PS2 Keyboard and AMIGA1200

[snowman]

Dear amigans,

I'm trying to give my Amiga1200 a new life hosted in a plexi glas tower housing and equiped wit PPC PhaseV accelartor, PCI Mediator 1200, ATA-MKII, Vodoo3000 GFX-Card etc. I have this stuff already half a year still in boxes. Sometimes I'm just putting everything together to see how this could look like after I finished my project .

But I'm facing a major problem. I want to have a PS2-Keyboard connected to the AMIGA. I don't want to use the original Keyboard (space in amiga and in my flat --> KVM-Switch).

I searched the internet and found several projects, which could help me. I focussed the EPIC-Project running on PIC16F84 (have some experience with that PIC). So I set up the project and. connected everithing and amiga started to give me lots of " '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' " on the shell or an editor (it's not a data <-> clock twist!!!). I checked the PIC-code and found out that serial protocol to AMIGA is a bit strange (no parity, high and low acknowlede, no stop bit). I checked the other parts of the code, they working perfect.

Does somebody of you tried that EPIC-thing succesful?
Do you know that " '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' " output on Amiga?
Is it somehow possible to find a specifícation of that amiga keyboard to host protocol (would be also ok for me to get an alternative assembler extract) ?

I would be very grateful for some help or hints.

Regards

Snowman

[Jope]

So did you try swapping data and clock around, even though you say it is not the problem?

[snowman]

Hi,

many thanks for reply.
Yes, I swaped clock and data, same result, no change.
Maybe it is important to say that the ''' characters appear not from the beginning but after I reset or repower the PIC circuit.
I believe there is something not very correct with the amiga <-> keyboard initiation and with the clock rates in my epic asm code.
According to the AT-Keyboard spec, a high duration of 30 > 50 micro seconds is used within the clock rate. After I checked the epic assembler code, the wait cycles are in areas of milli seconds. And I also could not find a protocol that is used to help the amiga to find/recognize the keyboard during power on.

I found ATkeyboard.lha on aminet and I will try to find out the init power-on sequence and the values for the clock cycles (there is something more than in epic on the first view). I soldered my pic already, so I don't just want to use the code in ATkeyboard.lha as far as clock and data needs in/out pin (in total 4 portspins) and not 2 portspins like in epic.

Anyway, a spec in writing would be very helpful as far as I'm not very experienced in reverse-engineering asm code .
Every help is very welcome .

Regards
Snowman

[mrodfr]

hello,

I know It's not funny but you can also baught elbox's PS2 keyboard interface.

[Jope]

Well, one thing is for sure, since the keyboard sets the clock and the protocol is very slow (in computer terms anyway), you don't have to be very quick in your own code.

So add some delays and double check that your init code is correct, etc..

[snowman]

Hi,

Thanks for all replys.
If I buy everithing, it would not be the same amiga. That`s why I have that thing . Everybody can buy lots of interfaces and extension cards -> finally I would get a PC and install doors .
For me is the way the goal.

I posibly can solve my problem by logging the clock and data transmission with the original keyboard installed .

Regards

Snowman

[coze]

how about mmkeyboard ? http://dk.aminet.net/hard/drivr/mmkeyboard.lha it looks like a more recent project (I guess I will try to build this soon)

[snowman]

Hi Coze,

Thanks for the hint but it seem that the lha-file does not contain the necessary firmware for the pic.

[snowman]

I found the MMKeyboard firmware and tried to set it up.

Is it really necessary to cut the keyboard controller clock and data on A1200?

Cheers

Snowman

[Jope]

It might work without cutting them.. Try it and see.

[snowman]

Thanks for all help.
mmkeyboard is working fine. The problem was mainly a wrong PLCC pin diagramm (PLCC adaptor on top of U7). I could have found that out with a multimeter days ago .

right, no pins need to be cut.
I put an adaptor on top of U7 --> no soldering to my beloved A1200.

Thanks again for support.

[Zetr0]

heys snowman glad to hear/read that you got it sorted

well done indeed..


would you have a correct PLCC diagram so that others might not fall foul to it ?

