Using another keyboard to use the CDU

[DN308]

Using the CDU (or the UFC) inflight with the mouse is not really easy.

 I was thinking about using another keyboard that I would be able to bind for it.

Anyone knows if it’s possible and how to do that?

Thanks in advance 

[LeCuvier]

I just tried and it was no success. The second keyboard does not show as an additional column. You can enter commands from the second keyboard, but they go to the one "Keyboard" column at the left. You can type "LShift + F10" on either keyboard but it will always go to "Labels All".
In short, the second keyboard does not have its own bindings.

I searched for a while and it seems that the VJoy software allows you to make a keyboard to emulate a game controller. I've seen VJoy mentioned a lot in the forum and it seems that many people use it. I have not tried it and I know nothing about it. Especially I don't know if it can be used with a second keyboard.
Maybe you want to give it a try.

[Fra298]

    If your goal is to enter waypoints in CDU, then you can enter coordinates using LCtrl+Lwin pressed.

[DN308]

14 minutes ago, Fra298 said:

    If your goal is to enter waypoints in CDU, then you can enter coordinates using LCtrl+Lwin pressed.

You mean pressing these bindings you can then use the letters and numpad?

[DN308]

31 minutes ago, LeCuvier said:

I just tried and it was no success. The second keyboard does not show as an additional column. You can enter commands from the second keyboard, but they go to the one "Keyboard" column at the left. You can type "LShift + F10" on either keyboard but it will always go to "Labels All".
In short, the second keyboard does not have its own bindings.

I searched for a while and it seems that the VJoy software allows you to make a keyboard to emulate a game controller. I've seen VJoy mentioned a lot in the forum and it seems that many people use it. I have not tried it and I know nothing about it. Especially I don't know if it can be used with a second keyboard.
Maybe you want to give it a try.

Ok thanks 

I’ve found another possibility (hope so), with a programmable keyboard. 
will see and tell you 

[Fra298]

1 hour ago, DN308 said:

You mean pressing these bindings you can then use the letters and numpad?

    Yes indeed.

[Yurgon]

16 hours ago, DN308 said:

I was thinking about using another keyboard that I would be able to bind for it.

Anyone knows if it’s possible and how to do that?

Like the others said, DCS (or Windows, as far as I'm aware) doesn't make any difference between multiple keyboards.

By default, for the A-10C the entire keyboard is already mapped with the LCTL + LWIN keys, so LCTL + LWIN + a types an "A" into the CDU, and so on.

If you happen to often type longer texts and take the time to map the entire keyboard with a modifier, you can also use a key as a so called "switch". I did that with CAPS LOCK. So normally, "g" toggles the landing gear, but once I press CAPS LOCK, all the letters are just typed into the CDU, including the "g" key. Another press onto CAPS LOCK and everything is back to normal.

This screenshot is from the AH-64 where I did the same thing with the Apache's Keyboard Unit:

Finally,  a word of caution: It sometimes happened to me that the modifier switch got "stuck". DCS would always type keypresses into the CDU/KU and I couldn't toggle the landing gear, the IHADSS or whatever other thing is access with a single keypress.

Once when the A-10 VMU warned me about it during final approach and I couldn't get the landing gear to come down, I realized the CDU read "ggggggggggggg". Alt-tabbing out of DCS and toggling the modifier on and off countless times didn't help. So I made it a habit to un-toggle the switch whenever I'm done typing, in order to avoid this stuck modifier problem. Unfortunately I haven't yet been able to figure out just what exactly causes the problem, that makes it hard to file a proper bug report.

But other than the stuck modifier problem, this works like a charm.

[MAXsenna]

3 hours ago, LeCuvier said:

I just tried and it was no success. The second keyboard does not show as an additional column. You can enter commands from the second keyboard, but they go to the one "Keyboard" column at the left. You can type "LShift + F10" on either keyboard but it will always go to "Labels All".
In short, the second keyboard does not have its own bindings.

I searched for a while and it seems that the VJoy software allows you to make a keyboard to emulate a game controller. I've seen VJoy mentioned a lot in the forum and it seems that many people use it. I have not tried it and I know nothing about it. Especially I don't know if it can be used with a second keyboard.
Maybe you want to give it a try.

Every keyboard connected in Windows, will be a keyboard. Like a mouse. 

To overcome this I have a (two actually) Razer macro keyboard, Cynosa V1 and V2. I went with this because it was the cheapest with individual key lighting. So, if you have configured, (or the module have it by default), keybinds with modifiers, this works very well. And the individual lighting is pretty cool, so it's basically a very cheapo button box. 

Now, I have also tried with vJoy and various other software to have the keyboards send DirectX presses. And that works like a charm, except that keystroke is not blocked, and also send to DCS. 

But now, you got me thinking. Because they are macro keyboards, I can probably have all the keys do a keystroke that is not configured in the module. Hmmm need to try that when I have the time. 

Thank you! 

Edited April 24, 2022 by MAXsenna