Mute button for MS Teams

Pro Micro as HID keyboard

In this new virtual reality of 2020 where we spend most of the day in Teams-meetings, it would be nice to have a dedicated button on the desk to mute/unmute the microphone in the Microsoft Teams application.

The Pro Micro can emulate a HID-class USB device (Human Interface Device). We are using it to send keyboard shortcuts to the Windows 10 pc. Place the Teams application on the left-most spot on the Windows Taskbar. Press the button. The Pro Micro sends first "WinKey+1" to select Teams. Then it sends "Ctrl+Shift+M" to togle mute.

UPDATE: This works great to unmute the microphone. Unfortunately, most of the times it doesn't work to mute. I'm using it when I want to unmute, and use the mouse as before to mute again. The LED was unneccessary as well. I removed it from the final version.

Anyway, it's a fun project. Use the largest button you can get your hands on....

Relevant links

https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/kaneda-clone-2/mute-button-for-ms-teams-d4c881

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/pro-micro--fio-v3-hookup-guide#example-2-hid-mouse-and-keyboard

// *******************************************************************

// MUTE/UNMUTE MICROPHONE IN TEAMS

// (Place TEAMS in the left-most spot on the Windows TASKBAR)

// VERSION 1.0 / 28.10.2020

// *************************LIBRARIES*********************************

#include <Arduino.h> // This line is not needed in the Arduino IDE

// https://github.com/arduino-libraries/Keyboard

// https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/language/functions/usb/keyboard/

#include <Keyboard.h>

// https://github.com/thomasfredericks/Bounce2

#include <Bounce2.h>

// **************************HARDWARE*********************************

#define BUTTON_PIN 18 // Pin A0

#define LED_PIN 14

bool ledState = LOW;

// **************************CONSTANTS********************************

char ctrlKey = KEY_LEFT_CTRL;

char shftKey = KEY_LEFT_SHIFT;

char winKey = KEY_LEFT_GUI;

// INSTANTIATE A Button OBJECT

Button button = Button();

void setup() {

button.attach( BUTTON_PIN, INPUT ); // External pull-up 10k or similar

// DEBOUNCE INTERVAL IN MILLISECONDS

button.interval(1);

// INDICATE THAT THE LOW STATE CORRESPONDS TO PHYSICALLY PRESSING THE BUTTON

button.setPressedState(LOW);

//Setup the LED :

pinMode(LED_PIN,OUTPUT);

Keyboard.begin();

}

void loop() {

// UPDATE THE BUTTON

button.update();

if ( button.pressed() ) {

// TOGGLE THE LED STATE :

ledState = !ledState; // Set ledState TO THE OPPOSITE OF ledState

digitalWrite(LED_PIN,ledState);

// Press winKey+1 on the keyboard to activate first program (left-most on Windows taskbar)

Keyboard.press(winKey);

Keyboard.press('1');

delay(100);

Keyboard.releaseAll();

delay(100);

// Keyboard.print("You pressed the button ");

// Press Ctrl+Shift+M to toggle mute in Teams

Keyboard.press(ctrlKey);

Keyboard.press(shftKey);

Keyboard.press('m');

delay(100);

Keyboard.releaseAll();

// Keyboard.end();

}