Wanted: Amiga 4000D keyboard

[TheMagicM]

no problem.. my a4000D wont be here till tomorrow and I didnt know what kind of connection was on the end.  

kinda puts a stop on something for me... my A4k will not have a kb until I get one (bought one from a AO user yesterday)..  I was going to buy a adapter a friend of mine had (I had not seen it) which lets you use a PS2 kb on a Amiga.. but I guess it wont work because I'm assuming its a serial -> ps2..



and for sure you cant just plug in a PS2 kb ? what happens if you do?

[Jeff]

I'm not sure what would happen if you tried to plug in a standard PS2 (Non-Amiga) keyboard.  I wouldn't try it without checking further first.  I am almost sure that at the very least it won't work.

I think Northgate (or someone) made a keyboard ages ago that had some sort of mode selection on the bottom that allowed use with an Amiga.  

I also remember having an Amiga to PC keyboard interface years ago with a small IC in it. It was flakey, the reset key combination never worked and it would stream random characters on re-boots all the time.

Try Redrumloa.  I think he has some PS2<>Amiga KB adapters.

Jeff

BTW congrats on the A4000D! I just got my second one the other night.  It was driving me crazy not being able to play with it until the next day.  I had to go dig a mouse and keyboard out of my storage.

[iamaboringperson]

X-ray wrote:
Okay, since everyone is asking, I would like a new A4000T keyboard.

We'll have a little keyboard pledge soon  

Me too. Actually, it's the same as an A4000 one ... except with an adaptor.

I want one with a US layout in Aust.

[iamaboringperson]

I'm not sure what would happen if you tried to plug in a standard PS2 (Non-Amiga) keyboard. I wouldn't try it without checking further first. I am almost sure that at the very least it won't work.

Don't do it, it doesn't work.

There is a quite different pin-out for each connector.

[iamaboringperson]

Will-i-am wrote:
I have at this point in time nine computers. What's wrong with me?? Six are Amigas, though and that's good. I just set up my little render farm-to-be and started plugging in keyboards, monitors etc and all the Amigas work. Re the keyboard thing, why not use the Lyra adapter and any PC keyboard. Or, did you know that the A2000 keyboard will work on the A4000T? I have three A2000's and one A4000T so as I was moving things around I discovered that I had plugged in the A2000 keyboard into the tower. Seems to work just fine. That might make it easier to get your keyboard. Good luck.

That's strange. I think I tried plugging my A4000T KB into my A2000, but it didn't work.

I thought they had different pin layouts. Or could that just be with the old German A2000's?

[Azryl]

I believe the A4000 Desktop can use the Amiga 2000 keyboard because they share a similar plug. The A4000 Tower has a mini din or ps2 connector?

I'm probably wrong :-)

[iamaboringperson]

I think you are wrong.

The A4000T has a 5 pin DIN plug.

Same physical connector, I think the pinout is different.

[X-ray]

Okay, now I'm confused:

My 4000T has a 5 DIN plug, (the fat one). That's certain. What connector has the A2000 keyboard got (can't remember what my B2000 had)
Are the two keyboards identical? Because that is an easy way for us A4kT users.

[TheMagicM]

The 2000 has a 5 pin DIN (fat one) connector.. I have one right here (with a few missing keys..its broken )

[Will-i-am]

Well, I'm sitting next to my A4KT as we speak and I just checked the KB to see which I had plugged in and, yup, it says "A2000" on the KB and since I used it last night I have to say that it works. I tried plugging in an old IBM KB that I had from a couple of unix boxes I own and oh my, it did not like that very much at all. I tried typing in DH0: in opus and lots of 3's and such appeared and then the HD started flashing so I shut 'er down. My A4000D OS3.1 box is using a Compaq KB and Lyra adapter quite happily. My dedicated graphics A4000D OS 3.0 w/Cyberstorm PPC/060 is using it's original kb and the Compaq running Fedora Linux is using the aforesaid IBM kb. Don't know what I'm gonna do for the other 2 A2000's vis-a-vis kbs. They both have Toasters so I want to use them at some point but I've run out of room on the desk I built. Thougt about stacking them all on a rack system. I do have a Belkin KVM switch which I haven't tried yet so that may help....And to top it off I have the original A2000 vanilla model which by the way has all it's original equipment still running, original battery etc. Amazing beast. I love it. I just counted. 10 computers. I'm a sick man.

[ncafferkey]

There are two on eBay at the moment, yellowed and
non-yellowed, from the same seller, but you'd have to ask if he'll export to the States.

[TjLaZer]

OK let me set the record straight:

The Amiga 2000, 3000, 3000T, 4000T use DIN (5 pins)
The Amiga 4000 uses Mini DIN (PS/2 style)

All the ones that use the DIN are identicle and work.  You can also get a cheap PC XT to PS/2 adaptor and use it on the Amiga 4000, or vise versa!

[artman]

Hi folks,
     Can't stress this enough.  "Don't" plug an old IBM keyboard into an Amiga unless you want really bad things to happen.  Been there and done that.  Believe me, unsoldering and replacing the keyboard caps was a royal pain.  I'm just thankful more damage didn't occur.  Take note Will-I-am.  Best regards....Art

[Will-i-am]

Well I appreciate the heads-up. like I said, the thing started smoking and choking and coughing up blood but I stopped it before anything exploded. So I expect if I can just remember what it was I did I won't do it again. that's what happens when you got a pile of old 'puter parts and no notes taped to the side, like "NEVER PLUG INTO AN AMIGA!!" Yeah I like eBay as much as the next guy but when you get excited and start buying up parts it's always a good idea to have a plan. My plan was to start plugging in parts and make a movie. Shoulda thunk first. 8-)