Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga community support ideas => Topic started by: hbarcellos on May 06, 2006, 03:49:25 PM
-
Hello to all amiga community.
Apart from my beloved a1200, I still have a non functional A500 laying around in the closet.
I was thinking in adapting one of those new micro-atx MB's inside the A500 case. Anyone have already did something like it?
the dimensions of Asus p5gl-mx (for example) were 24,5 cm x 24,5 cm. I could use a low profile cooler and etc...
My main concern is about the keyboard. Its easy to adapt the keyboard to use as a PC ps/2 or USB keyboard? I could easily use another PC keyboard or something to adapt parts...
regards,
-
It's not easy to use the original keyboard on a PC - but it's possible. There's been some adapter available somewhere, but I can't remember the name/make... (Maybe it was only for A1200 keyboards?)
Without a proper adapter it's not possible, since the scan codes are completely incompatible.
[...] Yeah - found it. It's Keyrah - no, that's only for A1200 KB, too...
-
Doesn't the Catweasel allow you to connect an Amiga keyboard?
/Patrik
-
About that Keyrah, so it actually allows you to hook up the A1200 internal keyboard to a standard PC mobo?
I ask as I had this same idea but with a mini-itx (17cm*17cm) in an A1200 case, using a flexible riser cable to allow use of the AGP port and have a GFX card inside, it should all fit provided there's a card that doesn't take up 3 backplanes' worth of space. But without the internal keyboard it would be kinda pointless.
-
keyrah (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=49&products_id=466&osCsid=a40046117f0f42ab7da932f7ab6e9806)
-
So it basically turns the internal keyboard of the 1200 or 600 into a USB keyboard and ignores the rest of the system?
That should be perfect for a M-ITX-in-1200/600 conversion, provided it's possible to have an internal USB connection on a M-ITX board, I've only seen them with a big 4-port combined USB/Firewire attachment.
Just out of interest, why can't the same be done for a 500? I had a look inside mine, the cable is very different, and it seems to incorporate the LEDs aswell, can't it be adapted like the ribbon on the 1200 keyboard?
P.S. appologies for the thread-jack hbarcellos.
-
The A500 keyboard includes the controller chip and has a serial connection to the MB, the A1200's KB controller sits on the MB and the cable runs from the controller to the key matrix.
The A500 keyboard might be modified if you remove its controller and connect the matrix to Keyrah - but you'll never know until you try. Probably quite a bit of soldering required.
-
hmmm, cant I just take a regular PC keyboard, dissassemble it, and try to adjust (maybe cuting) the original connectors below A500 keyboard? That way I could even use the "A" keys as "Windows" keys.
Is that possible?
-
I was thinking about mini-ITX, but ITX based PC`s are slow PCs. That does not fit Amiga's! :)
Using an EMT64 processor sounds just a little bit better. Certainly Amiga would deserve a Dual Core Athlon FX 60 at least.
Whats a riser cable? Its a pci-express extensor?
regards,
-
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure that a u-ATX won't fit inside an A1200 case, you might be able to squeeze one inside a 500, I don't know, never checked the measurements, but I reckon M-ITX is the largest form factor that could comfortably fit inside the 1200 case, plus with it's diminutive size it would allow ample room for a gfx card.
EMT64 is Intel's attempt to rebrand AMD64 and pretend they came up with it, AMD64 was AMD's answer to Intel's Itanium, and was a much smarter idea than Itanium (Itanium was a whole new architecture, AMD64 was just expanding the x86 to 64 bit) so if you're going to use an Athlon of any kind, it's not an EMT64 chip, but an AMD64. Or if you're a Microserf then both are grouped together as x64, which sounds much simpler really.
A riser is a device that attaches to an expansion port of whatever kind and simply extends the port to a new position, for example there are clockport risers for the 1200 that move the port connector up for use when other devices might block the port in its original position. PCIE risers have flexible cables that enable you to position a PCIE card how you wish, rather than being tied to the right-angle arrangement of normal PCs, useful in x86-in-Amiga conversions as obviously right-angled PCI cards wouldn't really fit inside a wedge Amiga case.
-
(sorry for bringing this topic back)
I have similar project in my mind.
Big problem is actually height of memory modules. Most of the mATX boards have memory slots too far from I/O panel, so installed memory modules would hit the keyboard. The only option are mATX boards 24x20cm size, with mem modules at 16th cm. OR even full ATX boards like Gigabyte GA-8I945PLGE-RH (http://tw.giga-byte.com/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=2156&ProductName=GA-8I945PLGE-RH) for Intel LGA or MSI K8T NEO2-F V2 (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=686) for AMD S939.
Btw: there is some guy who put mini-itx board in A500 case but is't ugly :-( I'll post pics when I find them...
-
Try a ITX MB. Look at this site http://www.mini-itx.com
There is no Amiga project but, there is a C64 one
http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/c64/
nels
-
pics:
www.audio.co.yu/r/p1.jpg
www.audio.co.yu/r/p2.jpg
www.audio.co.yu/r/p3.jpg
www.audio.co.yu/r/p4.jpg
www.audio.co.yu/r/p5.jpg
www.audio.co.yu/r/p6.jpg
-
NO WORDS!!!!!!!!!!
UMBELIEVABLE OH MY GOD
-
look easy with the right hardware... could be a fun project, IF YOU HAVE A DEAD AMIGA, killing a woking amiga to do this is crazy!
-
Yes, ofcourse, that's why my project is on halt :-) I don't have dead A500....
-
AMIGA 500/1000/2000 Keyboard Interface
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=139358.0
-
AMIGA 500/1000/2000 Keyboard Interface
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=139358.0
Thanks. I don't own an Arduino board. Can you advise what I do with the "sketch" mentioned therein.
Better still, has anyone found an off the shelf A500 keyboard adapter that works without all that tinkering? I have a dead A500 that I'd like to turn into a Raspberry Pi emulator, then the A500 can be any Amiga it wants to be! :)