[Absolute last resort] Solution to A600 (maybe 1200?) keyboard cable problem

[ajk]

@Akira

I think nail polish remover is fairly pure acetone, so it might dissolve the cable too fast. This brake cleaner stuff is 10% or so acetone. Of course, you could always dilute whatever it is you have.

I also fixed another keyboard yesterday and that one seemed slightly more resistant. I think the best guide is just to start very slowly, and adjust accordingly. Also it's best to only rub/scrape along the traces, and not across them like I did at first.

@amiman99

There might be a way to deposit tin onto the contacts with electrolysis. Although, in my experience the cables are surprisingly robust as long as you always remember to loosen the connector before unplugging.

[Amiga1992]

Thanks ajk, I will try diluting some of my wife's nail polish remover to 10% concentration

Originally Posted by Jope

The A600 schematics are rare that they include the keyboard matrix.

Thanks! With that I can recognize which traces could be fucked.
I will try ajk's method diluting polish remover and see where it goes!

If a silver pen is recommended too, I would definitely try it.

[Amiga1992]

Well I went ahead and tried to do what ajk did, but failed.

I diluted nail polish remover 1 in 10 parts and it wasn't doing anything much, I guess I diluted it too much.
Then I used the full thing and it ate the traces away O_O.
I kept playing with other concentrations of polish remover and I never managed to achieve ajk's results. Maybe I should just get acetone only or something.
My result was that the keyboard stopped working altogether. Great job Akira!

In any case, I re-did my method, of scratching with an object after cutting it a bit, and it worked again. Only this second time, armed with the keyboard membrane diagram, I would test and every time I found a row not working, I would rework that trace. After a bit of work, I have a fully functioning keyboard again. Right Amiga and shift work again. It's great!

I wish I managed to make ajk's method work though. Maybe I should just try to buy this CRC brake fluid.
One last question remain: can this really be bettered with a silver paint pen or will I just make matters worse?

[ajk]

@Akira

Sad to hear that it didn't go well! Clearly this requires a very particular type of solvent to work, I got lucky.

I looked at the safety data sheets for the stuff, but they seem to be different in the states and Europe... different regulations I guess. The US paper does not mention acetone at all so I'm not sure what to recommend.

US: http://www.crcindustries.com/faxdocs/msds/5089.pdf
FI: http://www.crceurope.com/wwwcrc/msds...9_20130702.PDF (in Finnish, but you will find "asetoni" mentioned).

[Amiga1992]

Maybe this nail polish remover doesn't have acetone. It didn't eat the plastic in pure form, only the traces!

[amiman99]

Originally Posted by ajk

@amiman99

There might be a way to deposit tin onto the contacts with electrolysis. Although, in my experience the cables are surprisingly robust as long as you always remember to loosen the connector before unplugging.

I have a liquid TIN, I wonder if that would work??

[ajk]

@amiman99

It's the stuff that is intended for coating circuit boards? I'm sure it should work on the traces in this case as well, but the question is does it harm the plastic (I think the tin is carried in some kind of acidic form). Experiment if you dare

[spannernick]

@Akira

Glad you got it working again..

Mine is all working too now,Why is it always the shift,alt and A keys that don't work,My right shift is working now,I pulled my lead out and put it back in again but not all the way and now the whole keyboard is working,Great..

[spannernick]

Just brought some silver paint,it's this one.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Conductive...=1044687763586

Very expense for 2 grams..

[spannernick]

Hi all again..
Got my shift keys working now but now they are not working but were,yesterday morning they are working played the same game in the afternoon and now they have stopped working,including the Up,CTRL,Alt and A keys,this is weird,I noticed that as well that I can't press 2 keys together like in a pinball game,I can only press one or the other key,pressing them together cancels them out..?? what the hell is going on with my A1200 keyboard..?

[Amiga1992]

You probably mangled it beyond repair, if you used what you ordered, how did you apply it? Because it's not a pen.

