TinyPilot Voyager 1 & 2 working KVM
I have been working with the TinyPilot Voyager versions 1 & 2 and have found both work perfectly with MT-VIKI 4-port KVM.
Using my physical keyboard or the TinyPilot on-screen keyboard I am able to use the Home-Home-number keys combination to switch between devices connected to the KVM.
I know on some KVM's you have to plug the data cable into the regular hub and not the keyboard slot.
The MT-VIKI plugs into the keyboard USB slot, leaving the USB ports open for other devices to be plugged in
MT-VIKI 4 Port KVM Switch Hotkey HDMI w/ 4 USB Cables & 4 HDMI Cables 4K 30Hz w/ 2 USB Hubs for U Disk and Printer
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0871YHZ8V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
As a side note, I was test the TinyPilot devices while connected to my Zerotier network.
Thanks,
Mike
Linked from:
Michael Lynch @michael2022-01-19 20:20:56.600ZThanks for reporting this, @mike!
I've added your report to the curated list of KVM compatibility on our wiki:
https://github.com/tiny-pilot/tinypilot/wiki/KVM-compatibility
Have you successfully used mouse functionality through that KVM as well?
Wow you must be a mind-reader because I was just creating a new topic about my mouse.
I was going to use a separate topic because I think this is not related to the 4-port KVM.Yes the mouse works for left-clicking, but I am having an issue when I try to right-click.
This happens whether I'm using the hub or not and it happens to both versions of the Voyager.
Both Voyager boxes have had the latest update applied to them.
I am connecting through the Chrome browser.In the image below I right-click on an icon on the remote computer and my local operating system acknowledge this right-click and responded.
You can see in the attached picture the darker menu is my local operating system and the gray menu behind is the remote system.
I have to hit escape to release the local operating system and then I am able to work with the remote system right-click menu.
Michael Lynch @michael2022-01-24 22:45:36.018ZHmm, this shouldn't happen.
Here's what I see in Chrome:
Can you try this in an incognito window or a different browsers? It looks like you have a lot of browser extensions installed, so one of them might be interfering with the right click behavior.
You are correct, the right-click does work in the Edge browser or in Chrome's Incognito window.
I forgot that I had an extension installed which enabled the right-click to work in websites where right-clicking is not a feature.
Disabling the extension and restarting Chrome fixed my problem.
Thanks for calling me out on that one!
- In reply tomichael⬆:
As an aside, I think I’ve found a workaround for the “cheap KVM backfeeds power and stops TinyPilot from booting” problem.
I got one of these KVMs from Amazon. KVM Switch HDMI 2 in 1 Out Box, 2... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08FJ6DPGF?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
When I tried to cold start the TinyPilot with it attached to two live video sources the TinyPilot Ethernet lights didn’t flash and it wouldn’t start. If I unplugged the KVM HDMI out cable, cold started TinyPilot, and waited for the Ethernet to start flashing, I could then plug it in and things started to work properly. No problem with hot key switching and the emulated keyboard and mouse worked fine.
I then tried putting a 1* 2 HDMI splitter I bought from Amazon in 2015 between the KVM and TinyPilot. With this in place I could cold start TinkyPilot properly and everything continues to work properly.
This isn’t exactly the same thing as what I tried, but might be possible to try.
Panlong HDMI Splitter 1 In 2 Out v1.4 2 Port Powered Amplifier 1x2 with UHD 4K, 3D 1080P, HD Audio, HDCP Support https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00QLW2MHA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_F194RGWBKFB2EC18RA90
- FIn reply tomike⬆:@F1Power
If you plug into the rear USB keyboard, you can switch via Hotkeys to switch between PC inputs but lose Virtual Media
If you plug into USB 1 or USB2 you have the virtual media but lose the Hotkeys to switch between PC inputsIs there anyway to have both???
Can we tap into the second input and run a cable to the USB1 as well as the default data/power to the rear USB keyboard input?
- Michael Lynch @michael2022-01-31 19:14:47.792Z
No, unfortunately only one USB port is capable of emulating a USB device. The Voyager has other USB ports, but they work only in host-mode, meaning that they just accept USB devices instead of being able to emulate them in connecting to another machine.
- Ccd slash @cd_slash
Having to choose between hotkey support and virtual storage is a real frustration. Are there any workarounds or other kvm devices that can support both simultaneously? The wiki suggests not, but seems worth asking.
David @david2022-12-16 12:41:00.684ZAre there any workarounds or other kvm devices that can support both virutal storage and hotkeys simultaneously?
Unfortunately, we don't have much experience with different KVM devices. So I can't give any suggestions about supported features on KVMs beyond our KVM wiki (which was created using info from other users' experience).
