Connecting mouse and keyboard on POi Zero

I just bought a RPi Zero. In order to connect a mouse and a keyboard for initial set up it needs a powered USB hub.

This simply does not work.

The system works with keyboard directly connected, or mouse directly connected.

Keyboard alone or mouse alone connected via the hub does not work.

The hub itself works fine when attached to my main desktop.

One of the solutions would be to buy a keyboard with touch pad included but I don't want to do that since I would have no further use for it after initialization.

I would appreciate any ideas anyone might have.

Best Regards, Jack Fearnley

Reply to
Jack Fearnley
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Disclaimer: I don't own a Pi zero, only spend 5 mins looking at pics and reading the associated text.

So, how did you connect the hub to the PiZero?

If its connected to the power socket (the microUSB socket nearest the corner), then that's not going to work because that socket is only for use as a power inlet. There is only one data-capable micro-USB socket: the one to the left of the power socket when the sockets are on the edge nearest to you.

Apparently the data-capable USB socket can also power the Pi zero, so shifting the connection to it should do the trick.

--
Martin    | martin at 
Gregorie  | gregorie dot org
Reply to
Kiwi User

The hub is connected to the data-capable micro-USB socket, certainly not to the power socket. The hub is powered by a separate power supply.

As I said, whenever the mouse or the keyboard is directly connected to the data-capable micro-USB socket it works. The problem is that, without the hub, I cannot connect both.

Jack

Reply to
Jack Fearnley

Have you considered getting a keyboard with touchpad to use just to set things up?

--
-michael - NadaNet 3.1 and AppleCrate II:  http://michaeljmahon.com
Reply to
Michael J. Mahon

Run it headless and leave the screen/keyboard/mouse connected to your your PC. There are plenty of tutorials on the 'net describing how to do this - depending on your electronics knowledge this may be easier than trouble-shooting the various items involved.

--
Martin    | martin at 
Gregorie  | gregorie dot org
Reply to
Kiwi User

The (known good) PSU for the hub is switched on and plugged into all the correct places it needs to be plugged in isn't it?...

Command lines don't need a mouse...

Mr Fearnley doesn't say if it's Pi Zero or Pi Zero W. The former will need a USB WiFi dongle or serial to USB console cable, or an ENC28J60 based ethernet board to go headless.

--
Cheers 
Dave.
Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Mr Fearnley mentioned having a Pi Zero, not a Pi Zero W, so its reasonable to assume that he has the former.

Searching for "Pi Zero headless" finds articles covering both Pi Zero variants. Those articles identify the required dongle(s) along with directions for configuring the combination and making it work.

--
Martin    | martin at 
Gregorie  | gregorie dot org
Reply to
Kiwi User

Is it a USB3 powered hub? Reports around that Pi(USB2) -> Hub(USB3) -> Keybd/Mouse(USB2) doesn't work. USB3 connected to hub works. Keybd/Mouse connected to USB2 hub also works (I think!!)

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Chris Elvidge, England
Reply to
Chris Elvidge

It's a RPi zero W so, in principle, I could do the whole thing headless if I knew how :-)

Also, if I was completely fluent in Linux commands I could probably do it with keyboard alone.

Jack

Reply to
Jack Fearnley

This looks like the answer! I checked the hub I bought today and it is USB3. Details details!

Jack

Reply to
Jack Fearnley

Hello David,

JF>>> The problem is that, without the hub, I cannot connect both.

Yes you can, with a wireless keyboard and mouse, e.g. my Logitech MK220 does work good with my Pi 3B. It has an USB2 2.4 GHz dongle for both keyboard and mouse (No BT). The Pi Zero W has both WiFi and Blue Tooth, so that can be used too for human input devices.

Does someone know a good BT keyboard and mouse combination that works with both Raspbian Linux and RISC OS with a Pi 3B of even Zero W?

DL> The (known good) PSU for the hub is switched on and plugged into all DL> the correct places it needs to be plugged in isn't it?...

I tested a 4 port USB2 hub from Digitus slim spider part DA-70216 on a Pi Zero (without W) from a fried at the computerclub and that worked ok.

DL> Command lines don't need a mouse...

When started in the desktop, you mostly have to open/start a commandline window first ;-).

Does SSH from an other machine not work?

DL> Mr Fearnley doesn't say if it's Pi Zero or Pi Zero W. The former will DL> need a USB WiFi dongle or serial to USB console cable, or an ENC28J60 DL> based ethernet board to go headless.

