HID keyboard - how to send Windows GUI key

[Matthew K]

Hi guys. May I ask some questions for ble_app_hids_keyboard_pca10056_s113 project from 17.1.0 nRF5 SDK:

 How to implement Ctrl-C for HID keyboard 

Similar to this thread, I was able to send [Windows + key] hotkeys, like Windows + R = "RUN" box.

As explained in the INFO center https://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/topic/sdk_nrf5_v17.1.0/ble_sdk_app_hids_keyboard.html

"The format used for keyboard reports is the following byte array:

[modifier, reserved, Key1, Key2, Key3, Key4, Key6, Key7]"

Sending "Windows + R" is byte array = [Modifier = 0x08, 0x00, Key1 = 0x15 (R), 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00]

Windows / GUI key picture

The problem is when I send Left GUI key 0xE3 or Right GUI key 0xE7, Windows doesn't respond.

EX: send [0x00, 0x00, Key1 = 0xE3 (Left GUI), 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00] and send key release

May I ask your help how to send the Windows key using the nRF52 keyboard example? If the HID report map needs to change, let me know.

Thank you for your help!

[Sigurd]

Hi,

Could you try e.g. 0x08 as the left GUI modifier key instead of 0xE3

  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_NONE = 0x00,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_LEFT_CTRL = 0x01,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_LEFT_SHIFT = 0x02,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_LEFT_ALT = 0x04,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_LEFT_UI = 0x08,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_RIGHT_CTRL = 0x10,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_RIGHT_SHIFT = 0x20,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_RIGHT_ALT = 0x40,
  APP_USBD_HID_KBD_MODIFIER_RIGHT_UI = 0x80

[Matthew K]

Hi Sigurd. Do you mean send

[Modifier = 0x08, 0x00, Key1 = 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00]

? I tried but this doesn't work as well.

Testing the Windows hotkey (Modifier 0x08 + Key1) is working though.

What is the correct data format to "press the Windows key" to see the "Windows Start Menu"?

Thank you for your help!

[Sigurd]

Matthew K said:

What is the correct data format to "press the Windows key" to see the "Windows Start Menu"?

If you are not "modifying" anything, how about 0x00,0x00,0xE3 ?

[Matthew K]

Hi Sigurd. As mentioned in the first thread,

Matthew K said:

The problem is when I send Left GUI key 0xE3 or Right GUI key 0xE7, Windows doesn't respond.

Key press: 00 00 E3 00 00 00 00 00

Release: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

I tried this but Windows didn't show the start menu.

This start menu is NOT showing. Is there something I'm missing? Thank you for your help!

[Sigurd]

Hi,

I got 0xE3 and 0xE7 working, but I needed to change the HID report map to allow this. i.e. Logical Maximum(101) / Usage Maximum (101) changed from 0x65 to 0xe7

    static uint8_t                     report_map_data[] =
    {
        0x05, 0x01,       // Usage Page (Generic Desktop)
        0x09, 0x06,       // Usage (Keyboard)
        0xA1, 0x01,       // Collection (Application)
        0x05, 0x07,       // Usage Page (Key Codes)
        0x19, 0xe0,       // Usage Minimum (224)
        0x29, 0xe7,       // Usage Maximum (231)
        0x15, 0x00,       // Logical Minimum (0)
        0x25, 0x01,       // Logical Maximum (1)
        0x75, 0x01,       // Report Size (1)
        0x95, 0x08,       // Report Count (8)
        0x81, 0x02,       // Input (Data, Variable, Absolute)

        0x95, 0x01,       // Report Count (1)
        0x75, 0x08,       // Report Size (8)
        0x81, 0x01,       // Input (Constant) reserved byte(1)

        0x95, 0x05,       // Report Count (5)
        0x75, 0x01,       // Report Size (1)
        0x05, 0x08,       // Usage Page (Page# for LEDs)
        0x19, 0x01,       // Usage Minimum (1)
        0x29, 0x05,       // Usage Maximum (5)
        0x91, 0x02,       // Output (Data, Variable, Absolute), Led report
        0x95, 0x01,       // Report Count (1)
        0x75, 0x03,       // Report Size (3)
        0x91, 0x01,       // Output (Data, Variable, Absolute), Led report padding

        0x95, 0x06,       // Report Count (6)
        0x75, 0x08,       // Report Size (8)
        0x15, 0x00,       // Logical Minimum (0)
        0x25, 0xe7,       // Logical Maximum (101) // changed from 0x65 to 0xe7
        0x05, 0x07,       // Usage Page (Key codes)
        0x19, 0x00,       // Usage Minimum (0)
        0x29, 0xe7,       // Usage Maximum (101) // changed from 0x65 to 0xe7
        0x81, 0x00,       // Input (Data, Array) Key array(6 bytes)

        0x09, 0x05,       // Usage (Vendor Defined)
        0x15, 0x00,       // Logical Minimum (0)
        0x26, 0xFF, 0x00, // Logical Maximum (255)
        0x75, 0x08,       // Report Size (8 bit)
        0x95, 0x02,       // Report Count (2)
        0xB1, 0x02,       // Feature (Data, Variable, Absolute)

        0xC0              // End Collection (Application)
    };

[Matthew K]

Thank you so much Sigurd! Let's close this and have a great day!