Driver Station custom interface to operator panel

[brettbbonner]

Use an Arduino Leonardo (or similar Arduino that can act as a USB HID device) and custom circuitry and software to build an operator-interface board. This would replace the current set of E-Stop Robotics interface boards (for inputs) and Arduino Uno (for LED output). The idea would be to build several such interface boards to allow for multiple different operator panels to exist.

The ideal interface board would:

• provide screw terminal connections for hooking up buttons/switches, joysticks/sliders/knobs, and LEDs
• use a driver board such as https://www.adafruit.com/product/1429 to support a significant number of LED outputs
• Also support one or two connections to drive NeoPixel strips (see Driver Station status and operator feedback lights #4 (comment))
• Potentially be able to support additional types of display such as LCD character, e.g. https://www.adafruit.com/product/714 or a small color display, e.g. https://www.adafruit.com/product/1770

A custom circuit board design (e.g., as an Arduino shield) would be an ideal way to implement this.