No mouse when connecting TinyPilot via AIMOS KVM

In case you need this info:

Software versions
TinyPilot version: 2.4.1 3893245
uStreamer version: v4.13 61ab2a8
OS version: Linux tinypilot 5.10.63-v7l+ #1496 SMP Wed Dec 1 15:58:56 GMT 2021 armv7l GNU/Linux

Hi David,

So in our tests, the AIMOS KVM worked perfectly, including hotkeys. That's why this device is in the KVM compatibility list.

• Do you get the same behavior on both USB hub ports?
• Are you able to use hotkey switching successfully if you plug a real keyboard into the USB hub port?
• Are you using the cables that you purchased from TinyPilot?

Hi,

I tried both USB hub ports, same issue.

If I plug a real keyboard into either of the USB hub ports hotkey switching doesn't work. If I plug a real keyboard into the keyboard or mouse USB ports, hotkey switching works correctly.

I am using the cables that were supplied with the TinyPilot.

Hey David,

The guys at DBTech made a review of TinyPilot + splitter + AIMOS KVM about a year ago, and hotkeys worked for them. Check this video for details (NOTE: he is using a Voyager 1, but that shouldn't be a problem, just ignore that part -- you can see how he is plugging the TinyPilot USB DATA cable into the keyboard port of the AIMOS KVM).

Considering the following:

• Hotkeys do not work if you plug a real keyboard into any of the hub ports in the AIMOS KVM.
• Hotkeys work if you connect a real keyboard to the keyboard port in the AIMOS KVM.
• The video from DBTech shows they plugged the TinyPilot USB DATA cable into the keyboard port in the AIMOS KVM, and they show that the hotkeys do work.

I would say we should go ahead and try connecting the TinyPilot USB DATA cable to the keyboard port in the AIMOS KKVM, instead of a hub port. Can you try that for me, please?

Hi, this is becoming a circular discussion.

The YouTube video you reference, "Expand Your TinyPilot to Support MULTIPLE Devices" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBMGGnwWmqI) is the one that inspired me to try connecting the TinyPilot to a KVM. In fact, I purchased the same AIMOS KVM as is used in the video because it was shown to work successfully - albeit using an older version of the TinyPilot. I followed the steps in that video and connected the data cable of the TinyPilot to the USB keyboard port on the AIMOS.

When I plug the TinyPilot USB data cable into the keyboard port of the AIMOS KVM, the keyboard works correctly, but the mouse does not. Any attempt to move the mouse results in the mouse pointer "jiggling" around in the bottom-right corner of the screen, but not moving from that corner. Left and right mouse clicks work but mouse movement does not.

Note that I've also tried different mice on my remote "administration" PC that is connected to the same network as the TinyPilot (both hard wired via Ethernet to the same switch), Bluetooth mice, and ones physically connected to the admin PC via USB. I got the same results, the mouse pointer couldn't be controlled. I've also tested different PCs running Windows 10 and Windows 11, and two different HDMI splitters, the first one being a similar model to the one used in the video.

If I plug the TinyPilot USB data cable into either of the USB hub ports on the AIMOS KVM, then the mouse and keyboard function correctly, but the hotkeys do not.

As previously stated, when I plug a real keyboard into the keyboard or mouse ports of the AIMOS KVM, it is able to hotkey switch between PCs connected to the AIMOS.

I'll be trying a potential workaround to this issue, by plugging a wireless "keyboard injector" device into the USB keyboard port of the AIMOS KVM, which should enable me to remotely switch the AIMOS via WiFi. This would fix the problem, but I'm still curious as to why the TinyPilot can't do this - power, interference, code...?

Hello David - I apologize for the late reply. I also apologize for pointing to the video you had already seen.

So I believe hotkey switching is never going to work on any of the USB hub ports. You tried connecting a real keyboard to those ports and hotkey switching didn't work. I don't see how it is going to work with the TinyPilot if it didn't work with a real keyboard. In fact, I think the only ports able to initiate hotkey switching are the USB keyboard and USB mouse ports.

If you want to give it a try, I looked for an older version of init-usb-gadget (the file TinyPilot uses with the settings to impersonate a keyboard and mouse). The DBTech guys published their video on May 4, 2021, so I looked for around that date. Let me know if this works for you. If it doesn't, I'm afraid I don't know what else to try.

The idea is to see if this old code (same as it was when it worked for the DBTech guys), works for you. You would need to connect the TinyPilot USB DATA cable into the AIMOS USB keyboard port, run the commands below, and see if the mouse is usable (and of course, if hotkey switching works).

PROCEDURE -> Just copy the below snippet into a terminal.

cd /opt/tinypilot-privileged/ && \
  sudo mv init-usb-gadget init-usb-gadget.original  && \
  sudo wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tiny-pilot/ansible-role-tinypilot/e5ca542946efa0e97a67e1380d323dc77a0b9452/files/init-usb-gadget && \
  sudo chmod +x init-usb-gadget && \
  sudo reboot

FALLBACK -> If it doesn't work, please run the following snippet to revert the changes:

cd /opt/tinypilot-privileged/ && \
  sudo mv init-usb-gadget.original init-usb-gadget && \
  sudo chmod +x init-usb-gadget && \
  sudo reboot

Applying these changes appears to have "bricked" my TinyPilot. I no longer have video output, even when connecting the TinyPilot directly to a single PC without using the AIMOS and HDMI splitter at all. I ran the fallback to reinstate the original init-usb-gadget but it didn't fix the problem.

Looks like I will have to reinstall the OS. I am still able to access the TinyPilot via ssh. I've tried several restarts.

Hi David - I'm very sorry, I missed one line in the snippets. I have updated the commands in my post above, for if you want to give it another go.

Although I'm not sure why you lost video capture (since nothing in the snippets touch anything related to video), I believe you should be able to fix your TinyPilot by doing:

cd /opt/tinypilot-privileged/ && \
sudo chmod +x init-usb-gadget && \
sudo reboot