HIDSTREAM

Streaming HID Events in Node.js

Wraps node-hid with several parsers for common HID devices, specifically, keyboard-like devices.

Data parsers are available for:

• raw: passes the data as reported by node-hid.
• keyboard: for keyboard-like devices.
• newline: for keyboard-like devices where events are emitted on new-lines. (e.g. many barcode scanners, etc.)

Example:

var hid = require('hidstream');
var dev = new hid.device('0001:001:00', { parser : hid.parser.keyboard });
 
dev.on("data", function(dat) {
    console.log(dat); // easily consumed data format!
});

Sample HID Data Events for the parser:

The user has pressed Ctrl + Alt + Del

{
    modifiers : {
        l_shift :   false,
        l_control : true,
        l_alt :     true,
        l_meta :    false,
        r_ctrl :    false,
        r_shift :   false,
        r_alt :     false,
        r_meta :    false
    },
    keyCodes : [
        76
    ],
    keyChars : [],
    errorStatus : false
}

The user has pressed w, a, s & d (simultaneously (why? I don't know))

{
    modifiers : {
        l_shift :   false,
        l_control : false,
        l_alt :     false,
        l_meta :    false,
        r_ctrl :    false,
        r_shift :   false,
        r_alt :     false,
        r_meta :    false
    },
    keyCodes : [
        26, 4, 22, 7
    ],
    charCodes : [
        'w', 'a', 's', 'd'
    ],
    errorStatus: false
}

Convenience Methods

The data packet has additional convenience methods, shift(), control(), alt(), and meta() which return true if either the left or right of each key is pressed. The function mod() returns true if any of the modifier keys is pressed.

Additionally, empty() returns true if there is no modifier or key currently down.

Status

Right now, hidstream is only parsing keyboard events, and has no awareness of HID feature reports.

After keyboard events are being parsed properly (and fully), I will add support for feature reports and other devices such as mice.

Contributions

Significant refactor contributed by @kubat