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Possible?


atrax27407

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But would be neat project to do simple converter to use usb keyboard or mouses.

 

I'm waiting on that PS/2 keyboard interface that has already been designed and tested. From what I understand it's just a matter of time now. The parties involved in this project are busy people with a lot of things on their plates at the moment, but last I heard, it's going to be released with the current AVR code and users can decide to upgrade it later if they want.

 

I've been chomping at the bit for one of those for a while now. I put the cart before the horse and bought my keyboard already, but now you can get them cheaper than what I paid. Just go to eBait and type in "HP PS/2 KEYBOARD" as your search string.

 

I think we need to get a TI logo sticker to go over the HP logo though.... just to make things match up... ;)

 

$_57.JPG

 

As for a mouse... we'll see what the future brings, if anything.

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Hey, that's the same keyboard I use. ;) My adapter's been tested with a lot of PS/2 and even AT keyboards, and works on them all (amusingly, the cheaper keyboards were more tolerant but the higher quality keyboards made me clean up the protocol, I'm pretty confident in it.)

 

Anyone can download the existing PCB and AVR files and build their own, and could have done so for the last 9 years (source has been there for the last 4!). Just that I believe Jim expressed interest in redoing the PCB, which made me think about my old plans to upgrade it. My plans didn't happen, but his may yet. ;)

 

Anyway.. http://harmlesslion.com/software/adapter

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My personal preference would be for a pre-built and ready to plug-in unit (like the F18A).

 

I'd rather pay extra for a completed unit than to be forced to:

 

1) Locate all the correct parts I need to populate the PCB by ordering them from different sources and invariably paying for and getting the 99 extra parts I don't need or want that come in the packages.

 

2) Not having a chip programmer, having to go through the extra hoops of getting one programmed.

 

3) The above two on top of having to also order the PCB. (How many different orders would this take?)

 

4) Then finding time to actually assemble the unit.

 

I believe it might even be "cheaper to pay more" (just on shipping costs alone) to a single individual willing to build them, than to go through all the fuss and muss myself.

 

I'm betting I'm not the only guy here who would pile on with a +1!

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Oh, I know, I wanted to release a kit for the whole period.

 

The only two components on the board are available in single quantities, easily. ;) And for the entire 9 years I've offered the programmed chip (and periodically PCBs) - three or four people took me up on that. The main issue you'll fight, even with the new release, is cabling. I never made a kit because I couldn't find the cables, and I didn't want to make them. :) There's a solution for the keyboard cable now, at least, and the PS/2 cables are hard to find, but not impossible, leaving just the power jumper (which should be easier, in theory). But I don't think Jim was planning cables - was he?

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Actually I'd prefer assembled. A friend of mine built one for himself on a perfboard, but the thing was too big to fit into his TI with the keyboard in place, mostly due to the orientation of the cable connector if I remember correctly. I want my TI's keyboard to remain in the console, and to be fully functional. His unit only had one cable connector as well, so even if it would have fit, the TI's keyboard would not have been connected.

 

Sourcing all the cables and connectors can be a real pain, and I'm willing to pay extra to avoid that hassle.

 

As for the power, I personally have no issues with soldering the leads on myself, if I had to, but I would rather have a Y-adapter for the power cable as well. Now the PS/2 connector is an absolute must.

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Well, the problem is we need to /find/ the cables, not so much source them.

 

My biggest headache over the years was the 15 pin keyboard ribbon cable. Nobody makes a 15 pin cable. In my own console I'm using a floppy drive cable, I just offset it and let it hang off the end. ;)

 

I believe this will work, though, cause you can peel it down to the size you need. I ordered one before I left, but I never tried it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6SOGC4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The second cable that you need is a power jumper - to go from the PCB to the power supply board. This is a 4-pin heavy gauge connector - I made mine by cutting the cables off two dead supplies and tying them together. I don't have a source for this cable BUT the connector is at least readily available - maybe someone can find it. I'm not sure the pin spacing now so I can't provide an example, but maybe someone can check inside their console or on a dead one to get that spec? You don't need a Y adapter - it's pass through on my PCB, at least. Power supply plugs into the PS/2 PCB, and the console's hard-wired cable plugs into the PS/2 PCB on the other jack.

 

The third cable you need is the PS/2 header itself. I used an old PC one, but I found it difficult to find supplies of them online. I found this on a quick search just now as an example, but I don't know the details of ordering. The trick with this is that this one's pinout affects the layout of the PCB, since it needs to match!

http://www.frontx.com/pro/p1092_030.html

 

On the plus side, with all the cables and headers installed, it really is a nice easy installation, almost plug-and-play. You need a hole for the PS/2 connector, otherwise everything just plugs in.

 

post-12959-0-23375500-1423915083_thumb.jpg

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On the plus side, with all the cables and headers installed, it really is a nice easy installation, almost plug-and-play. You need a hole for the PS/2 connector, otherwise everything just plugs in.

 

attachicon.gifaas.jpg

 

I'm drooling just thinking about this project.

 

I believe one of the reasons Matthews F18A has sold so many units is because of the ease of installation and the fact that it came with everything out-of-the-box, ready to go.

 

The TI with all it's multiple connections for audio, video, P-Box and joystick is not exactly the easiest to move around into a more comfortable position for ease of use like the PC keyboards we've all become used to.

 

There are a lot of TI's with holes for a VGA connector, so it's obvious the majority of people feel comfortable enough "just plugging something in and making a hole".

 

drooling-smiley.png

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