amiga keyboard and e box key v 2.0

[3246251196]

amiga 1200 tower with this interfave http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=541.

interface works with old pc ps2 keyboard.

I got this item http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253244310443
http://www.bigbookofamigahardware.com/bboah/product.aspx?id=648

and it does not seem to work. serial mt 9308 model kpr-e94yc part 365266-02.

There does not seem to be any life at all. even the caps lock light does not appear or flash on boot.

is it the keyboard for sure ?

[mjnurney]

i was about to say the adapter is a PC one but it seems to support Amiga keyboards too.

Try the keyboard on an Amiga or try a PC keyboard to test the adapter.

mike

[3246251196]

Thanks mj,

I have tried a pc ps2 into the adapter (using the ps2 to din) and it works so I guess it is the amiga keyboard. I known it seems obvious due to the process of elimination but I just wanted to see if anyone knew any other reason. I guess I will have to get this resolved with eBay then.

[BLTCON0]

Thanks mj,

I have tried a pc ps2 into the adapter (using the ps2 to din) and it works so I guess it is the amiga keyboard.

It would seem so, but there have been reported incompatibilities between the PC-Key and earlier Amiga 2000 keyboards

 I known it seems obvious due to the process of elimination but I just wanted to see if anyone knew any other reason. I guess I will have to get this resolved with eBay then.

As said, the PC-Key is (probably) incompatible with earlier Amiga 2000 keyboards. By "earlier" I would think the original ones, with a Philips keyboard controller, which also have the smaller F-keys if I'm not mistaken.

Your keyboard however looks like an ordinary, run of the mill, model, so the PC-key shouldn't have any issues with it.

If you want to independently test the keyboard you can connect the GND and +5V pins to ground and power source respectively, and the clock and data pins to the corresponding ones on the A1200's CIA chip (effectively bypassing the keyboard MPU). If it works, you know the keyboard is OK and it's either a partly defective PC key or a new-found incompatibility.

[3246251196]

Thanks for the response. The only way I can think of doing that is actually soldering wire to the cia pins and I think that would be more hassle than its worth.

I am quite tempted to trash the idea of getting a proper external keyboard and just getting an a500 kb and do as you suggested with the pins. I would need to extend the cable though.

[Rob]

Thanks for the response. The only way I can think of doing that is actually soldering wire to the cia pins and I think that would be more hassle than its worth.

I am quite tempted to trash the idea of getting a proper external keyboard and just getting an a500 kb and do as you suggested with the pins. I would need to extend the cable though.

Another option is to find Mitsumi AT keyboard model KPQ-E99ZC-13.  This model is compatible with the A1200 key caps so if you have the original keyboard stored away you can swap the the "A" keys over.

They were fairly common back in the late nineties and can be found relatively easily and don't carry the same premium as Amiga keyboards.  The cheapest one on Ebay UK at the moment is £29.99 but there is also an unused keyboard in the original box, including the clip in wrist wrest, for £40.  Both include free postage.