New Amiga 600 mechanical keyboard - PCBs arrived!

aeberbach · 03 December 2019, 03:32

Here she is: https://imgur.com/JZE8Wng

The substrate is a very solid 3.2mm, the switches fitted are Gateron brown.

Unfortunately the A600 is fitted with KS 2.0 while all I have for WB is 3.1.4, so nothing boots and so far the only keyboard functions I can test are caps lock and ctrl-A-A - but at least those two work.

To get diagrom onto one of my F2R16 modules I am going to have to install the ROM burner software, and that means I have to install Windows first

Hearty thanks to ExtremeWays, who lent me the A600 to make this project happen!

Some boards will be available for sale (4 at this point) and the PCB design will be available for download when I know for sure that it works (same as my A1200 project). More news as it happens...

Nightshft · 03 December 2019, 04:24

If you have a possibility to write adf to disk here are some keyboard test tools http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=86656

My favourite is keirf's system test. To my own surprise I don't find an adf in the net for the moment, so I've created an adf from floppy disk and upped it to the zone.

Nice project! (Just bought and replaced a A600 membrane)

Pyromania · 03 December 2019, 04:49

Are you selling these?

aeberbach · 03 December 2019, 05:05

Not yet - once everything is verified to work I will make a proper post with a fixed price and keep records of each individual one for sale - same as http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=97394 - OK? I checked with DamienD last time.

Mick · 03 December 2019, 12:27

Great work. All we need now is the A1200.net guys to make some new A600 cases.

ExtremeWays · 04 December 2019, 02:37

Nice work aeberbach! That's looking dead set awesome.

aeberbach · 06 December 2019, 08:28

https://imgur.com/gallery/RV3K6h5

This is an in-progress shot. All keys working as they should - check. Mounting in the A600 - finished. Now I am making custom keycaps using a laser engraver after dipping the blank keycaps in photocopier toner. It makes a great permanent key but it a little darker than the labeled keys I bought.

katarakt · 13 December 2019, 16:17

Excellent

aeberbach · 14 December 2019, 03:29

And it's finished

The A600 is a tight fit! There is really no extra space where the keyboard goes at all. My first mount solution was great until I tried putting the top back on the case but it would not close. What I have now fits neatly into the top case clips that held the original keyboard.

The layout is the same as the original BUT it uses a 7U space bar instead of an 8U. I only know one place that sells 8U/9U. It feels like a smarter choice to use 7U - anyway you be the judge. I made a little unit that supplies both blanking 1/2U blocks either side of the space bar and handles the stabiliser, 3D printed.

Buttoned up and ready:

Spacebar 3D printed stabiliser assembly:

Spacebar unit in place:

I have 5 PCBs total. There will be another thread about buying one, it's not going to be expensive, I may ask for pre-orders and get more PCBs made and supply the 3D printed pieces, ribbon cables and connectors to make it all work - but I will not supply keycaps. You can see my laser-toner-engraved keys are OK but not perfect and it is just too time consuming to do more than once. When I've checked with mods about what I can post that thread will appear but I don't think it breaks any rules if you want to just put "interested" here or PM the same. NOT as holding a place or reserving or committing to anything, just encouraging me to get into gear.

amiman99 · 14 December 2019, 19:55

I'm interested, but depends on price and shipping costs.
Also, what kind of ribbon cable you are using?

aeberbach · 14 December 2019, 23:32

The cables aren’t available as 30 (A600) or 31 (A1200) cables any more - but these are 32-way and the correct pitch. The way I do it is to use a 32-way socket on the keyboard and then trim unused lines at the Amiga end so that it can only be inserted the correct way.

nikoskob · 15 December 2019, 05:24

Yeah, i'd be interested in one too

These look so much more robust that the original keyboard

Acill · 06 March 2020, 04:16

You can look into changing the design some and use what Edu Arana has done for the 30 pin cables. These PCB's he did for the blue version of the 600 membrane are awesome. I am doing 5 of these myself. The connectors and cables are easily found. In fact you cn get the 30 pin cable off Amazon in the US.

https://github.com/arananet/A600BlueKBMembranetoPCB

seb132 · 07 March 2020, 12:21

I’d be easily interested in 2 if not too hard to put together... cheers

03 December 2019, 03:32	#1
aeberbach Registered User Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 421	New Amiga 600 mechanical keyboard - PCBs arrived! Here she is: https://imgur.com/JZE8Wng The substrate is a very solid 3.2mm, the switches fitted are Gateron brown. Unfortunately the A600 is fitted with KS 2.0 while all I have for WB is 3.1.4, so nothing boots and so far the only keyboard functions I can test are caps lock and ctrl-A-A - but at least those two work. To get diagrom onto one of my F2R16 modules I am going to have to install the ROM burner software, and that means I have to install Windows first Hearty thanks to ExtremeWays, who lent me the A600 to make this project happen! Some boards will be available for sale (4 at this point) and the PCB design will be available for download when I know for sure that it works (same as my A1200 project). More news as it happens...

