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-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- = External Keyboard for an Amiga 1200 =
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- = By Hans Luijten =
- - EMail: j.a.w.m.luijten@kub.nl -
- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-
- WARNING:
-
- Although this is hack is done on several A1200's, and works just great on
- these machines, I won't be responsible for ANY damage caused by this hack.
-
-
- WHAT YOU NEED:
-
- An external (or internal) keyboard like from an Amiga 2000/3000/4000,
- some wire, a plug for the keyboard, a screwdriver, a scalpel , some solder,
- a 'fine' soldering iron and a switch.
- If you don't have any experience modifying your computer or other
- electronics, then this is NOT for you, ask someone who does have experience.
-
-
- WHAT WE WILL DO:
-
- We will deactivate the internal Amiga 1200 keyboard MPU and feed the CIA
- with the required keyboard signal's coming form the 6570 of the external
- keyboard. Since Ctrl-LAmiga-RAmiga won't work with the Amiga 2000/3000/4000
- keyboards, we will also build a reset-switch.
-
-
- HOW WE DO IT:
-
- First we disassemble the Amiga 1200, if you can't do this: STOP now, this
- hack is NOT for you. We need to remove the case, the keyboard, the
- floppydrive and (if you have one) the harddisk.
- After you did this, you need to remove the tin-cover from the motherboard
- so we can access it.
-
- Now take a look at the 'A1200_Inside'-IFF.
- We first will deactivate the keyboard-MPU of the Amiga 1200.
- We need to cut two lines of the U13, pin 13 and 14. The little dot on the
- chip indicates pin 1, or use the IFF to locate these pins.
- After cutting these lines the CIA (U7) won't receive any keyboard data
- (KbdData and KbdClk).
- We can cut these pins 2 using the scalpel. If you use a new sharp scalpel,
- this won't be a problem. Remember: be patient and do it gently !!
- After cutting, we bend the pins a bit further apart, so they won't make any
- contacts. Check this with a magnifying-glass !
- The Keyboard-MPU of the Amiga 1200 is now deactivated.
-
- Again look at the 'A1200_Inside'-IFF.
- We now will deroute the keyboard-data to/from the external keyboard.
- This is done by soldering 2 wires from pins 43 and 44 of the CIA (U7).
- In order to locate these pins we can look at the IFF again. The dot on the
- chip indicates pin 1. These 2 wires go to KbdDat and KbdClk of the external
- keyboard like shown in the IFF.
- The Amiga 2000/3000/4000 keyboard will need a powersupply, this can be taken
- from the floppydrive's powersupply. From here we take +5Volt and GND.
- Remember to use a tester to check if this is really +5Volt and GND !
- The other 2 lines of the powersupply are GND and +12Volt, +12Volt will be
- fatal for you keyboard and computer !! So be carefull !!
- We now have 4 wires which must be connected to the 5 pin DIN plug for the
- external keyboard. Look at the 'Keyboards'-IFF for the pin-layout.
-
- At this point the external keyboard will work, but we still can't reset the
- Amiga 1200. For this purpose we use a simple switch, which makes contact
- when you push it. This will be our reset switch. The switch we find in an
- PC-case, for RESET, can be used fo this purpose (if you are building your
- Amiga 1200 in a PC-case or PC-Tower!).
-
- Now look again at the 'A1200_Inside'-IFF.
- Pin 38 of the keyboard-MPU (U13) is connected to /KbdReset (pin 128 of the
- 150-pins CPU-Slot). This line and GND must be connect to the switch.
- Gently solder a wire to pin 38 of U13 and a wire from GND, connect both
- wires to the switch, as drawn in the IFF.
-
- After doing this, you can put your Amiga 1200 together again for the first
- testing. We won't need the old Amiga 1200 keyboard anymore, it won't
- function anyway.
- When you test this hack do the following:
-
- 1. take a copy of the Workbench and insert it in DF0:
- 2. switch the Amiga 1200 on
- 3. from the workbench: open a shell
- 4. Try typing, if you get a lot of "'"-signs, then you got KbdClk and KbdDat
- switched. Turn the computer off and switch the lines on the keyboard-plug.
- 5. Test your reset-switch by simply pushing it.
-
- If you have any trouble; begin at the top of this doc and check everything.
-
- Note: Amiga 1000, Amiga CDTV and Amiga 500 keyboard will work aswell, you'll
- need to lookup the pinlayout of the plugs.
-
- This entire text is typed with an Amiga 2000 keyboard on my Amiga
- 1200, which is build in a PC-Tower!
-
- Note: For creating this hack, I took some the pin-info from the
- hack of Gravan A. McCormack (Tetragon@lisa.apana.org.au).
-
-