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keybrd/tutorials/tutorial_3a_multi-layer_keyboard.md
2016-05-28 15:16:32 -06:00

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Tutorial 3a - multi-layer keyboard

When you finish this tutorial you will be able to be able to modify a multi-layer keybrd sketch to suite your own multi-layer keyboard design.

Multi-layer nomenclature

layers are key bindings provided by the keyboard firmware. For example,

layer id - is an integer used to identify a layer.

active layer - is the layer currently used by the keyboard.

layer scheme - is a system for changing layers while typing (a single-layer scheme does not change layers).

Pseudo code for simple layer scheme

The following pseudo code has just enough detail to show how layer schemes work.

Key_Layer objects select the active layer. The "layer" variable is a layer id number. When a Key_Layer object is pressed, it tells LayerState to update the active layer.

class Key_Layer
{
    int layer
    LayerState& refLayerState
    press() { refLayerState.setActiveLayer(layer) }
}

LayerState objects keep track of the active layer. A LayerState's activeLayer is always up to date.

class LayerState
{
    int activeLayer
    setActiveLayer(int layer) { activeLayer = layer }
    getActiveLayer() { return activeLayer }
}

Key_Layered objects contain multiple Key pointers, one Key pointer for each layer. Layer ids are used like indexes to select the appropriate key. When a Key_Layered object is pressed, it gets the active layer from LayerState, and then sends the key of the active layer.

class Key_Layered
{
    Key** ptrsKeys          //array of Key pointers, one Key pointer per layer
    LayerState& refLayerState
    press() { layer = refLayerState.getActiveLayer()
              ptrsKeys[layer]->press() }
}

Dependency diagram

     +-----------+
     | Key_Layer |
     +-----------+
          |
          |setActiveLayer()
          |
          v
    +------------+
    | LayerState |
    +------------+
          ^
          |
          |getActiveLayer()
          |
    +-------------+
    | Key_Layered |
    +-------------+

Layer-scheme classes

There are several layer scheme-classes to choose from. You can view all the class definitions in the keybrd library.

Key_Layer classes include:

  • Code_LayerHold
  • Code_LayerLock

A basic LayerState class is:

  • LayerState

Key_Layered classes include:

  • Code_LayeredScSc
  • Code_LayeredCodeSc
  • Code_LayeredCodeCode
  • Key_LayeredKeysArray

Single-layer Codes

Most Code objects only have one scancode or code. They are not affected by the active layer. Example single-layer Code classes include:

  • Code_Sc
  • Code_ScS
  • Code_ScNS
  • Code_Shift
  • Code_LayerHold
  • Code_LayerLock

(Future version of keybrd library may change all Code classes to Key classes.)

A simple multi-layer keybrd sketch

The keybrd_3a_multi-layer_annotated.ino sketch uses three layer-scheme classes:

  • LayerState
  • Code_LayerHold
  • Key_LayeredKeysArray

Annotations in the sketch explain how the multi-layer feature works.

Exercises

  1. Modify the keybrd_3_multi-layer_annotated.ino sketch to use two Code_LayerLock objects.
Layout 0 1
0 a 1 b 2
1 layer0 layer1

Creative Commons License
keybrd tutorial by Wolfram Volpi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://github.com/wolfv6/keybrd/issues/new.