. Certain apps are set up to use ~1, along with some others, to activate voice output messages. It also needs to input ~1 just once for each switch press no matter how long it is pressed.

Anyway, I can successfully pair the EZ key to the iPad and I can successfully load code onto the Teensy. I don’t know how to write the code I need. I also don’t understand which pin will control the switch in this setup. Does the Teensy select one of the pins on the EZ Key or do I use a pin on the Teensy to connect the switch?

Thanks for any help.

[adafruit_support_rick]

Since you want to eliminate key repeats, you would attach the button to the Teensy. Program the Teensy to determine when the button is pressed and when it is released, but only send the single key command to the EZ-Key.

I can't really give you a programming course here in the forums. You might want to start with our Learn Arduino tutorials to get up to speed.
https://learn.adafruit.com/lesson-0-getting-started
Lesson 6 discusses input from buttons.
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ard ... tal-inputs