NUCLEO-F446RE interfacing with PS2 Keyboard

[Professor_Berlin]

Hello,

I'm new to STM32 MCU and have just started learning about them. I want to interface the PS2 keyboard with the NUCLEO-F446RE board. I don't know what hardware will I require to do it. Will I be requiring any adapter board for it?

Please help me.

[Andrew Neil]

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@Professor_Berlin wrote:

I'm new to STM32 MCU and have just started learning about them. 

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Are you familiar with any other microcontroller(s)?

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@Professor_Berlin wrote:

I want to interface the PS2 keyboard 

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Are you familiar with interfacing to PS/2 keyboards? Do you know how the interface works?

Before jumping into legacy interfaces like PS/2, I'd suggest you start by gaining familiarity with the STM32 and its basic features:

• Blinking an LED just using GPIO
• Blinking an LED just using timers
• Reading a switch via GPIO
• Using a UART
• Using the debugger

These are all things you'll need in order to support PS/2 ...

[SofLit · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Don't know what do you need behind that: learning about PS2 protocol or just using an external Keyboard no matter its interface?

If case 1, I think you need to google it: Ex: https://github.com/ppelikan/stm32-ps2-touchpad/tree/main/touchpad

If case 2: I suggest you to use USB keyboard and USB-OTG interface of your MCU. Unfortunately, NUCLEO-F446RE doesn't have that USB connector on it but NUCLEO-F446ZE have (in USB-HID mode). 

[Professor_Berlin]

Hello @Andrew Neil,

As you mentioned I have covered most of the basics of the STM32 MCUs in the past few months. I got my hands on the PIC MCU, 8051 and now I have moved to the STMs. And in my journey I like the STMs the most.

Now I'm really curious about how to interface the PS2 Keyboard with the STM32. I saw a couple of youtube videos as well as read posts on multiple forums about it. But I didn't found anything.

Please guide me through it. I will be really benificial for me.

Thank you.

[Pavel A.]

We've done this, with few GPIOs and interrupt. On a F446 too, but custom board. Do you plan to use a RTOS?

[Andrew Neil]

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@Professor_Berlin wrote:

I'm really curious about how to interface the PS2 Keyboard with the STM32.

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Exactly the same way you'd go about interfacing it to a PIC or an 8051 - or any other microcontroller!

http://www.8052mcu.com/forum/read/160143

[Professor_Berlin]

Yes I will be using RTOS. If you have any documentation or a sample code for the interface please share it with me.

[Andrew Neil]

Do you have any experience working with RTOS?

I would suggest that you get the basics working before adding the extra concerns of an RTOS ...

[Andrew Neil]

You could work through this series of videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnMKNibPkDnGtuIl5v0CvC81Am7SKpj02

It's based on a NUCLEO-F401RE board, but you should be able to get the idea ...

Or maybe get yourself a NUCLEO-F401RE board to follow exactly?