How to configure an Ikkegol footswitch

This isn't the usual fare for this blog but I don't have anywhere else to put it. I hope this will prove useful to people who need to use a compatible assistive device. I've organized it with an introduction for people who aren't familiar with my needs for an assistive device. If you just want to get to the guide parts, those start in the Program the footswitch section.

Background

I have a long-running issue with the carpal tunnel on my left wrist. Since I use my left hand for mousing and most shift key use, this is kind of a problem. (I did learn to use the right shift for left keystrokes but it's still a problem particularly in key combos which would be difficult or impossible to integrate right shift in. Also, some software doesn't like the right shift key. Particularly in key combos. Folks really have no idea what weird little quirks their lives run on until something runs afoul of one of them.)

Anyway, I got an Ikkegol USB Triple Foot Switch Pedal and ran into some problems programming it. I knew it could only be programmed from Windows which is a bit of a problem for an assistive device but I'll keep the snark to myself for the duration of this article. 😰

Program the footswitch

Screenshot of the FootSwitch software. The window has four main sections. The top section has a bar that says PCsensor FootSwitch_7.4.4. It has a help button and a language selector. The other three sections are presented side-by-side. The left section is titled Type and it allows different models of device to be selected. The middle section is titled Introduction. It includes a diagram of the device selected and its current status. Below the device diagram shows one drop down for each pedal on the device. Below the drop-downs are three buttons: Clear, Save to key, and Initiate. The final section is labeled Function. It has tabs to select Keyboard, Mouse, String, Multimedia, and Game. Mouse is currently selected. In the mouse tab, the box for Right Mouse Button is checked. There is also an option to set X and Y axes and Wheel.

Caveats

For the kinds of things covered by the existing documentation, I didn't run into any significant issues. This only covers the parts that I struggled with: Binding the left shift key to a switch and binding a mouse clicker to a switch.

I used the FootSwitch software as it seemed like the option that was appropriate for my model of footswitch. Also it sounds like it may have fewer limitations than the ElfKey software. However, I didn't use ElfKey primarily because it didn't sound like it would work with my device. I don't know how similar the software is or whether the steps I discuss here will help with ElfKey.

Programming mouse clicks

Inside the software, click the field for the pedal you want to modify.

A cropped image of three drop down menus labeled left key, middle key, and right key. Left is set to lshift. Middle is set to Left Mouse Button. Right is set to Right Mouse Button. There is text below the Left drop down which reads Continuous trigger and Single key.

In Function, choose the Mouse tab.

A close cropped image of the top of the Function section. A green outline demonstrates the location of the Mouse tab. The available tabs are Keyboard, Mouse, String, Multimedia, and Game. Below the tab is an illustration of a simplified right handed computer mouse with a scroll wheel.

Check the box for whichever mouse button you want to assign.

Two sections showing options for Key and Axis. The box for Right Mouse Button is checked and has a green box around it to draw attention to it in the Key section. The Key section has checkboxes for Left Mouse Button, Middle Mouse Button, Right Mouse Button, Forward, and Back. The Axis section provides an option to set X and Y axes and Wheel.

Click the Save to key button near the bottom middle of the screen.

Three computer buttons with a green box highlighting the Save to key button. The available buttons are Clear, Save to key, and Initiate.

You can repeat these steps on additional pedals.

As long as Continuous trigger is set, you'll be able to use the pedals for things like dragging windows by simply leaving your foot on the pedal while you move the window (or icon or whatever else you want to drag).

Programming shift(s)

This part was the part I had the most difficulty with and I nearly gave up, assuming that it was impossible to do. I'm happy to announce that it's possible and even easy ... once you know how to do it.

Select the pedal you want to assign a Shift to. Unless you have a specific reason to use the Right shift, I recommend using the Left shift. Click the Clear button near the bottom of the screen.

A cropped image showing a drop down labeled left shift and a button labeled Clear. The Clear button has a green box drawing attention to it. The drop down says lshift. There is text below the drop down says Continuous trigger and Single key.

Check the box for the shift (or other meta key) you want to apply.

A close cropped image of the top of the Function section. The available tabs are Keyboard, Mouse, String, Multimedia, and Game. The keyboard tab is active. Below the tab is an illustration of a simplified PC keyboard. The two sections are labeled Left and Right. The options under each are Alt, Ctrl, Windows, and Shift. There is a green box highlighting the checked box for the Left section's Shift option.

If you want to press-to-hold the assigned key, make sure your action settings are set to Continuous trigger.

Close cropped image of a section labeled Action Setting. The top option has Continuous trigger selected. The other available option is Single trigger. Below that are options to chose Single key or Multikey combination. Single key is selected.

Click the Save to key button near the bottom middle of the screen.

Three computer buttons with a green box highlighting the Save to key button. The available buttons are Clear, Save to key, and Initiate.

Conclusion

This document isn't a review of the device(s) in play.

Something that I discovered in this journey is that these types of devices are used by people who don't need it for accessibility reasons. Outside of this context, I often talk about how accommodations make the world a better place for people who aren't disabled. The reason this device is so easy to get a hold of may well be because of streamers.

What I will say is that it's unfortunate that it was necessary for me specifically to create this document. I need this device for accessibility reasons. Others asked how to do the shift function particularly and, in the FAQ, the developer ignored that question and answered something unrelated.

I provide this document in the hopes that others who need this type of device will be able to use these instructions to access necessary functionality.

If you enjoy erotic or adult fiction, please support my work by picking up some of my stories at Chanting Lure Tales.

#Technology #Accessibility