Thanks for the idea. I think it's a great one, but I have a few concerns:
1) The two computers are on 2 different grounds, so I believe it could damage the computers. So I would like to isolate the ground somehow, I am not sure what the options are. I tried to look for opto-isolated options, but didn't really find something clear. Do you have any suggestion?
2) This specific chip is marked NRND (not recommended for new designs) on ftdi's website, So it feels slightly wrong to use it?
I see, you are unplugging and re-plugging, instead of just pressing a button. That makes sense. It feels like a usb mechanical switch should exist, but I guess it does not.
Another option that I looked at is whether I could use the switching capability on the device itself. For example the new Logitech MX 4 can switch between different computers. It also has a wireless connection, versus bluetooth connection. Do you have a sense whether switching with a device like that is enough of a separation?
I am fine with having quite a bit of configuration on the target device (I am fine with configuration on both sides).
> it ought be possible to make a rpi0 device that outputs a usb-gadget keyboard
I like very much the idea of being able to make the host side (macBook) appear as a usb-gadget keyboard. That way I would just need to plug a single usb cable between the 2 computers. Could you give me a few pointers to get started, to do this on macOS?
Thanks for that, that's an interesting thought. I am trying to think about the security aspect. If the receiving device (mac mini) is infected with malware, can it infect the macBook through the serial port?
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree that using software would be easier, but I wanted to do it in hardware in this specific case.
I am unfamiliar with Raspberry pi, but if my understanding is correct, it's running a real os. So I would need to send it a command to actually shut down every time I want to remove the usb device. More generally, having a general purpose OS on the little device seems overkill for that use case, no?
I assume you have a little software on the controlling computer that sends keystrokes over the network, they are received by this device, and sent via usb to the controller computer, simulating a usb keyboard?
Do you have experience with it? How is the latency? Does it work with the macbook trackpad?