Having said that, the key for compatibility with other KVMs seems to be that they accept USB hubs for their USB input - rather than separate keyboard / mouse inputs. So if there's a KVM that can access media from a USB hub, it may allow you to use virtual media alongside hotkey functionality. But I'm not 100% sure here.
- In reply tocd_slash⬆:
(Revisiting this old thread, since there is some progress on this front as I spend a bit more time in the office now)
Some KVMs have a headphone jack-sized port on them that supports an external trigger switch to swap video and keyboard connections. If you don’t mind a bit of simple hardware hacking, on units that don’t have one you can try adding your own port via jumpering off a push button toggle or other trigger with a bit of soldering and wires.
Combined with the instructions I posted, you should be able to indirectly control the KVM input selection with an external relay. This means you would no longer be stuck with keyboard hot switching and no USB Mass Storage emulation.
Give it a go and see how you do.
- DIn reply tomike⬆:diegomontoya @diegomontoya
Warning. We bought the KVM per this review but we can confirm it does not work as designed with tinypilot. By itself, the KVM has zero issues but connected to 2.3.2 of TinyPilotPro has two issues
1
) Video will go down. Only complete power off of 4port kvm will video come back up
2) KVM hotkey switches does not work and command will actually cause problem 1) again.Conclusion: utterly not compatible.
- Michael Lynch @michael2022-02-22 19:08:28.822Z
Have you tried combining it with an HDMI splitter as @barrym suggests?
You can also try disabling virtual media, as that improves compatibility with some KVMs.
- Progress
- MMWB @mike
Another compatible device I would like to add to your list is the X-keys 80 key programmable keyboard.
Since I have issues with tremors in my hands I program a lot of the things I type the most into this device.I read on the forum where people were asking you to be able to create and save macros.
This device does a great job of sending actual keystrokes through to the remote TinyPilot.There are several ways you can setup the keys such as programming actual keystrokes, blocks of text or creating shortcut keys.
Each of the key caps have a little lens on top that you can pop off and slip in your own label.One of the features I like the most is when I am in full screen mode I can send the Ctrl-Alt-Del command without having to minimize the window and go back to the TinyPilot menu shortcut key.
Https://www.amazon.com/X-Keys-Programmable-Keypads-Keyboards-XKE-128/dp/B003MB780E?th=1
I do also use another less expensive device ELSRA USB Wired Programming Numeric Keypad ControlPad
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079BTFFQN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
when you plug this device into your computer if the mode light is "Green" it works as a number pad.
Pushing the mode button changes it to "Red" and causes your programed keys to become active.Both devices come with their own programming software.
- Michael Lynch @michael2022-01-21 21:42:21.426Zreplies tomike⬆:
Oh, thanks for sharing that! I don't have a list yet of compatible keyboards, but I'll keep this in mind if I get a request for keyboard macros.
One of the features I like the most is when I am in full screen mode I can send the Ctrl-Alt-Del command without having to minimize the window and go back to the TinyPilot menu shortcut key.
Can you share more details about this? Is the programmable keyboard just sending its own Ctrl+Alt+Del keys? Because I'd expect the OS to capture that before it reaches the browser. Do you have it set up to send raw keystrokes directly to TinyPilot's websockets endpoint?
- M
the X-keys is a programmable macro pad that I use for inserting text or keystrokes/functions (i.e. F12).
When I am connecting remotely to the TinyPilot, I press a key to send commands then I can see the individual characters typed out of the remote screen.
This is good if you have any latency in your connection.Whether I am in Chrome's Incognito mode or just in a regular Chrome tab anything I send with this macro pad does not go to the local OS and goes directly through to the TinyPilot.
When I am not clicked into a TinyPilot remote session, the keypad does work on my local machine but it won't respond to the key I programmed as Ctrl-Alt-Del.
My guess is there's enough delay between the programmed keys that my Windows 10 sees them as separate keystrokes instead of all in one.
The programed key for all Ctrl-Alt-Del does a great job when sending the command to the remote TinyPilot in full screen mode.When I am in a TinyPilot remote session, typing on the keyboard is not picked up by the local OS.
I am assuming that's because the focus of the input is all directed towards the remote session.
So this macro pad is just behaving in the same manner as the keyboard does.Since I have tremors in both hands it is very handy to have the most used phrases and commands programmed into this macro pad.
Using this macro pad with my dictation software, I can really cut down on the amount of typing I need to do on the keyboard. - Michael Lynch @michael2022-01-31 19:40:09.271Zreplies tomike⬆:
Oh, I think I understand how it works now.
My guess is that the keyboard triggers a message to MacroWorks, and then MacroWorks sends the keystrokes to the active window in software rather than hardware. That would allow MacroWorks to pass OS-reserved keystrokes (like Ctrl+Alt+Del) to TinyPilot's Chrome window without the OS capturing it first.
Thanks for the additional details!