03 December 2019, 04:24	#2
Nightshft Registered User Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Austria Posts: 617	If you have a possibility to write adf to disk here are some keyboard test tools http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=86656 My favourite is keirf's system test. To my own surprise I don't find an adf in the net for the moment, so I've created an adf from floppy disk and upped it to the zone. Nice project! (Just bought and replaced a A600 membrane) Last edited by Nightshft; 03 December 2019 at 05:02.

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03 December 2019, 04:49	#3
Pyromania Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 3,375	Are you selling these?

03 December 2019, 05:05	#4
aeberbach Registered User Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 421	Not yet - once everything is verified to work I will make a proper post with a fixed price and keep records of each individual one for sale - same as http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=97394 - OK? I checked with DamienD last time.

03 December 2019, 12:27	#5
Mick Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 710	Great work. All we need now is the A1200.net guys to make some new A600 cases.

04 December 2019, 02:37	#6
ExtremeWays Registered User Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Brisbane / Australia Posts: 13	Nice work aeberbach! That's looking dead set awesome.

06 December 2019, 08:28	#7
aeberbach Registered User Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 421	https://imgur.com/gallery/RV3K6h5 This is an in-progress shot. All keys working as they should - check. Mounting in the A600 - finished. Now I am making custom keycaps using a laser engraver after dipping the blank keycaps in photocopier toner. It makes a great permanent key but it a little darker than the labeled keys I bought.

13 December 2019, 16:17	#8
katarakt Registered User Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Germany Posts: 205	Excellent

14 December 2019, 03:29	#9
aeberbach Registered User Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 421	And it's finished The A600 is a tight fit! There is really no extra space where the keyboard goes at all. My first mount solution was great until I tried putting the top back on the case but it would not close. What I have now fits neatly into the top case clips that held the original keyboard. The layout is the same as the original BUT it uses a 7U space bar instead of an 8U. I only know one place that sells 8U/9U. It feels like a smarter choice to use 7U - anyway you be the judge. I made a little unit that supplies both blanking 1/2U blocks either side of the space bar and handles the stabiliser, 3D printed. Buttoned up and ready: Spacebar 3D printed stabiliser assembly: Spacebar unit in place: I have 5 PCBs total. There will be another thread about buying one, it's not going to be expensive, I may ask for pre-orders and get more PCBs made and supply the 3D printed pieces, ribbon cables and connectors to make it all work - but I will not supply keycaps. You can see my laser-toner-engraved keys are OK but not perfect and it is just too time consuming to do more than once. When I've checked with mods about what I can post that thread will appear but I don't think it breaks any rules if you want to just put "interested" here or PM the same. NOT as holding a place or reserving or committing to anything, just encouraging me to get into gear.

14 December 2019, 19:55	#10
amiman99 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: San Antonio, TX USA Age: 50 Posts: 1,185	I'm interested, but depends on price and shipping costs. Also, what kind of ribbon cable you are using?

14 December 2019, 23:32	#11
aeberbach Registered User Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 421	The cables aren’t available as 30 (A600) or 31 (A1200) cables any more - but these are 32-way and the correct pitch. The way I do it is to use a 32-way socket on the keyboard and then trim unused lines at the Amiga end so that it can only be inserted the correct way.

15 December 2019, 05:24	#12
nikoskob Registered User Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Melbourne/Australia Posts: 39	Yeah, i'd be interested in one too These look so much more robust that the original keyboard

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

06 March 2020, 04:16	#13
Acill Tech Guru Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Oxnard, CA Posts: 189	You can look into changing the design some and use what Edu Arana has done for the 30 pin cables. These PCB's he did for the blue version of the 600 membrane are awesome. I am doing 5 of these myself. The connectors and cables are easily found. In fact you cn get the 30 pin cable off Amazon in the US. https://github.com/arananet/A600BlueKBMembranetoPCB

07 March 2020, 12:21	#14
seb132 French in Australia Join Date: May 2012 Location: Gold Coast Age: 52 Posts: 507	I’d be easily interested in 2 if not too hard to put together... cheers