With the same friend in NL I tried my Eminent EM110 USB from/to RJ45 EtherNet dongle too at his first Raspberry Pi Zero (no W(ay)), and that worked ok, even in combination with the Digitus slim spider USB2 Hub. That Eminent EM1010 was one of the first USB2 from/to RJ45 dongles that worked good on the BeagleBoard and Beagle Board XM, both in Linux and RISC OS. Hopes this helps to get connected with the Pi Zero, or Zero W.

The low price of the Pi Zero flows away, because of the costs of all the conversion cables to connect it to the outside world, i.e. micro HDMI to HDMI, micro USB2 to/from normal USB2A, USB2-RJ45 dongle etc. And then you still have less memory and less speed compaired to a Pi 3B.

Another friend uses a dedicated Pi 1B with Linux for his sunpanel power meting and to update that info to a website. If configured well, it can run headless.

Henri.

Reply to
Henri Derksen

Or a wireless keyboard?

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name. They must face the full meaning of that which they are advocating  
or condoning; the full, exact, specific meaning of collectivism, of its  
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Ayn Rand.
Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

will

ENC28J60

With a Pi Zero W and assuming that you have a WiFi access point on your LAN, just google and pick one of the many sets of instructions. That'll get you at least command line access.

How you proceed from there depends on what you want to use the Zero for. I expect you'll also be able to find how to run a WIMP enviroment over the WiFi link but I've never played with that. All my Raspberries are headless and command line only (ish one runs Kodi).

--
Cheers 
Dave.
Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Reasonable but wrong... B-)

--
Cheers 
Dave.
Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Looking at the RPi forum

formatting link
"markatlnk" (April 2014, so this is a known problem) reports that it is USB1.1 devices that are the problem when hooked to a USB3 hub. Keyboards/Mice are normally 1.1 not 2, my mistake. He reckons USB2 devices work.

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Chris Elvidge, England
Reply to
Chris Elvidge

See here:

formatting link

--

Chris Elvidge, England
Reply to
Chris Elvidge

Can't help with your problem other than to re-assure you that it does work.

Here I power the PiZero from the hub[1] and plug the hub in to the PiZero micro usb port. Connected to that hub is a k/b, a mouse, a wifi dongle, a usb disk, a usb-serial converter and a usb camera. Which are all recognised and working.

Also works with a PiZero W without the need for a wifi dongle.

When I'm done I just move one cable and all the usb devices are connected to my main PC.

[1] a seven port powered hub of dubious origin.
--
nev 
getting the wrong stick end since 1953
Reply to
nev young

This would be fine if I lived in England. Here in Montreal I'll go to my friendly computer store and try to exchange my powered USB3 hub (which I previously exchanged for a non powered hub) for a powered USB2 hub. That's assuming they are still stocked.

Otherwise I will try to do without the mouse and check out the urls kindly provided.

Thanks to all.

Jack

Reply to
Jack Fearnley

I have exchanged my USB3 hub for a USB2 hub and now everything works!

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

I now have another problem with ssh connection but I'll start a new thread for that.

Jack

Reply to
Jack Fearnley

Henri Derksen wrote on 1/18/2018 11:18 PM:

"Good" and Bluetooth don't go together. I bought a Bluetooth mouse just so I wouldn't need to deal with a dongle. It sucks just like every other Bluetooth device I've ever tried to connect to the PC. When anything on the computer hits the hard drive the BT mouse will stumble and stutter. I can use the same mouse with the dongle and it doesn't do that unless the entire computer is hosed.

My BT earpiece on my phone works ok. I've never had any other piece of BT gear work worth a damn on a PC and that includes three PCs and three OS.

The Logitech dongles are all multi device, keyboard and mouse, so once you have one Logitech dongle it works for all their devices. They aren't budget priced, but they work... until they don't anymore. I've gone through a number of Logitech mice and am back with the budget mice because of the pricing.

That's true of the rPi anyway as the cost of the keyboard, mouse, monitor and even a decent power supply ends up being significantly pricey compared to the rPi itself.

The zero doesn't need a microHDMI to HDMI converter, just have a suitable cable. Everything I have is micro USB using a standard cable unless it's a keyboard or mouse. You can use the zero headless just as well as anything. I guess costing a PC kinda blows the budget if you want to count that.

What is the RJ-45 for? You mean an Ethernet USB converter?

You can always develop you app on a regular rPi then use the zero in the end device.

--

Rick C 

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms, 
on the centerline of totality since 1998
Reply to
rickman

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