Virtual keyboardpress via python-uinput or evdev not working in games

[Robbie]

Hi All,

I know similar topics have been posted, but none of these helped me fix my issue.

I use USB arcade joysticks and buttons, which work fine, except I like to have a bunch of not use specific buttons, such as load, save, menu, pause, exit emulator. Because the buttons fysically don't fit on the USB controller (not enough inputs) I resorted to a PCF8575, which connected over I2C gives me 16 extra inputs.

I use a python script to 'convert' the button presses into keyboard presses. Which seems to work fine on the console and in the RetroArch config: Can even map the pressed buttons. But they won't work in games. I've disabled the hotkey key, so just pressing f4 should load a game. Tested the working using a real usb keyboard. But it won't listen or maybe hear, my custom buttons.
Press escape in a running game with a real keyboard, game/emulator exits.
Press button which is linked to escape, doesn't seem to register in the game/emulator.
Press button which is linked to escape in any of the non GUI menus or RetroArch config, it registers.

As a second 'symptom': In the Input Hotkey Binds in RetroArch config, the binding is not done to just the button, but it adds Auto: # (N/A) (Key: <My key>).

Hotkeys are disabled in /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg & /opt/retropie/configs/snes/retroarch.cfg and testing with SNES game. (Also tried Gameboy)

$ cat /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg |grep -i "input_enable"
input_enable_hotkey = "nul"
input_enable_hotkey_btn = "nul"
input_enable_hotkey_axis = "nul"

$ cat /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg |grep -i "input_enable"
input_enable_hotkey = "nul"
input_enable_hotkey_btn = "nul"
input_enable_hotkey_axis = "nul"

Excerpt from Python script:
The PCF8575 registers a button press as 0, so normal state is 16 bit on (0x1111111111111111), button press makes pin go 0 (0x1111111111111110) if pin 1 is used, every pin higher toggles a bit to the left. So unpressed is 65535 (decimal), pin 1 button pressed, is 65534 decimal, etc

#!/usr/bin/python
import smbus
import time
from evdev import uinput, ecodes as e

i2c = smbus.SMBus(1)
i2c_addr = 0x20

def btn00():
        print 'Button 00 / "Return" Pressed!'
        print 'emulating button ESCAPE'
        with uinput.UInput() as ui:
                ui.write(e.EV_KEY, e.KEY_ESC, 1)
                ui.write(e.EV_KEY, e.KEY_ESC, 0)
                ui.syn()
#Contains a functions for all 16 single possiblities, removed for readability

buttons = {
        65534 : btn00
       #Contains a list of all 16 single possiblities, removed for readability
}

while True:
        input_state = i2c.read_word_data ( i2c_addr, 0 )
        if input_state != 65535:
                if (input_state) in buttons:
                        try:
                                print 'Pressing Button...'
                                buttons[input_state]()
                        except:
                                print "Button is known, but sending has failed..."
                else:
                        print "An unknown button or combination of buttons is pressed", bin(input_state)
                time.sleep(0.2)

Current script uses evdev, previous version used python-uinput, but the latter didn't even register in retroarch-config or non gui menus.

• Pi Model or other hardware: RPi 3
• Power Supply used: Wicked Chili 5V,3A MicroUSB
• Version Used: commit e1e2d8daa0f09311254df6f81cb633146da6068f / Date: Sat Jul 1 16:21:48 2017 +0100
• Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website, updated with buildin scripts
• USB Devices connected:
• • DragonRise joysticks (x2)
• • generic SNES gamepad
• • generic USB keyboard
• • usb stick (ROMS)
• • usb soundadapter
• Controller used: Python evdev
• Error messages received: None