I never had to do this to an A1200 though, only 600s, like the title I wrote implies.

[spannernick]

No I have not put the paint on it yet,I need to know what connection connects to which key,anyone know..? its hard to trace them,and I don't plan to take the keyboard apart.

All the other keys work fine but just can't press 2 together.my Arow up key has never worked,I have cut this lead so meny time I can't cut it no more,it about 5 inch long now,the length from the keyboard in its place to the connector.

If you go to my channel on youtube,you see me playing Slam Tilt,you will see it's hard to play cos I can't press 2 keys together. I found the video for you.. [ Show youtube player ] Go to 14.33 to see me playing it.It makes it look like I am shit at playing it.. And I have tested the keyboard in another A1200 so I know its the keyboard that doing it.

Had a idea,can you send keys to a joystick or pad so I can use my pad instead..?

[Amiga1992]

Not being able to press two together seems like a larger problem unrelated to the topic.

Stop what you are doing, you damaged the keyboard far too much. Get a new membrane.

Originally Posted by spannernick

No I have not put the paint on it yet,I need to know what connection connects to which key,anyone know..? its hard to trace them,and I don't plan to take the keyboard apart.

Jope already posted the schematics on this thread. Seems to me you better give it to someone that knows what they are doing.

[spannernick]

OK..Thanks.. Just realized I could fix my other A1200 membrane with the silver paint.. I cut in the wrong place on it so If I put some sellotape under the cut then paint over the trace it should get it working.. We will see. These membranes are about £7 on Amigakit but they are out of stock,do anyone know when they will be back in stock..? wow thats cheap.. http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=855

[ajk]

I would assume they scavenged those from systems that could not be repaired, so supply is going to be extremely random.

[spannernick]

Hi all,Just painted my connector with silver paint and the keyboard is working except,CTRL,SHIFTX2 AltX2,Amiga keys and the Up key,I can never get the up to work..???
ah well at least all the others are working,f keys are now working. I was thinking of getting a usb keyboard for the A1200 but then it will not be the same,but thats might the only way to go it the end.cos of parts being avalible for the Amiga.

I do love Slam Tilt,Glad you can custom the keys..,is there any hacked pinball games for the amiga that you can change the keys.

[Amiga1992]

You have to keep on trying spannernick, I think you are one line away from getting it working fully. Did you check the keyboard schematics?

[spannernick]

I can't get it straight,when you paint it on,I keeps scratching of the paint wrong,Its hard when you have a bad arm,I might have to go down the USB route and use a USB keyboard,anyone used a USB Keyboard with theres..?

[spannernick]

Just got my keyboard on my A1200 working,every key is working now thanks to silver paint,I did it a different way by cutting the brush that comes with it so it's pen size and then holded the membrane up to my lamp light then painting the silver paint where there was a cut in the traces by putting a blob of paint only there then using a wire with a jumper pin on used for breadboards to remove the paint between the traces where it crossed and it worked.. I had to do it quick cos this paint dries in 5 mins.so you don't have to wait for a hour for it to dry.

If you want pictures let me know.

I can now play Slam Tilt and Pinball Fantasies..

I am still getting the Wireless favourite USB keyboard replacement for AMIGA 1200 as a backup or if I want to use my keyboard away from the Amiga like a wireless joystick but keyboard for like pinball games,it should be fun.,.

[Ferry]

Hmmm… Reviving an old thread just to add a maybe useful info: how to make your own and cheap conductive paint with acrylic paint and graphite powder (1:1 proportion):

https://www.instructables.com/id/Conductive-Paint/

It should be useful to recoat connector pins instead of cutting them. I have not tested it, but it should work.

Also, I'm waiting for a new membrane for my A1200 (the last one available, hehe!) and I'm thinking of a way to protect connector pins BEFORE connecting it to the motherboard. It's a bit crazy, so I prefer to post it as soon as I have tried it, will post photos and procedures. But, if it works, it would protect pins FOREVER.

Saluditos,

Ferrán.