Add support for the VEC Footpedal #89

peternewman · 2023-08-09T14:47:06Z

I've only tested this as:
node packages/node/examples/basic-log-all-events.js

peternewman

A few queries from me...

I don't know if @michaelhatPIengineering can assist?

packages/webhid/src/methods.ts

peternewman · 2023-08-09T14:49:15Z

packages/core/src/xkeys.ts

+				if (!this._firmwareVersionIsSet) {
+					rdData[1] = 214 // Fake initial message to set _firmwareVersion
+				} else if (!this._unitIdIsSet) {
+					rdData[1] = 3 // Fake initial message to set _unitId


The first up and down events seem to get swallowed, can we not force extra messages here which I assume would solve this? Presumably this is also the same for the RailDriver?

Am I correct in assuming that this device doesn't really have the concept of a unitId? (That would make sense, since it won't accept the inititial write of _getVersion() and so won't return a unitId.)

If so, I suggest that we solve this by adding

if (this.deviceInfo.productId == 255) { this._unitId = 0 // VEC Footpanel doesn't support unitIds this._unitIdIsSet = true }

into the init() method.

Given it only ever returns the two bytes, and doesn't accept any writes, I don't think so! Although conversely I've never worked out what the second byte is for (some more generic underlying product/interface)

The device has no serial number via lsusb either (but maybe that's common to all xkeys?).

If so, I suggest that we solve this by adding

Do you think this would solve it missing the first keypress and release too when run as node packages/node/examples/basic-log-all-events.js?

If so, I suggest that we solve this by adding

if (this.deviceInfo.productId == 255) { this._unitId = 0 // VEC Footpanel doesn't support unitIds this._unitIdIsSet = true }

into the init() method.

Adding that into the top of the init method (without removing my other changes) certainly doesn't break anything. Although the first press and release are still silently swallowed by the library currently.

peternewman · 2023-08-09T14:49:44Z

packages/core/src/products.ts

+			[1, 2],
+			[1, 3],
+		],
+		disableButtons: [0],


I'm not sure if this is required or not, if I set it to 1 it does fire left pedal presses.

peternewman · 2023-08-09T14:50:01Z

packages/core/src/products.ts

+		backLight2offset: 0,
+		//timestamp: none, VECFootpedal has no time stamp
+		btnLocation: [
+			[0, 0],


If I leave this out, the right pedal causes exceptions.

peternewman · 2023-08-09T14:50:36Z

packages/core/src/xkeys.ts

+					rdData[1] = 0 // no pg switch, byte is always 0
+				}
+				rdData[2] = data.readUInt8(0) // remap button bits
+				rdData[3] = data.readUInt8(1) // remap button bits


I'm not sure what, if anything, happens with this second byte?

nytamin · 2023-08-21T05:19:43Z

Thanks for this, @peternewman !

I reverted the changes to the XKeys.init() method, and simply accessed this.deviceInfo instead to avoid writing to the device in there.

Could you give this another spin to verify that it works well with your device before i merge it?

nytamin · 2023-08-21T05:28:52Z

packages/core/src/xkeys.ts

-		const pReceivedGenerateData = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-			this.receivedGenerateDataResolve = resolve
-		})
+		if (this.deviceInfo.productId !== 255) {


A question for you:
What happens if we try to write to the device? Does it crash? Or nothing?

I'm thinking that if it crashes we might want to guard against writing to it in some other methods as well.

If I ever try and write to it, I get the following (so the device doesn't crash, but node does):

Error in XKeysWatcher TypeError: Cannot write to hid device at NodeHIDDevice.write (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/node/dist/node-hid-wrapper.js:19:21) at XKeys._write (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/core/dist/xkeys.js:652:25) at XKeys._getVersion (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/core/dist/xkeys.js:701:14) at XKeys.init (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/core/dist/xkeys.js:319:18) at setupXkeysPanel (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/node/dist/methods.js:77:17) at XKeysWatcher.handleNewDevice (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/node/dist/watcher.js:196:32) at XKeysWatcher.updateConnectedDevices (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/node/dist/watcher.js:181:22) at Timeout._onTimeout (/home/pi/companion-dev/xkeys-footpedals-fixed/packages/node/dist/watcher.js:136:22) at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:569:17) at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:512:7)

So I did the protection in each place that calls write, as it often needed other steps to work around it, but maybe it should be done more centrally?

I have been away, but earlier you asked if I could assist. Not sure if I can, the VEC foot pedal is a proprietary device made specifically for VEC and their software. It is not an X-keys so not sure if it belongs here. It is very limited in its capabilities, however, 3 bits is just 3 bits, so it does that. As you are finding there will be a lot of work arounds to make it work.

I have been away, but earlier you asked if I could assist. Not sure if I can, the VEC foot pedal is a proprietary device made specifically for VEC and their software.

