A1200 external keyboard

[VresiBerba]

What is the best way to get an external - real - Amiga keyboard hooked up to an Amiga 1200? Either a 2000, 3000 or 4000 keyboard, genuine or aftermarket or some hack-e-doo thing where you use the internal keyboard from either a 500 or a 1200.

[ptyerman]

You can use PS/2 keyboards by using the Lyra keyboard adaptor. Amigakit has them in stock: http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=207.
Or straight from Individual Computers: https://icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/...-adapters.html

[VresiBerba]

Originally Posted by ptyerman

You can use PS/2 keyboards by using the Lyra keyboard adaptor. Amigakit has them in stock: http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=207.
Or straight from Individual Computers: https://icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/...-adapters.html

Yes, I know that... But I want to use a real Amiga keyboard.

[ptyerman]

Think your out of luck on that one then. Unless you rewire one.

[VresiBerba]

Originally Posted by ptyerman

Think your out of luck on that one then. Unless you rewire one.

No. I know of at least two ways to get one working, and one is to use a Micronik (I think is spelled right) case which converts a 1200 keyboard to PS/2 and PC-Key 1200, an adapter that connects to the keyboard connector that accepts A2000 and A4000 keyboards directly, Both these alternatives are kind of costly though. And then I think a Keyrah should theoretically work too, but I'm not sure hence this thread.

[ptyerman]

You kind of answered your own question. Alas, in Amiga land it's rare that anything can be done cheaply.

[VresiBerba]

Originally Posted by ptyerman

You kind of answered your own question. Alas, in Amiga land it's rare that anything can be done cheaply.

Well, I don't know of any of these contraptions and how they work. I also don't know if there are any other. So, no.

[ptyerman]

I'm not aware of anything current that does this, that's not to say there isn't a way of doing it though. Maybe someone more enlightened will give you a solution.

[cpiac64]

in rev 2B can solder a cable for connect external keyb

other rev need modify some connection, verify on aminet

[Daedalus]

In all Revision A1200s you can mount a simple adaptor on top of either the keyboard controller or one of the CIAs that gives you the signals you need for an external keyboard. Are you any good with a soldering iron? It's a pretty easy adaptor to build; I've built them for two of my A1200s for using an A3000 keyboard with them.

[VresiBerba]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

In all Revision A1200s you can mount a simple adaptor on top of either the keyboard controller or one of the CIAs that gives you the signals you need for an external keyboard. Are you any good with a soldering iron? It's a pretty easy adaptor to build; I've built them for two of my A1200s for using an A3000 keyboard with them.

Well, I would think I'm good enough. Do you have a diagram or even better, pictures of this adaptor?

[Daedalus]

Well, I have this photo from a project of mine from a few years back. I've since replaced the direct connections to the chip with an upturned 44-pin PLCC socket, but don't have any photos of that. You get the idea though!

Basically, you've got 4 wires to the keyboard: +5V, ground, clock and data. The pins for the keyboard socket are shown here, and the pins to the keyboard MPU (the way I did it) are:

+5V: Pin 44
Ground: Pin 22
Clock: Pin 14
Data: Pin 13

Attaching to the CIA is the same idea, but the pin numbers on the chip are different. It must be U7, attaching to U8 won't work:

+5V: Pin 22
Ground: Pin 1
Clock: Pin 44
Data: Pin 43

[VresiBerba]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Well, I have this photo from a project of mine from a few years back. I've since replaced the direct connections to the chip with an upturned 44-pin PLCC socket, but don't have any photos of that. You get the idea though!

Basically, you've got 4 wires to the keyboard: +5V, ground, clock and data. The pins for the keyboard socket are shown here, and the pins to the keyboard MPU (the way I did it) are:

+5V: Pin 44
Ground: Pin 22
Clock: Pin 14
Data: Pin 13

Attaching to the CIA is the same idea, but the pin numbers on the chip are different. It must be U7, attaching to U8 won't work:

+5V: Pin 22
Ground: Pin 1
Clock: Pin 44
Data: Pin 43

That's amazing information, thanks. On to ebay to buy sockets and DIN connectors!

[Daedalus]

No problem! Just noticed though, the keyboard pin numbers are correct on that page I linked to, but the image for the A4000 connector is wrong. It should be the PS/2 type, not the star type pin arrangement. This one has the correct image.

[VresiBerba]

Can this 'adapter' be used with an Amiga 500 keyboard? The pinout on that connector is

1 DATA
2 CLOCK
3 RESET
4 +5V
5 key, removed pin
6 GROUND
7 STATUS (led +5V power)
8 INUSE -"-

[Daedalus]

Yeah, they're the same four signals. The only problem (and this applies for A2/3/4000 keyboards too) is that they won't reset the 1200 with Ctrl-A-A. For that you can also attach the reset line of an A500 keyboard to the KB_RESET line on the Amiga (Pin 38 of the MPU).

[nogginthenog]

There is also software to reset the Amiga on C-A-A (doesn't work in games though). I know this because many years ago I wrote one for my A500 (with A2000 keyboard). I can try and dig it up if anyone's interested...

[Nobby_UK]

PC Key 1200 Keyboard Adapter:
"The microprocessor-based keyboard interface for Amiga 1200 supports PC (WIN and AT),
Amiga 2000 and Amiga 4000 keyboards."

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=332

£33 + Postage

[Daedalus]

Originally Posted by nogginthenog

There is also software to reset the Amiga on C-A-A (doesn't work in games though). I know this because many years ago I wrote one for my A500 (with A2000 keyboard). I can try and dig it up if anyone's interested...

Interesting... I got around the problem with a tool that adds a shortcut to the Tools menu for rebooting, but that sounds like a useful little thing! If you do dig it up, stick it on Aminet because I'm sure others will use it!