Keyboards and Gaming Keypads Windows (10)

[stupor-mundi]

I've been using a Midi controller, Behringer X Touch Mini, with FreePIE and VJoy, for years. Now this quite old device has connection issues with my laptop, I don't know if it's the device itself or maybe a driver issue from a Windows update.
That uncertainty makes me not want to buy the same device again.
Since I've been using mainly the buttons on the device and the slider, but rarely the dials, I started thinking about getting a "12 Keys Gaming Keypad" with a couple of dials, or even just a rectangular-laybout small keyboard. I then realized that I already have an usused keyboard, my laptop's, when I use my separate USB keyboard. With a Midi controller, I guess it's an advantage when using FreePIE that the device is uniquely identified, and the buttons don't have a default behavior.
In a game such as IL-2 Sturmovik, with assignable keybindings, if I assign an action to the key 'K', that action will normally be triggered no matter whether I press 'K' on my separate keyboard or the laptop's keyboard.
Would FreePIE be able to tell the keyboards apart, to pick up key actions from just one keyboard, and, would it be possible to 'hide' this keyboard from IL-2, so to speak?
Similarly, those little USB keypads that are available for gaming, with a few dials on them, how are they represented in FreePIE? Are they keyboards? I.e. do the same considerations/problems apply to them?
And if they are keyboards, how are the dials represented in FreePIE?

[Jabberwock]

Unfortunately, FreePIE keyboard functions cannot distinguish the keyboards nor hide the keyboard input.

Those little USB keypads with pots have their own microcontroller in them. They might communicate with some software installed on Windows, like MMJoy2, which would translate their inputs into something usable, or they might be programmed to be seen as keyboard/mouse/game controllers etc. If they are based on a popular microcontroller (e.g. Arduino Leonardo/Pro Micro), you can find a ton of examples on how to reprogram them to your liking. But MMJoy2 route is probably the easier. On the other hand, DIY is more fun - I have made a Pro Micro based controller with two sticks and six buttons configured specifically for a single game (SnowRunner) and it works perfectly. I have long longed for something like Saitek Farm Controller panel - not anymore, if I feel the need, I will do a better one.

[Jabberwock]

One point I forgot to add: you might not need all those keys, but 'regular' gaming keypads, like Razer Chroma/Tartarus, Logitech G13 (discontinued) etc. are somewhat more expensive, but can be bought used and might provide easier/more robust software.