[snowman]

Hi again,

I attached a pdf-file which describes the PLCC socket pin diagram in order to abuse the PLCC socket as chip adaptor.

I have tested MMKeyboard and EPIC's IBMkey25 --> both working fine with A1200.

As far as IBMkey25 was written for PIC16C84 and I wanted to use the more common newer PIC16F84A, I needed to complete the .asm file with missing config word and new device specification.
I attached the changed .asm file and the related .hex as zip. The .hex file can be used to set up original IBMkey25 now with 16F84A.
I did NOT make changes to the actual firmware itself. I left functional part untouched.
I did not connect the reset line!
I did not cut pins at keyboard controller, just put the adaptor on top of U7.

MMkeyboard and PIC16F84A do not have a problem with each other.

That's it

Cheers

Snowman

[Zetr0]

well played indeed Snowman!

what did you use to program the PIC or did that come as standard?

It would be nice if there could be a MAKE YOUR OWN Keybaord Adapter with newer uptodate components (including a cost and pictures of HOW I DONE IT by the snowman kinda thing).

I am currently revising the MIDI Project XG with DDNI, using PC midi-wavetable daughter cards as direct midi xg sound synths hopefully trying to get it done over christmass with a how to and where to buy..

[snowman]

Hi Zetr0,

step by step. I'm currently getting in touch with all this PIC things. I'm willing to provide some kind of PS2 Keyboard & Mouse adaptor (open source as a matter of course) but I'm currently trying to find out all that not developer friendly documented stuff of Amiga.
Everything I'm doing is just after I finished my regular office work, and believe me, there is not much time left.
I promise to deliver something, but it needs time and I'm doing it just to keep Amigas alive.

Snowman

[Zetr0]

@snowman

my friend when you are ready... so will we theres no rush... enjoy your amiga i know i do... infact i have a nice little project here i have kept under wraps for a few months now that is almost.... almost complete.... my hope is people will like it when its done

I have taken my time on it... infact waiting many weeks just to get the right bits....

its worth the wait... and i, as i know you do, enjoy it at the pace we deem

i look forward to seeing you work, whenever its done

Heres to the Amiga, and those idle hours spent ..... idling....

[coze]

I just done this adapter, it rocks. I also managed to get it working on the a600. It's basicly the same as a1200, however clock and data are on pins 41 and 42 respectively and the keyboard controller (U13) faces the floppy drive, unlike the a1200 controller which faces the roms (see the a600 schematics here). Basicly all you need is :

a 16f84a pic (4-5 $ ?)
47k resistor (0.3 $)
47pF cap (0.3 $)
socket for the pic (1 $)
fem ps2 connector (for the keyboard) (1-2 $)
some board to put everything on (1$)
some wire & soldering iron & solder (priceless)

optional :
pllc socket (for a600 and a1200) (3$ - I've been had ?)
male din5 plug (for a2000, a3000) (2$)
male mini din6 plug (ps2 a4000) (2$)

for a500 I'm not sure but you'll probably need that 8 pin connector where the a500 keyboard plugs in.

The only hard time is to get the pic programmed. There are all kinds of programmers out there. You can look at ebay or get one at a local electronic store, or build one of the free ones which mr guido mentions in the mmkeyboard readme. I got mine from a local store for about $20. I thought it had the serial interface built, but it came only with software and the serial cable and I had to build the interface myself. luckily it was not so hard to build. It all sums down to how much money and time you want to spare for this.
A pic programmer is also useful for an amiga user for other projects like the ps2mouse adapter.

Following Snowman earlier work, i've added big box amigas reset support to the code.Tested on a A4000D with the epic1.3 example hardware, pic16F84A and a IBM AT Keyboard.

It may as well work on a A500/A1200 without connecting the reset line, but i haven't tested it.

[Jope]

It will, you will just lose keyboard reset then. Schematics for making that work can be found in the A2000 schematics, also some doc/hard files on aminet have the info.

@Jope:
Yes you're right, since A1200/A4000 reset lines are routed differently on the motherboard.
Each one handles the reset on a different chip.