foft Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 I tried asking on the shapeways forum (https://www.shapeways.com/forum/t/atari-800xl-replica-case-hobbyist-project.98072/). Not sure if there is a better place but have to start somewhere. They also have some designers for hire registered, though I have no idea of a ballpark cost for that and if it'd be feasible to pay. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 On another note, I made the bug tracker/private forum public (at least read-only) so if anyone is interested in news/new core releases/bug fixes etc you can look there: http://www.64kib.com/redmine/projects/eclairexl/activity 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandor Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Received my mini eclaireXL today and I must say wow. Just love the small form factor. Got to find some time to make a case for it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Received mine yesterday as well, its so small compared to my original... Getting a case designed to fit all the ports is going to be interesting though! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Guys, speaking about your interest for the keyboard support, I have something to ask! In reality I see a problem here.I noticed that the external keyboard of the XEGS, include only one special key. "Help"So, how do you want us to handle the operation of the rest? "Start", "Select" "Option", "Reset"....Maybe with combinations between the other keys, using a specific key as "shift"? Or is better for you to hacking your keyboards adding the missing keys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Well there are more gpio pins, to connect start, select, option and reset buttons 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 Ok, but what about their physical form on keyboard? I mean how they will stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Not to belabor this, but is your adapter going to support a regular (stock) XL/XE keyboard or just the XEGS? I don't have an XEGS, so I don't know how different they are (other than the connector). -Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 The XEGS (as well as the 1200XL) keyboard has the 4051 mux chips integrated, which greatly simplifies the amount of connections required. Any other Atari keyboard is minus those chips, and will require some kind of in-between board that provides for that. I would imagine that the FPGA has a limited amount of unused pins available, thus the reason for targeting the XEGS keyboard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandor Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Guys, speaking about your interest for the keyboard support, I have something to ask! In reality I see a problem here. I noticed that the external keyboard of the XEGS, include only one special key. "Help" So, how do you want us to handle the operation of the rest? "Start", "Select" "Option", "Reset".... Maybe with combinations between the other keys, using a specific key as "shift"? Or is better for you to hacking your keyboards adding the missing keys? Could these keys be added to the interface board where the XEGS keyboard connects too? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 Could these keys be added to the interface board where the XEGS keyboard connects too? Although those switches do exist on the keyboard backplane, they are not wired out to the connector and there are not enough unused pins to facilitate that without doing some mods to the keyboard. When I developed the TK-II adapter for the XEGS, I needed those signals you mentioned, and did do some mods to make that happen on the computer side of things (TK-II installation). This would be even easier on the keyboard side, not requiring any desoldering and removal of a PCB connector. Although you would still need to modify the XEGS keyboard case and come up with the key caps to make those console switches accessible from the outside. Here's some additional info that might help... XEGS keyboard (same as any XE system). Still has the console switches, but they aren't accessible from outside. XEGS keyboard scanning circuit with 4051 muxes. Keyboard PCB Connector pinout / Dsub-15 computer side connector pinout (showing TK-II console key connections) NOTE: Two of those reused Dsub-15 connections are assigned to +5V and GND, so those will first have to be cut before reassignment. Refer to the TK-II installation to see which wires those are. And you will of course have to locate the console switch connections on the keyboard scanning PCB and wire those over to the Dsub-15 pins where shown. BTW, a stock unmodified XEGS keyboard will still work without these mods, but you won't have console keys. And last but not least, the modified keyboard will no longer be usable on a stock XEGS. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 5, 2018 Author Share Posted October 5, 2018 (edited) @Larry,Stock XL/XE keyboard for what reason? I mean that these two keyboards are without plastic shells, so how they will stand as complete units?Or you mean something different?