PC in Amiga 1200 - help with laptop ribbon cable

Tiago · 26 October 2011, 12:45

Hi everyone, first post after introduction.
Hope this post is in the correct place.

so here it goes:
i am converting a laptop to An Amiga 1200 case.
why??? i have a spare A1200 case, so... why not??

Laptop is a Dell 630, that a friend gave me. I open it, and remove the board... laptops are not so easy to open... we must be very carefull.

Problems so far:
- fan must be placed exactly as it were inside laptop, 2 milimeters out of place and the board shuts down with cooling problems.

- as i get the board out of laptop, i notice it is to big for the A1200 case, i will have to cut a bit of keyboad and metal to get some space, and also have to remove the board battery connector as i will not need it and space is important.

- power on button is in the laptop keyboard, how can i remove it from the keyboard???? I guess i can put a switch from the wires... if i dont remove this button, i can not turn the pc/amiga on...

Here is a big photo of work so far, hope you understand:

http://www.lobodias.com/Commodore_Am...20PC2AMIGA.jpg

I know there are people that hack PC keyboards for flight simulators, they
put switch button instead of Keys, they open the keyboard, and do combinations from the circuit inside, conecting the pins make the keys work, so they put switchs instead of keys. I think i can do a similar thing, if i could know what pins make the function on/off i would put wires from there so i can turn my pc/amiga on.
I hope all this make sense.

Help about the button is much apreciated!

Tiago · 26 October 2011, 14:27

Image link was not correct... now it works

Jope · 26 October 2011, 14:44

Dismantle the keyboard, follow the traces, see what pins it connects in the flat cable?

Tiago · 26 October 2011, 16:41

yes i will do that, but the keyboad (laptop) is a closed soder box, i have to brake it to have acess to it... but i dont see other way...

Tiago · 27 October 2011, 14:12

DONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did it Jope, thanks for the advice.
the on/off is a combination of 2 pins. I opened the metal case of laptop keyboad, and look for the traces of the on/off button, i follow them they passed from 1 top layer to 1 bottom layer and then to ribbon cable, i tested with a multimeter, and the power flow when i press the button, the multimeter gave me signal. So, now that i now witch pins do the power on/off i can now remove the keyboard and use a on/off switch to power it on. Must now order the Keyrah adapter.
Thanks !!!

Jope · 27 October 2011, 16:11

Great, please keep us posted with your progress. :-)

Tiago · 29 October 2011, 18:59

Hello,
today i also look for F12 pins. I think i will put an external button for F12, since Keyrah/A1200 keyboard dont have F12...
I also want to start with a small VGA cable extension, to extend video signal from laptop board to A1200 port. I only need about 15/20 centimeters. I have the male and female connectors and also a VGA cable with 15 wires inside, but i think i dont need all of the 15 wires... anyone knows whitch pins i need? and do i need to solder anything to the outside of "d" connector? Should it be pin 1 to pin 1 ; pin 2 to 2 etc.... ?
thanks

rkauer · 31 October 2011, 21:31

http://pinouts.ru/all/VGA15_pinout.shtml

SailorSat · 02 November 2011, 19:23

Wow... Reminds me of something

Good luck.

26 October 2011, 12:45	#1
Tiago Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Estoril/Portugal Age: 47 Posts: 115	PC in Amiga 1200 - help with laptop ribbon cable Hi everyone, first post after introduction. Hope this post is in the correct place. so here it goes: i am converting a laptop to An Amiga 1200 case. why??? i have a spare A1200 case, so... why not?? Laptop is a Dell 630, that a friend gave me. I open it, and remove the board... laptops are not so easy to open... we must be very carefull. Problems so far: - fan must be placed exactly as it were inside laptop, 2 milimeters out of place and the board shuts down with cooling problems. - as i get the board out of laptop, i notice it is to big for the A1200 case, i will have to cut a bit of keyboad and metal to get some space, and also have to remove the board battery connector as i will not need it and space is important. - power on button is in the laptop keyboard, how can i remove it from the keyboard???? I guess i can put a switch from the wires... if i dont remove this button, i can not turn the pc/amiga on... Here is a big photo of work so far, hope you understand: http://www.lobodias.com/Commodore_Am...20PC2AMIGA.jpg I know there are people that hack PC keyboards for flight simulators, they put switch button instead of Keys, they open the keyboard, and do combinations from the circuit inside, conecting the pins make the keys work, so they put switchs instead of keys. I think i can do a similar thing, if i could know what pins make the function on/off i would put wires from there so i can turn my pc/amiga on. I hope all this make sense. Help about the button is much apreciated! Last edited by Tiago; 26 October 2011 at 14:26.

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26 October 2011, 14:27	#2
Tiago Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Estoril/Portugal Age: 47 Posts: 115	Image link was not correct... now it works

26 October 2011, 14:44	#3
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,863	Dismantle the keyboard, follow the traces, see what pins it connects in the flat cable?

26 October 2011, 16:41	#4
Tiago Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Estoril/Portugal Age: 47 Posts: 115	yes i will do that, but the keyboad (laptop) is a closed soder box, i have to brake it to have acess to it... but i dont see other way...

27 October 2011, 14:12	#5
Tiago Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Estoril/Portugal Age: 47 Posts: 115	DONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did it Jope, thanks for the advice. the on/off is a combination of 2 pins. I opened the metal case of laptop keyboad, and look for the traces of the on/off button, i follow them they passed from 1 top layer to 1 bottom layer and then to ribbon cable, i tested with a multimeter, and the power flow when i press the button, the multimeter gave me signal. So, now that i now witch pins do the power on/off i can now remove the keyboard and use a on/off switch to power it on. Must now order the Keyrah adapter. Thanks !!!

27 October 2011, 16:11	#6
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,863	Great, please keep us posted with your progress. :-)

29 October 2011, 18:59	#7
Tiago Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Estoril/Portugal Age: 47 Posts: 115	Hello, today i also look for F12 pins. I think i will put an external button for F12, since Keyrah/A1200 keyboard dont have F12... I also want to start with a small VGA cable extension, to extend video signal from laptop board to A1200 port. I only need about 15/20 centimeters. I have the male and female connectors and also a VGA cable with 15 wires inside, but i think i dont need all of the 15 wires... anyone knows whitch pins i need? and do i need to solder anything to the outside of "d" connector? Should it be pin 1 to pin 1 ; pin 2 to 2 etc.... ? thanks

31 October 2011, 21:31	#8
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	http://pinouts.ru/all/VGA15_pinout.shtml

02 November 2011, 19:23	#9
SailorSat Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Hanau / Germany Age: 41 Posts: 65	Wow... Reminds me of something Good luck.

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