Keyboard not detected

Question

I'm having an issue with my RP where my keyboard is not detected. I have raspbmc installed on my SD card. Pressing any keyboard keys has absolutely no effect.

I first thought it was a power problem because this seems to be an issue that many people have when their keyboard is not working properly. I have a 5V/1.2A micro USB power supply that I have ordered from RS electronics together with the RP. However, not even the numlock/capslock LEDs are lighting up on my keyboard. Note that the keyboard has no backlighting or an integrated USB hub and that the keyboard works fine on my PC. Furthermore, if I plug in my phone to the RP via a micro USB cabel, the phone indicates that it is being charged, i.e. the USB ports actually provide power.

Any ideas?

Edit: Forgot to mention. I'm using a Logitech K120 keyboard which is listed in the list of verified peripherials, see http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals

Answer 1

I solved the problem by SSH'ing into the RPi and setting the keyboard layout and timezone. From the Raspbmc FAQ:

Q: How do I change my keyboard layout or timezone?

A: Raspbmc will prompt you to do so the first time that you login via SSH

After that, the keyboard was usable.

Answer 2

If the keyboard leds doesn't even light up, it's probably a powering issue. You should try what is suggested in this question:

You should use a powered USB hub, that can supply >= 0.5A per USB port. This means if your USB hub has 4 ports, it should use at least a 2A power supply.

If you continue reading this answer, you'll be able to find many many more solutions to overpower your USB ports. However, as also stated in the original answer:

These methods are not recommended, and may damage your board/devices.

Answer 3

I have a similar issue with both the mouse and keyboard, but in my case, unplugging each peripheral for at least a second and then reconnecting it solves the problem until the next reboot.