usb keyboard emulator (but software:) [modified]

[Krzysztof Gorgolewski]

hi out there, i don't know if i'm at the right place with my problem, but i will try. i tried weeks ago some times the usb forum (http://www.usb.org/phpbb/index.php) but these nice guys are not activating any new user accounts :( ok, is it possible to make an usb keyboard emulation, that means connecting 2 pc over usb or rs232 to usb, one pc has no keyboard and will be feeded with keyboard signals from the other pc over the usb connection... if yes, has any one good hints (internet pages, etc) how to do it? regards criss -- modified at 10:50 Monday 10th September, 2007

[Dan Neely]

The key strokes can be captured and injected at the source/destination PCs using global system hooks, but you can't just run a 'USB crossover cable' between them and call it done. You absolutely would need to write device drivers and AFAIK you'd also need a hardware device of some sort in the middle. Sending the data via ethernet would be much easier, and if for some reason the machines don't have ethernet cards and can't have them added you can buy USB to ethernet adaptors.

-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.

[Krzysztof Gorgolewski]

hm... so such a hardware device is definitively necessary because a direct usb-usb or rs232-usb connection is not possible (electric/hardware/conversion issues)? also if all the device driver stuff is done? regards, criss

[Dan Neely]

You could use a pair of USB-RS232 adapters and an RS232 cable without needing any to write any drivers and just use standard rs232 code. But be forewarned USB-RS232 adapters have a reputation of both being flaky and only implementing the more common parts of the spec.

-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.