Support for KC_INT and some extra keys (KC_KP_COMMA) for an ABNT2 layout

[ghost]

Hello,

I am trying to create an Ergodox EZ firmware to be used with the Brazilian ABNT2 keyboard layout (the standard keyboard used in Brazil) on OS/X.

Now the ABNT2 is a strange little keyboard layout, not only it switches the keys around a bit (; becomes Ç, `~ becomes '" etc), it also has two extra keys: one for the /? (scan code 0x73, USB HID 0x87) and other for the dot in the number pad (scan code 0x7e, USB HID 0x85). (The dot and comma are switched in the numpad because in brazil the comma is the decimal separator, I think).

Using the Massdrop configurator with Ben's firmware, I was able to produce these two keys with the codes KEY_International1 for the /? and KEYPAD_Comma for the numpad dot. It works.

I can see from The common keycodes in TMK core that there are equivalent constants for these keys in TMK, namely KC_INT1 and KC_KP_COMMA. However, I cannot get these to work on my Ergodox EZ.

I have done some diagnosing using the Key Codes app to check the codes actually being sent to the computer, and when using Ben's firmware the keys work and I receive the following information:

Key Down
  Characters:  /
  Unicode:     47 / 0x2f 
  Keys:        /
  Key Code:    94 / 0x5e
  Modifiers:   0 / 0x0

Key Down
  Characters:  .
  Unicode:     46 / 0x2e
  Keys:        .
  Key Code:    95 / 0x5f
  Modifiers:   256 / 0x100     # here I assume this is because I'm in the number layer

In my keymap.c file I used aliases to redefine the brazilian equivalent keys:

#define BR_CCDL KC_SCLN      //  ;:  =>  çÇ
#define BR_SCLN KC_SLSH      //  /?  =>  ;:
#define BR_QUOT KC_GRV       //  `~  =>  '"
#define BR_TILD KC_QUOT      //  '"  =>  ~^
#define BR_AACT KC_LBRC      //  [{  =>  ´`
#define BR_LBRC KC_RBRC      //  ]}  =>  [{ 
#define BR_RBRC KC_BSLS      //  \|  =>  ]}
#define BR_BSLS KC_NUBS      //  #~  =>  \|   * (Non-US # and ~, sometimes § and ±)

#define BR_SLSH KC_INT1      //  /?  =>  scan code specific to abnt2 layout (slash/question mark)
#define BR_NDOT KC_KP_COMMA  //  .   =>  scan code specific to abnt2 layout (numpad dot)

But when compiling this and flashing the Ergodox EZ, keys using the BR_SLSH (KC_INT1) or BR_NDOT (KC_KP_COMMA) produce no effect, and the Key codes app doesn't show any event coming from the keyboard when the mapped keys are pressed.

Here's my layout for what is worth. The repository is at potz/ergodox-ez-abnt2-layout and it has the script I have been using to compile it inside a docker container. It is a work in progress which I just started, I'm still trying out a couple of things but got stuck in this issue. I'd really prefer to use QMK rather than the massdrop configurator since it has a lot of extra features.

My questions are:

1. Are these extra keycodes supported in QMK at all?
2. Am I doing something terribly stupid by creating these aliases? I just assumed this would work (it worked for the other switched keys), but my C skills are very very rusty. I also tried just sticking in the 0x87 and 0x85 codes with no success.

Thanks a lot,

potz

[mecanogrh]

If you want /? use KC_SLSH, how can you have #define BR_SCLN KC_SLSH outputting a semicolon? That doesn't make sense. If you define BR_SCLN to KC_SLSH, BR_SCLN will output a slash.

[ghost]

@mecanogrh when using the Brazilian ABNT2 keyboard layout (the one you choose in your OS as an input source), the scan code usually used for the slash outputs a semicolon instead, among several other things that are switched. It's the same thing with the german keyboard layout that switches the Y for the Z, and the french layout that switches Q and W for A and Z (among other things).

This repo itself has several mappings for alternate keyboard layouts, I'm just doing doing exactly the same thing but for the specific mappings of the Brazilian ABNT2 layout.

I hope it makes sense now. If it still doesn't may I suggest a little interesting experiment for you: change your OS keyboard layout temporarily to "Portuguese (Brazil ABNT2)" and type the slash key, see what gets written to your screen :)

You can ignore all the stuff about alternate layouts actually, the real issue is: how do I get the KC_INT1 and KC_KP_COMMA to be actually sent by the hardware? They seem to be ignored at the moment.

[mecanogrh]

Ok I understand now sorry, these input methods should be forbidden and all should be unicode coded in the input hardware :) I tried KC_KP_COMMA on an US input method and it is indeed broken here as well (OSX), but I can't see any KP Comma in the input method so it looks quiet normal. One workaround if you need it straightaway is to give a shot to Ukelele if you are on OSX, it proved valuable for me to relocate special characters and dead keys (accents) before I got a planck.

[ezuk]

@potz were you able to resolve this in the end? Or is this still a problem?

[ghost]

I have not solved this, no. It's been a while and I'm currently using a US-international variant but ideally I would like to get these keys working if I could only find a way. Unfortunately I lack the C skills to actually understand the firmware code.

[shelaf]

@potz This problem seems to be similar to #312 . If your problem is the same cause, would you like to try applying 6b8b332 patch or getting latest source code and rebuild your keymap.

[ghost]

YES!!! I can confirm that it works with the latest firmware!

Thank you very much, this is awesome! 😺 😸 😺 I'm gonna reactivate my little ABNT2 layout project now.

I updated my docker image to use the latest version of the firmware as well.