EasyType
Version 0.09
EasyType allows to connect a common PC keyboard to computers of Palm series. It consists of a simple circuit powered by 4 AAA batteries that is connected between a cradle and the keyboard and software installed on Palm. It offers apart from a common text input a set of advanced features that even other commercial solution do not offer.
1. EThack.prc
It is a HackMaster hack without a configuration window. Make sure it is active in order EasyType works and it is inactive when reinstalling or deleting it.
2. EasyType.prc
EasyType control panel.
On/Off activates or deactivates EasyType. When no EasyType application runs then it is possible to deactivate it by a simple pen stroke from Find
to Graffiti area or by pressing HotSync
button on a cradle (next HotSync button press starts synchronization). In both cases a beep occurs.
Sound on allows to specify a sound feedback after any key press or/and when CapsLock, NumLock or ScrollLock state changes.
Autorepeat allows to setup autorepeat speed and delay.
Layout specifies primary and secondary keyboard layout. Use ScrollLock key to switch between them. The state is signalized by ScrollLock indicator at the keyboard.
3. ETlayout.prc
Keyboard layout editor.
Main dialog window shows all available keyboard layouts.
Edit activates an editor of the selected keyboard layout. Tapping on the selected layout does the same.
Copy makes a new layout from the selected one.
Rename renames the selected layout.
Delete deletes the selected layout.
This is the keyboard layout editor. Currently edited key is drawn black in the keyboard image at the bottom of the window. Hatched keys cannot be configured. On the other side some keys (e.g. F13 - F22) cannot be displayed but configured. Tap on the key at the keyboard image or press the key on the keyboard to selected a currently configured key.
Seven text fields are used to specify a meaning of the key press together with a shift key (Shift, Ctrl, Alt, NumLock). The text field can contain any text (usually it contains only one character), keyword or their combination. Hard to write character can be written e.g. by AsciiChart. It is possible to switch between text fields by standard PalmOS pen strokes.
Normal specifies a meaning of the key press.
Shift specifies a meaning of the key press together with Shift.
Ctrl specifies a meaning of the key press together with Ctrl.
ShiftCtrl specifies a meaning of the key press together with Shift and Ctrl.
Alt specifies a meaning of the key press together with Alt.
Num specifies a meaning of the key press, when NumLock is active. If the field is empty then Normal is used.
NumShift specifies a meaning of the key press together with Shift, when NumLock is active. If the field is empty then Shift is used.
Menu items and buttons:
Accents1-4 is used to define character pairs to write accents.
Insert Keyword enters a keyword, that activates a special functions, at the cursor. The following functions are available:
[Accent1] a character entered after this function and after a next entered letter is specified by pair from a set Accent1. Used to write accents. [Accent2] a character entered after this function and after a next entered letter is specified by pair from a set Accent2. Used to write accents. [Accent3] a character entered after this function and after a next entered letter is specified by pair from a set Accent3. Used to write accents. [Accent4] a character entered after this function and after a next entered letter is specified by pair from a set Accent4. Used to write accents. [Address] presses a Palm button Address [AdjustBright] on hardware that supports a brightness setting, this function displays a dialog that allows the user to change the brightness level. On hardware that has a backlight, this function toggles the backlight. [AdjustContrast] displays the contrast adjust dialog on some Palm models only. [Application:X] launches an application X, e.g. [Application:Mail] [Backlight] switches on/off backlight [BacklightInvert]
toggles the screen backlight (if available) and inverts display [Backspace] deletes a character left to cursor [Button:A,B,...] presses a buttons starting with text A or B or ... in the active window of the running application ,e.g. [Button:Cancel,No] [BeamData] beams selected data [BeamRecOff] turns beam receive off [BeamRecOn] turns beam receive on [Calc] presses a Palm button Calc [Command] simulate a pen stroke Command, e.g.. [Command]C activates a menu item normally activated by a letter C [Copy] copies the selection and puts it into clipboard [Cut] cuts the selection and puts it into clipboard [DateBook] presses a Palm button DateBook [Down] moves the cursor down one line [EasyTypeOff] deactivates EasyType [End] moves the cursor to the end of the text [Esc] enters Esc [Find] presses a Palm button Find [Home] moves the cursor to the beginning of the text [HidePrivRec] hides private records [InvertDisplay] inverts display (usable when backlight is active) [Launcher] presses a Palm button Launcher [Left] moves the cursor left [LineEnd] moves to the end of the current line [LineHome] moves to the start of the current line [Lock] locks Palm [MemoPad] presses a Palm button MemoPad [Menu] presses a Palm button Menu [NextField] moves the cursor to the next text field [NextWord] moves back one word [Paste] pastes clipboard contents [PgDn] moves the cursor down one page [PgUp] moves the cursor up one page [Power] switches off Palm [PrevField] moves the cursor to the previous text field [PrevWord] moves forward one word [Return] enters Return (new line) [Right] moves the cursor left [SelAll] selects the entire text [SelEnd] extends the selection to the end of the text [SelHome] extends the selection to the beginning of the text [SelLeft] extends the selection one character to the left [SelLineEnd] extends the selection to the end of the current line [SelLineHome] extends the selection to the start of the current line [SelPrevWord] extends the selection back one word [SelRight] extends the selection one character to the right [SelNextWord] extends the selection forward one word [ShowPrivRec] shows private records [Tab] enters Tab [ToggleBeamRec] toggles beam receive on/off [TogglePrivRec] shows/hides private records [ToDo] presses a Palm button ToDo [Undo] reverses last action at the text field [Up] moves the cursor up one line [WarmReset] performs a soft reset [[] enter character [ Various complex actions can be constructed using functions. E.g. [Right][Backspace] deletes a character right to cursor or [LineHome][SelLineEnd][Right][BackSpace] deletes a whole line.
