How to get the Xbox360 Chatpad to work on the PC?

[mc1gamer]

Has anyone confirmed that the PS3 controller add-on keyboard allows a working method to get keyboard function with the PC?

Many many of us have been wishing to use the 360 controller and the chatpad in this way, but the expense and headache with the known workaround is way above most of us (and at the very least above me!).

Can the PS3 controller with the keyboard add-on that sits above it be configured with Pinnacle to use the QWERTY functions? I'm really only concerned with 0-9 keys and F keys if possible.

Thanks!!!!

[Pinnacle [Gary]]

I can't personally confirm that it works, it won't go on sale until the holiday season. But, from what I've read it will be bluetooth & will work with any bluetooth device that supports KB input.

Another alternative would be the nyko I type 2 controller. It's officially licensed by playstation, so it probably works well enough.
http://www.nyko.com/nyko/products/?i=13

Eventually, someone is going to get this 'chatpad on a controller ' thing right.
And when they make a bazillion dollars doing it, MS is gonna be kicking themselves in the butt with both feet.

[mc1gamer]

The nyko looks like it COULD be an answer, but it's rather vague. Would it meet the criteria that I express in my original post? It looks like it might just be a chat pad for email and messenging, but the 'mini keyboard' language is not specific enough to rule this out or not.

Anyone know?

Thanks

[Pinnacle [Gary]]

It's probably more of a chatpad than a kb. It doesn't have keys such as ctrl, alt, etc. But pinnacle could always add these extra keys on the controller or the kb through hot-keys. It does have 1-0 & F-keys.

The only problem I have with it is that the 1-0 keys are a shifted functions of other keys.

[trover]

ipac is hardware. each button when plugged into the bottom of the controller sends a very faint electrical signal into the control board for the controller itself, this is where you can tap into each individual one to send a signal back to the ipac. this is not for the average everyday user. this took a good bit a 34 gauge wire and a good week and half of work. i now feel like an idiot realizing that i could have easily fabricated the madcatz keyboard perfectly onto bottom of the xbox controller with no problem at all. i would post pictures but am away at college.

[Voodooman]

wow that nyko is cool! im impressed also i like this thing on their page http://www.nyko.com/Nyko/products/Idea.aspx

they are open for fresh ideas))

--------------------------

But i have good news, when i was talking with MS tech support via phone, the support guy told me that CHATPAD works fine with 360 controller and when its pluged windows will get driver from windows update (if not yet installed) and then chatpad will work like usual HID keyboard (which mean that u can use WSAD and space and 1-9 buttons in addition to gamepad buttons).
he said that he tested it himself and all works like a charm.

Only 1 thing you guys should know - its probably not work with wireless receiver\wireless controller, but it should work with WIRED 360 CONTROLLER!!!
Ive noticed that most of u guys have wireless controller and tried chatpad with it, but did ANYONE tried to plug into PC with WIRED CONTROLLER??? ))) U better try now!! (im not sure 100% that its works because i didnt tried myself, but im also sure that MS tech support have no reasons to lie)

[Pinnacle [Rob]]

Well I don't know who you talked to, but I think he was, well, less-than-correct... I have wired and wireless controller and there is no driver in site. Perhaps he was refering to the fact that plugging an HID-USB keyboard into your Xbox360 console works the same way as the chatpad... seems it has been intentionally blocked on the PC just like the Xbox360 GUIDE button. Not that I can see why it would be intentionally blocked, especially given the Microsoft has claimed in advertising that it is compatible with the console or PC, but I see no reason that it could not work on the PC since both the Xbox360 console and the PC use the same XINPUT interface to talk to the controller. Have a look at this link in Wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_accessories

[drowhunter]

I actually have a nyko type 2 (picked it up from future shop in a bargain bin for $15 bucks)

I also happened to have an EMS USB ps2->Usb adaptor at home.

It works very well, only problem is that its wired.

Not as good as the 360 chatpad because i think having the keyboard underneath instead of on top is easier on the thumbs, but i guess it doesnt matter unless you plan to push those buttons very often.

But it makes playing game with tons of keyboard shortcuts a breeze
neverwinter nights 2 or guild wars for example.

[Voodooman]

now im jealous))

oh btw today i removed all the xbox 360 drivers, then inserted my 360 controller, Vista installed default driver for it, then i installed 1.1 driver from here http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...x360_32Eng.exe (its date of creation somewhere in 2007 year) which includes battery indicator tool and quadrant viewer.
And then i used to windows update.... and guess what i found?

New xbox 360 controller driver released really recently !!!

its date 11 SEMPTEMBER 2008 !!!!


By voodooman

Have anyone installed this update???? Its probably may include drivers for chatpad, that tech support guy at Microsoft was talking about!!!
Please anyone who have chatpad, do same steps and look if your chatpad will work after this Driver update!!

[Pinnacle [Rob]]

I have the latest driver, but it doesn't enable the chatpad... I've searched all over the Internet just for anyone even working on a custom driver and only find TONS of people begging MS for a chatpad driver, but no luck.