MotoButtons Lite DIY project!

[Jörgen]

@joncox Hi, you read my suggestion, and you have it already implemented.

That is great, thank you very much.

My parts will arrive tomorrow and I hope I can finish the MotoButtons over the weekend. I will let you know the result.

[Con Hennekens]

@joncox, great that you are here! As I understand it, you open the menu using a press-down on the joystick. Does that same method also activate the menu option you select? That would probably explain why two buttons are enough.

Another suggestion would be to make a longpress on one of the buttons switch from zooming +/- to volume +/-

I am interested, I will look into your project for sure!

[Jörgen]

So MotoButtons is ready and with some little changes working with MRA.
Zooming in/out, open menu etc. works fine.
I am not sure which mode I like more (mouse or BarButtons), I need to have praxis test.

Anyway thanks to Jon for this great project, I like it.

[Martin Wilcke]

@Jörgen Can we have some pics, please!

[Jörgen]

@Martin-Wilcke Looks like this one.

https://github.com/joncox123/MotoButtons?

[Jörgen]

@Corjan-Meijerink I build the MotoButtons and they work fine so far. The author made some changes already to improve the function.
But they are not perfect, or may be I did something wrong.
The MotoButtons are in BarButton mode as well as MRA. Moving map, zoom in out are ok, long press on the joystick Center open menu or Center map. If I am in the menu, I can move up down, but how to get out of the menu? What command is needed, or how does the BarButton do this? With another button? And how is the skip waypoint working, also with another button?
May be a BarButton owner can help.

[richtea999]

@Jörgen The BarButtons codes are here:
https://jaxeadv.com/barbuttons/using-the-barbuttons/barbuttons-user-guide-v4/

The default keymap for MRA is Keymap 1:

And here's the specific info on what Keymap 1 does in MRA:
https://jaxeadv.com/barbuttons/compatible-applications/#htoc-m

So, combining those two together, to leave the menu you need to generate an 'N' = close drawer. Which on BarButtons is button 3.

Let us know how you get on!

[Jörgen]

Here a video that explains the problem:

https://youtu.be/UYnIyIdnH_o?si=aScruJCCABUo3m7Q

[joncox]

@Jörgen I think the problem is due to keyboard layout locale in Android and iOS. I changed the "keyboard layout" from US English to German in Android 10, and I reproduced the problem you said you had on iPhone (minus key becomes "/" key).

Your problem is different on Android, however, I am almost certain it is still a keyboard layout problem. You have to also set the "keyboard layout" for the MotoButtons to US English. This will only effect the MotoButtons controller, not the rest of your system.

https://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2015/04/how-to-fix-bluetooth-keyboard-language-settings/

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/add-or-change-keyboards-iph73b71eb/ios

In hindsight, I think MRA should use keys that do not change with different keyboard layouts. In other words, using n, c, +, - is probably a bad idea. However, on a US full sized keyboard, there are two minus keys. Maybe if I send the other one, it will work correctly on US and German layouts. I wasn't sure originally which one to send.

Lastly, in KeyEventDisplay, I noticed that holding down the center button does not release the key until the button is released. This is the proper behavior in DMD2, but it triggers the internal key repeat in Android. Again, the latest firmware is working correctly for me on iPhone and Android with US layout, but maybe this is also causing an issue on your Android tablet. I could try disabling the repeat for center button long press.

By the way, I am not studying the BarButtons code because I don't think he has released it as open source. So I am not looking at it to avoid any potential copyright questions.

[Jörgen]

HI, I changed the keyboard layout as you said, but get still the black screen like in the video.
But I noticed something, when I do a long press (1-2sec.) on the center button, the first white LED is flashing. If I release the pressure then, the menu opens normal, if I press longer then LED flashing I get the black screen.

[Jörgen]

Hi, I think we got a little further and were able to pinpoint the problem a little more precisely. It has nothing to do with the keyboard layout.
The MotoButtons send key signals to MRA (n, c, +, -, left, right, up, down).
During testing, I had Google open and cold see what keys were sent to my tablet. You could see +, -, for the zoom buttons, you could see c for the center button, and you could see n for long press center and on longer press nnnnnnnnnn.
But as shown in the video, if you press n too long in MRA, MRA crashes.
The first Idea was that is an issue of the MotoButtons, then I had the idea to use a Bluetooth keyboard in MRA (in BarButton Mode).
Everything worked as expected, except when I press n longer, MRA crashes.
So I can get the same problem, like in the above video with a BT keyboard.

@Corjan-Meijerink can you take a look into this?

[Corjan Meijerink]

@Jörgen I've replied to the email thread.
The issue regarding long pressing that character has been fixed for the next (beta) update.

[Jörgen]

@Corjan-Meijerink Ok, thank you, saw the mail.

So you think that this and the other issue with BT connection have the same cause?
I will report after next update.

[Corjan Meijerink]

@Jörgen the connection crash seems very weird and not reproducible on any of our Androids / iPhones Could be your device, could be the tablet or something else

[Hubert Thoring]

@Corjan-Meijerink : BT Tasten für die MyRoute App Anwendung für Android und iPhone.

Meine Suche hat ergeben bzw. gezeigt das nur eine ges. Lösung langfristig funktioniert, da es immer wieder scheitert wenn sich Basis Themen in Software oder Hardware im Umfeld der Hersteller ändern.

Es gehört zwingend zusammen:

• MRA Navi Lösung
• BT Tasten Lösung

Beides sollte aus einem Haus / einer Entwicklung hier dann von MEA Team kommen.

Egal welche Lösung verfolgt wird, aus meiner Sicht gehört so eine BT Tastatur passend für MRA Navigation App Anwendung mit einer langfristigen Lösung für alle User auch zum Produkt der MRA ges. Lösung.

Bitte MRA Team, löst das Problem, damit alle was gutes Langfristig haben.

VG

[Jörgen]

@Corjan-Meijerink said in MotoButtons Lite DIY project!:

@Jörgen the connection crash seems very weird and not reproducible on any of our Androids / iPhones Could be your device, could be the tablet or something else

Sorry Corjan, I could reproduce on a Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 (Andr. 9 Pie) and on Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (see Video).

https://youtu.be/7crL4t3tJmE

https://youtu.be/OdLeAfN4Xlw

So I belive it is an issue.

[Con Hennekens]

It could be related, but could also not be related
What I notice about my BarButtons, is that it will not reconnect automatically a second time. After loosing connection (eg draw the power plug and re-plug it), it will not reconnect. I need to remove the connection from the phone and re-pair the unit. But the app does not get influenced by this, in my case.

[Con Hennekens]

@Hubert-Thoring said in MotoButtons Lite DIY project!:

Es gehört zwingend zusammen:

MRA Navi Lösung
BT Tasten Lösung

Why not add a dedicated hardware unit to the list...

[Corjan Meijerink]

@Jörgen I don't have this specific BT device myself.
If you would try the same with another BT controller (or just a wireless BT keyboard), doe this then also reproduce the issue?

Just to illustratie, I've testen with SilverFox, BarButtons & Carpe Iter which all worked fine on connecting / disconnecting.

[Jörgen]

@Corjan-Meijerink you are right it could be related to this BT controller. May be the update will change something.
Anyway, I have asked the developer if it possible that the controller sents something during connect/disconnect that could cause this.