Hi Recently I bought a Seiko InkLink device. It is a pen input device that uses a special pen, together with a paper pad clip that incorporates two ultrasound sensors to pick up signals from the pen. This allows the movements of the pen to be tracked with reasonable accuracy. The clip can be linked to a desktop/laptop via a USB link, or by a special additional component (supplied with the device) that supports an IrDA link. This is intended for a PDA.
Software support comes with the product only for Windows. Unfortunately, I didn't find the software to be very functional so wanted to write some of my own. There are no Linux drivers. However, Linux recognises the device as a USB HID, so it is possible to read the input messages from the device. After some careful playing around I have managed to make enough sense of the input messages to build a simple application that allows the pen to draw to a window in Linux. There are lots of limitations with the software: the device drops messages every so often (it sends in groups of 8 at a time, but loses 1 of these about 15% of the time, I reckon) and also fails to give one of the two position measurements about 50% of the time. Currently the software simply ignores sequences that are missing values, but I think it could do better (there might be some error correction stuff in the parts of the messages I do not interpret and it would also be possible to use some sort of "interial" model of the pen movement to compensate for the missing measurements). In addition, the application is very basic: it allows drawing from the pen, supports export to xfig format with some attempts at recognition of lines and circles (still pretty rudimentary), clearing of the window and it also allows a backdrop to be installed into the window. This latter I have used to experiment with writing notes onto a copy of a page or for tracing pictures. There is scope for considerable development! I have been looking at open source handwriting recognition software with the intention of integrating that to allow the pen to be used for note taking. I do not know anything about writing device drivers, so I don't have much idea about whether the code could be used to help in the construction of a driver that would allow the pen to be used as an input device in existing applications (gimp, say). Anyway, if anyone is interested in seeing what I have or in helping to extend it in any way, please contact me (derek at cis.strath.ac.uk). If anyone has any suggestions about alternative (or better) forums for me to advertise this on, please let me know. Cheers Derek ------------------------------------------------------- SF.Net is sponsored by: Speed Start Your Linux Apps Now. Build and deploy apps & Web services for Linux with a free DVD software kit from IBM. Click Now! http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=1356&alloc_id=3438&op=click _______________________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, use the last form field at: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/linux-usb-users