Fair enough, I'd found lots of other hits on the Internet, and it's just integrated into Linux via the Event stuff, so I didn't realise it was originally designed just for VEC's software.

It is not an X-keys so not sure if it belongs here. It is very limited in its capabilities, however, 3 bits is just 3 bits, so it does that. As you are finding there will be a lot of work arounds to make it work.

That seems quite similar with the RailDriver ( https://xkeys.com/xkeys/rdproducts.html ) stuff too, looking at some of the workarounds for that in the code too.

I would say conversely, they're all P.I. Engineering devices, the VID confirms that, and the fact there's an official XKeys device which looks like later revisions of the VEC Infinity range it would seem a bit of a shame to me if the support wasn't added:
https://xkeys.com/xkeys/switches-pedals/footpedals.html
http://veccorp.com/foot-controls.html

nytamin · 2023-11-02T08:27:28Z

Due to a combination of the added complexity needed (for preventing writes in many places) and that the VEC isn't an official xkeys product, I think that we won't merge this into the xkeys library, unfortunately.

I suggest that you instead clone the repo and make a (much smaller) library specifically to support the VEC pedal.

peternewman · 2023-11-27T14:23:17Z

Due to a combination of the added complexity needed (for preventing writes in many places) and that the VEC isn't an official xkeys product, I think that we won't merge this into the xkeys library, unfortunately.

Obviously its your repo and you're welcome to do what you want, but I'd ask if you could please reconsider @nytamin as I think the following reasons are worth of further thought.

I think from the complexity perspective, there could potentially be just one block to the writes in writeData, and then maybe a little bit in init to fake the initialisation.

I suggest that you instead clone the repo and make a (much smaller) library specifically to support the VEC pedal.

Because it's got a PI Vendor ID, this is the obvious place to put it, and indeed was why I ended up here. I actually noticed the other day that Bitfocus Companion is already detecting the pedal and the library itself is throwing an error that it's not a known device and pointing me to here to report a bug, via this code:

xkeys/packages/core/src/xkeys.ts

Line 74 in bcfb831

    
           `Unknown/Unsupported X-keys: "${deviceInfo.product}" (productId: "${deviceInfo.productId}", interface: "${deviceInfo.interface}").\nPlease report this as an issue on our github page!`

Also if I made a VEC specific library, then you'd have to have some pseudo code like:

if (PID == PI_Engineering_PID) {
  if (VID == VEC_Footpedal_VID) {
    do something with VEC specific library
  } else {
    do something with xkeys library
  }
}

And of course that change needs making to every single package or application that uses your library, which is at least all of these:
https://github.com/SuperFlyTV/xkeys/network/dependents
https://www.npmjs.com/package/xkeys?activeTab=dependents

Compared to adding a few more lines of special case which aren't dissimilar to the Rail Driver code to the library in one place and everyone benefits!

I'm happy to have another go at my changes to see if I can simplify them and put them just in writeData and a little bit in init if you'd then have another review of it and then maybe reconsider?

nytamin · 2023-11-29T07:47:28Z

Ah, perhaps we should limit the devices that this library discovers to only the ones described in the products.ts file (since others won't work anyway). That way it shouldn't interfere with other libraries.

michaelhatPIengineering · 2023-11-29T12:37:44Z

Probably best as P.I. Engineering designs many USB products that are not X-keys, the VID is not sufficient to define the X-keys product line.

…

________________________________ From: Johan Nyman ***@***.***> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2023 2:47 AM To: SuperFlyTV/xkeys ***@***.***> Cc: Michael Hetherington ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [SuperFlyTV/xkeys] Add support for the VEC Footpedal (PR #89) Ah, perhaps we should limit the devices that this library discovers to only the ones described in the products.ts file (since others won't work anyway). That way it shouldn't interfere with other libraries. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#89 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AS6L3QSTCAA742ZC5FGJAMLYG3SBXAVCNFSM6AAAAAA3KD7L5GVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTQMZRGM3TQMJRGM>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

nytamin · 2023-12-06T10:01:04Z

@peternewman FYI, I have opened a PR that exposes a better way to filter for XKeys devices, please give it a read and a thumbs up if you think this solves the issue of using this library together with another library.

Add support for the VEC Footpedal

664b49d

peternewman commented Aug 9, 2023

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nytamin self-requested a review August 9, 2023 14:52

peternewman and others added 4 commits August 9, 2023 16:04

Fix some lint errors

c57f599

Fix the expected tests without recordings

c22e084

Merge branch 'master' into footpedals

a9cef2c

chore: revert changes to XKeys.init() method

94b3b90

nytamin reviewed Aug 21, 2023

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nytamin closed this Nov 2, 2023

peternewman mentioned this pull request Jun 16, 2024

Add support for VEC Footpedal bitfocus/companion#2919

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Add support for the VEC Footpedal #89

Add support for the VEC Footpedal #89

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Add support for the VEC Footpedal #89

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