@mytek,Maybe Hans mean that to add these keys as 4 independent buttons in the new keyboard interface board?As well as, thank you for your so good analysis on the subject! Edited October 5, 2018 by santosp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 U-bends with keys could be added without cutting the case at all, made of metal or 3D printed what's the issue? So long as they can be interpreted it's all good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandor Posted October 5, 2018 Share Posted October 5, 2018 @mytek, Maybe Hans mean that to add these keys as 4 independent buttons in the new keyboard interface board? Yes, this was exactly what I meant. This interface board with the 4 switches would contain the connector to hook the XEGS keyboard up to. This would be similar to the MiSTer case where the I/O expansion board has 3 micro switches and the case has 3 buttons which would push those switches (see https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2684660) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 5, 2018 Author Share Posted October 5, 2018 The XEGS (as well as the 1200XL) keyboard has the 4051 mux chips integrated, which greatly simplifies the amount of connections required. Any other Atari keyboard is minus those chips, and will require some kind of in-between board that provides for that. I would imagine that the FPGA has a limited amount of unused pins available, thus the reason for targeting the XEGS keyboard. I suppose that all of us here speak that we need a interface for eclaireXL, for a stand alone authentic Atari keyboard! So, I can not imagine how this can be done with a XL or XE keyboard. Unless you think a printable 3D shell after etc.... Mark has proposed me to use the PCAL6524 24-bit IO expander as to save the remain IO of fpga. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I was thinking there were two cases: 1) XEGS adaptor 2) Internal XL keyboard adaptor, for people trying to fit into an existing (broken) unit. I guess both could be on one pcb. It could be kept small using this type of connector: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/283114-xl-keyboard-ffc-adapter-pcb/ Then on the other end of course someone would need to mount this 2nd. But for anyone doing an internal install that will be the least of the problems, since the other ports need wiring up to the holes in the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farb Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Just received my EclaireXL Mini. It is extremely nice and the smaller form factor is most welcome. Both this and the original EclaireXL are fantastic devices and the support that foft and santosp have provided is top notch. Thank you both! Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 6, 2018 Author Share Posted October 6, 2018 (edited) Info. In the next two weeks I will have available two more devices from the eclaireXL mini.With these two last completed the period of prototypes. During this period 10 devices in total have been assembled, using also a serial number for each.After that, I not intend to do more in the near future, except if some high demand for at least 15 to 20 devices exist.I will dedicate my limited time among other things to the construction of the Atari external keyboard adapter, as I did with VGA expansion board. Later I will try for a dedicated enclosure for this also. I see the cheaper way using some CNC router.So if anyone else need a board from the two last, let me know it within p.m.Thank you all. Edited October 6, 2018 by santosp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 8, 2018 Author Share Posted October 8, 2018 Info. In the next two weeks I will have available two more devices from the eclaireXL mini. So if anyone else need a board from the two last, let me know it within p.m. Sold out, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrFish Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 You need a keyboard like this for it... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 9, 2018 Author Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) He he, very expensive and very rare I think! Edited October 9, 2018 by santosp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foft Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Maybe Best Electronics have a crate of them around somewhere... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrFish Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) He he, very expensive and very rare I think! Actually, it just looks like the lower portion (separated from the grill portion) of the top half of a 130XE/65XE case, with a shallow rectangular bottom added. Edited October 9, 2018 by MrFish 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 @Larry, Stock XL/XE keyboard for what reason? I mean that these two keyboards are without plastic shells, so how they will stand as complete units? Or you mean something different? Hi Santosp- If I understand you correctly, it would be for mounting the EclaireXL board in a 600XL or 800XL case using the native keyboard. (That would still be my goal.) Putting an EclaireXL in a separate case and then adding any external keyboard loses all the space efficiency of a self-contained unit (compactness). Aside from that, the XEGS keyboard is not the most attractive thing. And (IMO) a separate keyboard loses a great deal of its Atari character. -Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santosp Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 (edited) Hi, I would like to inform me till the end of this week if someone else except Gandor interested for a keyboard adapter for eclaireXL mini. This will can operate with a XEGS type keyboard. The small expansion connector as it looks in up left side of the pcb, is placed there to be possible in the future to connect a small pcb with the 4 special buttons, so to apply it to a future manufactured plastic enclosure. Edited October 27, 2018 by santosp 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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