Insert Application enters a name of the application at the cursor. It is used with function [Application:X].
Done saves changes of the last edited key, terminates editing and jumps to the main window.
This is the definition of the character pairs used to write accents. Each pair consists of the first character that pressed after a key used to write accents (with function Accent1-4) and from the second character that is a result of the previous two key presses. The previous picture shows pairs used to write some Czech characters.
EasyType offers 4 sets of pair used to write accents. Each set can be used to write a different accents. E.g. in case of Czech keyboard they are used to write acute, caron, ring and "umlaut".
New is used to create a new pair. It opens a dialog window New Pair. Use From a To to enter the characters of the pair.
Delete deletes a selected pair.
Done ends the definition of the pairs.
4. *.pdb
These files are predefined standard (based on MS Windows keyboard layouts) keyboard layouts. They can be of course modified or used to create new keyboard layouts.
5. EasyType.exe
This is the simulation of the EasyType hardware running on Windows NT or Windows 9x in order to test EasyType without having real HW. HotSync Manager must be terminated in order to free a serial port. Then start EasyType.exe. When a cradle is not connected to the other port than COM1 then start simulation EasyType n where n is a port number. The simulation ignores key and key combinations reserved by MS Windows (e.g. PrintScreen, Alt+Tab, ...) and also keys from a numeric keyboard work only when NumLock is active under Windows. A warning saying that the EasyType was not detected is displayed because the simulation is not 100% substitution of the real HW. Please ignore the warning.
Exit terminates program (Alt+F4 works too).
Paste send Windows clipboard content to the Palm like it was written on the Palm. When entering extended ASCII characters make sure the same character coding is used on both systems.
The following picture shows HW schematics for Palm PDAs.
HW adapter consists of power supply, one version of the keyboard connector and CPU with serial interface. We do not offer a build adapter nor software for microcontroller, but try to ask about other possibilities (sending preprogrammed microcontroller).
EasyType can be easily adapted for Handspring Visor PDAs. Handspring uses for its PDAs serial interface TTL voltage level, not RS-232, so there can be omited interface circuit with transistors T1 and T2. Serial interfaces of microcontroller and PDA are linked together only via protective resistors. No buffers for voltage level matching are required. See fig. 1 - schematics.
HW adapter (CPU and Interface part only) for Visor (pin #10 of IC1 connected
to GND and pin #20 to Vcc)
The Visor's connector differs from cradle connectors used for other Palm-based devices. You can use new connector made by ATL Technology or connect EasyType using original USB cradle, delivered with Visor. In this case, the organizer is held in good position for viewing, while typing on keyboard.
Open the cradle - unfasten three screws (two screws are hidden under front adhesive rubber pads). Inside cradle there are soldering pads connected with a springs. Using thin four-wire cable with a connector, lead the signals No. 1, 21), 4 and 8 out of the cradle.
Figure 2.
| Pin | Signal | Type | Description |
| 1 | RxD | In | Serial input |
| 2 | HS2~/KBD~ | In | This active-low pin is held low in order to indicate the presence of a external input device. Used for determinig of USB / Serial HotSync. |
| 3 | HS1~ | In | Input for HotSync button. Grounding HS1 initiates HotSync process |
| 4 | GND | Power | Ground - 0V |
| 5 | USB_D- | In/Out | Negative differential USB line |
| 6 | USB_D+ | In/Out | Positive differential USB line |
| 7 | VDOCK | Power | External power supply +5V for charging Springboard expansion modules. |
| 8 | TxD | Out | Serial output |
| Signals marked ~ are active in L | |||
Note: 1) Signal 2 (HS2~) is not required for EasyType, it can be useful for synchronising via serial line for MS Win95 users. Description of Serial HotSync adapter you can be found here.
* Version 0.09
(16/10/01)
- added English (British) keyboard layout created by Kevin Horden
* Version 0.08
- added 12 new functions (BeamData, InvertDisplay, ToggleBeamRec, BeamRecOn,
BeamRecOff, TogglePrivRec, ShowPrivRec, HidePrivRec, AdjustContrast,
AdjustBright, WarmReset, BacklightInvert)
- new Spanish/Latin American keyboard layout from Frederick G. Turner
- EasyType HW emulation for Linux from Mac A. Cody written using TCL
- developed with prc-tools 2.0
* Version 0.07
- new ISO Czech layouts made by Vladimir Hruby
- binaries not changed at all (version 0.05)
* Version 0.06
- key Num9 at all layouts wrote 8, fixed
- binaries not changed at all (version 0.05)
* Version 0.05
- small fix at ET Layout
* Version 0.04
- small fixes and optimizations
* Version 0.03
- functions [LineHome], [LineEnd], [SelLineHome], [SelLineEnd]
- ET Layout - movement from a field to another field by a pen stroke
- EasyType.exe - icon, small window, one instance, Paste
- small fixes and optimizations
* Version 0.02
- deactivation of EasyType by a pen stroke or HotSync button
- function [EasyTypeOff]
- EasyType.exe - Alt and Break work
- small fixes and optimizations
* Version 0.01
- 1st release
Known limits and errors
- [(Sel)LineHome], [(Sel)NextWord], [(Sel)PrevWord] do not work well on the wrapped line after a last word
Last Updated 16 October 2001
