Combination keyboard and mouse

The object of this thesis is design and construction of a device that can replace a standard keyboard and mouse. The history of the standard keyboard is presented and the most known alternative the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard is described. The basic principals that August Dvorak used in designing his keyboard are also used in our design. In other to achieve this the knowledge of the characteristics of Slovenian language are required. The characteristics that we require to design our keyboard are presented in this work. This keyboard does not employ a full set of keys, it is a cording keyboard because characters are derived from combinations of keys. The procedure used to design our keyboard is also given in this thesis. The development of a keyboard requires knowledge of the USB protocol and the standard HID that defines a class of devices named Human Interface Devices. The requirements that the device has to meet to successfully communicate over the Universal Serial Bus. The descriptors that help the host learn about the device are also briefly explained. A full design of the keyboard and mouse based around the Microchip's PIC18F4550 microcontroler serves as an example for the realization of the device. The circuits needed to build a functional device connected to the USB are listed and the basic program is outlined as are the specific parts and code that are used in this project.