dazpants1 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) Hi, Just had an idea which i'm sure someone else has had before but i'm going to throw it out there anyway.... I was looking at my PC keyboard and thinking how boring it looked when i thought, wouldn't it be great if it was in the style of an 800xl so that when i look down to type it was an 800xl there in front of my monitor instead of the one i have. I'm not techie so i couldn't build one but just thought i would put it out there as it sounded cool in my head lol. Ta Daz Edited August 9, 2015 by dazpants1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodLightning Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 You are correct, it has been done with a 65XE. I found this while researching Atari keyboards last month: http://blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2014/03/atari-65xe-usb-keyboard.html The blog also mentions a 800XL version, but I never found that one posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazpants1 Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 That's great news, i think i may invest in one of these. Thanks RodLightning for letting me know and for the link. Ta Daz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 What would be really cool is to use keyswitches and custom caps to make a new Atari keyboard. It would be even better if you could drop it in an existing machine. An 800XL with Cherry Browns would be sweet!!! I wonder what the costs would be for the non-standard caps... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 There exists an original Cherry keyboard for the XLs, but I only ever saw one in a 600XL which didn't belong to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle22 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 A new supply of Mitsumi keyboards would be really great for 1200 / 1400 / 1450's. The Mitsumi's for the 800's are also very nice keyboards. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billkendrick Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 That's neat. I've always wanted to be able to use my 1200XL's excellent keyboard, instead of the crappy keyboards that I end up getting, since I've moved to laptops. Of course, I wouldn't want to gut my 1200XL. I imagined some kind of terminal app running on the 1200XL, and a 'listener' on my Linux laptop, which would pass along the 1200XL keystrokes. Of course, doing it via USB makes way more sense than what I thought up (but I think when I first thought about this, USB was still kinda new ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 What would happen when one wanted to access Home/End or any of the other keys not available on the Atari keyboard? This seems a lot more practical: http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/computer/niyari-atari-400-usb-keyboard.xhtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/computer/niyari-atari-400-usb-keyboard.xhtml From the linked write-up: "Still, from the appalling industrial design to the completely impractical keyboard to its anemic system memory, the Atari 400 is definitely not a computer milestone worth repeating in my opinion." Well. The author can just kiss my ass. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNIXcoffee928 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 You are correct, it has been done with a 65XE. I found this while researching Atari keyboards last month: http://blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2014/03/atari-65xe-usb-keyboard.html The blog also mentions a 800XL version, but I never found that one posted. This was a very good find!!! I'd like to start another thread just based on this, so that more people know about it. I find the idea of the Raspberry Pi integration (that he offers as well) to be really interesting. Some time in the not too distant past, we were considering how to get an Atari 8-Bit into an Atari ST case, to have the Atari-branded case with the full keyboard, and large console layout. It strikes me that a Raspberry Pi inside an ST case would be a really nice solution for modern emulation for Atari 8-Bits. It is too bad that he is charging so much money to get the 65XE with the Pi inside... if this could be made inexpensively, it would be a real boon to emulator users. From the linked write-up: "Still, from the appalling industrial design to the completely impractical keyboard to its anemic system memory, the Atari 400 is definitely not a computer milestone worth repeating in my opinion." Well. The author can just kiss my ass. Well said! Thanks! Torches & Pitchforks will be distributed to the townspeople, in the queue, on the left, ha! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazpants1 Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Hi UNIXcoffee928, The comment about "Torches & Pitchforks will be distributed to the townspeople, in the queue, on the left", really made me laugh loads. Thank you. Daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNIXcoffee928 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Hi UNIXcoffee928, The comment about "Torches & Pitchforks will be distributed to the townspeople, in the queue, on the left", really made me laugh loads. Thank you. Daz You're welcome! Ha, ummm, yeah, well, "While Time alone can put the punk into the rocker, little can be done with regards to taking the punk out of the rocker.". lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gozar Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I could see two relatively easy ways to do this, both include using a teensy Arduino ($16). One is to gut the machine, wire the current keyboard into the Teensy and write the code to convert the matrix (see http://makezine.com/2014/08/07/the-ti-pi-a-raspberry-pi-powered-ti-994a/).If you don't want to gut a machine, wire it into the joystick ports and write some code for the machine to send the key presses out to the Teensy, which then appears as a keyboard to the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+David_P Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Or set up arduino as a serial device on the ATari, and USB on the PC. Bonus points for including a bootloader on the Atari side so it's automatic - plus configuration on the Atari side that can be saved to the EEPROM on the arduino. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgle Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) I'm typing this right now on my 1200xl using a programmable controller that is hardwired into the keyboard matrix. But I like the joystick port idea even better. Edited August 10, 2015 by yorgle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanmercer Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Hmmm... anyone with a laser scanner or good calipers? http://cubiq.org/build-your-very-own-pc-keyboard and http://gizmodo.com/i-built-a-keyboard-from-scratch-1649325860 Get exact sizes of the keys and then we could have them 3D printed. Then someone design the PCB and we could go in on a small batch of them proffesionally done so we don't have to wire them ourselves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazpants1 Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 Ok random thoughts on full again here (please forgive me if this is a mad thought as i am not a techie).... Could an Atari 800xl be powered by batteries or even a mobile or laptop battery. Again just throwing my thoughts out there to see if anyone has thought of these already or if anyone knows if if is possible. Any links are welcome too Ta Daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgle Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Ok random thoughts on full again here (please forgive me if this is a mad thought as i am not a techie).... Could an Atari 800xl be powered by batteries or even a mobile or laptop battery. Again just throwing my thoughts out there to see if anyone has thought of these already or if anyone knows if if is possible. Any links are welcome too Ta Daz Yes. But why? It's never going to be portable unless you want to drag a monitor around and that would still need a power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Z Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Yes. But why? It's never going to be portable unless you want to drag a monitor around and that would still need a power supply. they've got small LCD 'TVs' which will run on battery power as well. Have a look at car backup cams. You could pretty easily make a suitcase or large briefcase into a luggable A8. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle22 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 they've got small LCD 'TVs' which will run on battery power as well. Have a look at car backup cams. You could pretty easily make a suitcase or large briefcase into a luggable A8. 65XEP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 What would happen when one wanted to access Home/End or any of the other keys not available on the Atari keyboard? This seems a lot more practical: http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/computer/niyari-atari-400-usb-keyboard.xhtml The look of this keyboard is really awesome, but that price tag! Yikes! For emulation purposes, I have seen a place that sells(or sold at one time) stickers that'd stick onto modern keyboards that'd replicate vintage keys to help mapping. I could see that being handy, but nothing near as cool as that 400 aesthetic of the one for $149. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitoco Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 This thread remembered me a friend's project: he build a PC inside an 800XL case. He also remapped the keyborad by himself, so it can be used. See by yourselves... one PC inside one Atari.Preview: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazpants1 Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Yes. But why? It's never going to be portable unless you want to drag a monitor around and that would still need a power supply. Hi Yorgle, just throwing out my random thoughts to see what kind of things people have thought of as i love a good mod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazpants1 Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 65XEP Hi Kyle22, No way, how cool is that. I so want one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazpants1 Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 This thread remembered me a friend's project: he build a PC inside an 800XL case. He also remapped the keyborad by himself, so it can be used. See by yourselves... one PC inside one Atari. Preview: Hi Vitoco, that looks cool. I wouldn't even know where to start trying to do something like that. Your friend is definatly skilled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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