Simplest and Cheapest Foot-Controlled Telepromter Ever

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Simplest and Cheapest Foot-Controlled Telepromter Ever

Author
GiorgosÂ Lazaridis
March 12, 2014

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Ok, I prepare a new series of videos for my youtube channel with electronic theories. I will be using some new (for me) filming techniques and shooting methods, one of which requires that I will be in front of the camera narrating the text that i read on a teleprompter.

Teleprompting systems cost. I mean, they cost a lot. I do not even discuss the idea to get an autocue system. I've already spend a lot for new camera and light fixtures. After all, i have an old laptop, a 17'' LCD monitor and all the wires required to hook up a homemade teleprompter laying around in the room. I even know enough programming to program my own teleprompter software. So why even bother???

And here is where a problem appears. I do not have a cameraman or a second person to operate the teleprompter scroll. Its not always possible to combine the narration with the fixed scroll on the monitor. And i definitely don't want to hold a remote control when i talk, i just don't like it. So i thought of a foot pedal to start and stop the teleprompter scroll!

The Idea

This is a dead-simple foot-pedal design that i will use for my teleprompter (link)

And then i remembered that some time ago i had already built a homemade foot pedal. Check out this link with the complete worklog. I immediately thought that i could use that pedal for my teleprompter foot switch. Ok, that was the easy part - But how do i convert a foot switch to an teleprompter software start-stop???

The USB Interface

My laptop only has a USB interface, so a USB interface must be. Which reminds me of a shelve full of old and busted keyboards, AT, PS2, USB, Wireless, all kinds of keyboards. What i plan to do is hack the keyboard and get the board out. Then i'll find the matrix contacts for the space key and hook them up on the foot switch. Whenever the foot switch is pressed, the USB board will send a space to the PC. The software will be designed to interpret the space as a start-stop. Simple right?


How this happened? Don't ask. Let's just say that one day an Ork horde walked through my room...	This is what i found inside the keyboard	Its time to find the space matrix contacts...	Wasn't that difficult. First i marked the space contacts, then i followed the tracks and found where they end up

Ok i'm now ready to make the foot pedal interface connector. The foot pedal had an RJ connector, so i'll use a same connector for the interface.


An RJ connector and a piece of drilled PCB is what i need	I make 2 large holes for the RJ to snap in	Ready for soldering	2 Wires soldered on the 4 contacts of the RJ as per the foot-pedal

What's next? You've guessed it!

I soldered the RJ input to the USB board at the space matrix inputs

Get a House!

Time to find a nice and warm house for the interface. Do you remember this sucker?

Well, this is the power supply that i got from ebay for my Canon camera. I had to make a whole video only to explain how bad this thing is and how i could potentially kill my camera with this piece of crap. Check it out:

ATTENTION ATTENTION!!!! WATCH OUT FOR THE CE SIGN!!!
If you live in Europe you definitely know the CE sign. Products with this sign mean that they comply with certain rules and directives, mainly for safety purposes. This piece of junk has the CE sign, right? Take a closer look:

You see it, right? Its clearly a "CE"... well ITS NOT! Believe it or not this is not the CE sign of the EU. This sign means "China Export". I mean, for crying out loud guys you down there in the East, FFS!!!
Here is a post that i uploaded on February 2013 explaining the differences between the real CE (Conformité Européenne) and the China Export CE
Beware of the fake CE sign

Click this link to go to page #2 and see the rest of the making there along with the software download links.
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