New Cherry MX keyboards for the A500, A600 and A1200

kipper2k · 14 October 2018, 14:52

Hi all,

Here are my Cherry MX keyboards for the Amiga, They will be sold by Amiga on the Lake and a distributor in the UK

All the info is here... These MX keyboards are designed as a total drop in keyboard replacement, not just part of it

http://amigaonthelake.com/new-a1200-...amiga-keycaps/

Amiga4000 · 14 October 2018, 18:21

Can't wait for these to ship! We desperately need new keyboards (all versions) as it's almost impossible to get a keyboard on ebay now. Well done Kipper!

Put me down for 1 A500 keyboard please.....

plasmab · 14 October 2018, 18:38

put me down for 2 x A500/A1200 ones and a A600 one please.

Y

_ThEcRoW · 14 October 2018, 18:43

Are you saying that you have a500 keyboard replacement with cherry switches??. How much will be each one?. I would be interested in a replacement for my 500.
Amazing work!

Mick · 14 October 2018, 19:01

Great work.

All we are missing now is open source A500/A600 pcb's.

voyager · 14 October 2018, 19:25

So what will be the price? And were to find keys that fit the amiga layout?

Mr.Flibble · 14 October 2018, 19:41

Bloody legend

kolla · 14 October 2018, 19:48

Wow, very cool!!!

Romanujan · 14 October 2018, 20:00

Any plans for the additional keys (near Alt/Amiga keys)? Maybe they could serve as Control keys?

DanyPPC · 14 October 2018, 20:04

Great project Kipper !

spudje · 14 October 2018, 20:31

So I guess my a1200.net keys now turned into a waste of money

I'd rather have a nice Cherry MX keyboard instead!

kipper2k · 14 October 2018, 21:06

Hi,

Thanks for the kind words. The boards are almost ready to go, I have decided to go with the original layout for all 3 amigas to keep the compatibility. Keys should all be the same size as the original keyboards, and they can be custom printed when ordering so you have your "A" symbols etc, you can even have a C= logo on the blank keys if you want. Keys will be available from a USA seller/manufacturer and i will do up a shopping list for all keys needed, i will make a few but i will farm out a lot of the work. Maybe someone can start up a group buy for keys, i was wrong about there being 200 colours, there are only 142, ah well, shoot me later

Once i am done with these then i will open up my A2k and A4k keyboard and start that

Eriond · 14 October 2018, 21:10

So happy to see you back in business, Kipper2k!
I hope someone picks up large(er) scale production of these, because as our fellow Amigans said above: "We desperately need new keyboards"

What about the FR4-keyplate? Is it rigid enough? We did some initial try-outs here at our local Amiga-club, but they involved waterjet-cut stainless steel sheet (1,5mm thick). And since that's not some equipment everyone has at their disposal, I'm curious if a FR4 substrate would be a good enough replacement.

Always a joy to see your devotion to the Amiga and it's community!

kipper2k · 14 October 2018, 21:22

the strength of the 2 boards bonded by almost 100 keys is surprisingly good, the overall width of the joined plates is only 0.205" so there is not much play. I have also left a couple of centre slots that can be used for additional support so it will survive a lot of punishment.the top board is 0.064" thick (i'm an old geezer, i prefer inches lol)

Predseda · 14 October 2018, 21:26

tnt23 · 14 October 2018, 21:32

Impressive job Kipper!

fluffkitten · 14 October 2018, 21:39

Blimey! That is pretty neat.

Romanujan · 14 October 2018, 21:54

@kipper2k - Of course we can print anything we want - but will the keys be usable by Amiga software? Maybe configurable within the keyboard itself, or visible by, for example, http://aminet.net/package/driver/input/mmkeyboard ?

kipper2k · 14 October 2018, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romanujan

@kipper2k - Of course we can print anything we want - but will the keys be usable by Amiga software? Maybe configurable within the keyboard itself, or visible by, for example, http://aminet.net/package/driver/input/mmkeyboard ?

I am not sure what you mean, this keyboard IS for all intents and purposes an Amiga keyboard, All keys are mapped as an Amiga keyboard. I reverse engineered it from scratch to ensure each address line went to the correct key. You can probably create custom keys if you want and map them through utilities, but as you can see in the video the default keys correspond to the keyboard test in Systest (and others i used)

Quote:

Originally Posted by spudje

So I guess my a1200.net keys now turned into a waste of money

I'd rather have a nice Cherry MX keyboard instead!

Maybe they will do a run of cherry MX keys now

voyager · 14 October 2018, 22:17

How will the big keys be stabilised?

14 October 2018, 14:52	#1
kipper2k Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Canada Posts: 4,323	New Cherry MX keyboards for the A500, A600 and A1200 and now C64 Hi all, Here are my Cherry MX keyboards for the Amiga, They will be sold by Amiga on the Lake and a distributor in the UK All the info is here... These MX keyboards are designed as a total drop in keyboard replacement, not just part of it http://amigaonthelake.com/new-a1200-...amiga-keycaps/ Last edited by kipper2k; 08 August 2019 at 14:41.

14 October 2018, 18:21	#2
Amiga4000 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: The Ford Galaxy Posts: 214	Can't wait for these to ship! We desperately need new keyboards (all versions) as it's almost impossible to get a keyboard on ebay now. Well done Kipper! Put me down for 1 A500 keyboard please..... Last edited by Amiga4000; 14 October 2018 at 18:47.

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14 October 2018, 18:38	#3
plasmab Banned Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: UK Posts: 2,917	put me down for 2 x A500/A1200 ones and a A600 one please. Y

14 October 2018, 18:43	#4
_ThEcRoW Amiga NetRunner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Spain Age: 45 Posts: 941	Are you saying that you have a500 keyboard replacement with cherry switches??. How much will be each one?. I would be interested in a replacement for my 500. Amazing work!

14 October 2018, 19:01	#5
Mick Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 710	Great work. All we are missing now is open source A500/A600 pcb's.

14 October 2018, 19:25	#6
voyager The show must go on. Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Alkmaar Nederland Posts: 269	So what will be the price? And were to find keys that fit the amiga layout?

14 October 2018, 19:41	#7
Mr.Flibble Registered User Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: UK Posts: 472	Bloody legend

14 October 2018, 19:48	#8
kolla Banned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Trondheim, Norway Posts: 1,893	Wow, very cool!!!

14 October 2018, 20:00	#9
Romanujan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Szczecin/Poland Posts: 424	Any plans for the additional keys (near Alt/Amiga keys)? Maybe they could serve as Control keys?

14 October 2018, 20:04	#10
DanyPPC Registered User Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Italy Posts: 729	Great project Kipper !

14 October 2018, 20:31	#11
spudje Registered User Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,406	So I guess my a1200.net keys now turned into a waste of money I'd rather have a nice Cherry MX keyboard instead!

14 October 2018, 21:06	#12
kipper2k Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Canada Posts: 4,323	Hi, Thanks for the kind words. The boards are almost ready to go, I have decided to go with the original layout for all 3 amigas to keep the compatibility. Keys should all be the same size as the original keyboards, and they can be custom printed when ordering so you have your "A" symbols etc, you can even have a C= logo on the blank keys if you want. Keys will be available from a USA seller/manufacturer and i will do up a shopping list for all keys needed, i will make a few but i will farm out a lot of the work. Maybe someone can start up a group buy for keys, i was wrong about there being 200 colours, there are only 142, ah well, shoot me later Once i am done with these then i will open up my A2k and A4k keyboard and start that

14 October 2018, 21:26	#15
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,539

14 October 2018, 21:10	#13
Eriond Happy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 101	So happy to see you back in business, Kipper2k! I hope someone picks up large(er) scale production of these, because as our fellow Amigans said above: "We desperately need new keyboards" What about the FR4-keyplate? Is it rigid enough? We did some initial try-outs here at our local Amiga-club, but they involved waterjet-cut stainless steel sheet (1,5mm thick). And since that's not some equipment everyone has at their disposal, I'm curious if a FR4 substrate would be a good enough replacement. Always a joy to see your devotion to the Amiga and it's community!

14 October 2018, 21:22	#14
kipper2k Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Canada Posts: 4,323	the strength of the 2 boards bonded by almost 100 keys is surprisingly good, the overall width of the joined plates is only 0.205" so there is not much play. I have also left a couple of centre slots that can be used for additional support so it will survive a lot of punishment.the top board is 0.064" thick (i'm an old geezer, i prefer inches lol)

14 October 2018, 21:32	#16
tnt23 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Saint-Petersburg / Russia Posts: 324	Impressive job Kipper!

14 October 2018, 21:39	#17
fluffkitten Registered User Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Nottingham/UK Posts: 64	Blimey! That is pretty neat.

14 October 2018, 21:54	#18
Romanujan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Szczecin/Poland Posts: 424	@kipper2k - Of course we can print anything we want - but will the keys be usable by Amiga software? Maybe configurable within the keyboard itself, or visible by, for example, http://aminet.net/package/driver/input/mmkeyboard ?

14 October 2018, 22:17	#20
voyager The show must go on. Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Alkmaar Nederland Posts: 269	How will the big keys be stabilised?

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