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From: dag@chinet.UUCP (Daniel A. Glasser)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: External Keyboard
Message-ID: <1823@chinet.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Nov-87 09:55:04 EST
Article-I.D.: chinet.1823
Posted: Fri Nov  6 09:55:04 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Nov-87 01:33:24 EST
References: <1979@homxc.UUCP> <105100024@datacube>
Reply-To: dag@chinet.UUCP (Daniel A. Glasser)
Organization: Chinet - Public Access Unix
Lines: 29
Keywords: Keyboard modifications
Summary: The 520 uses *MORE* wires than the 1040 : phone cords


Mr. Woods is mistaken -- The 520 does have the mouse/joystick ports on the
side, but this adds wires to the keyboard connector, since it is the keyboard
CPU that monitors these devices.  The 520 has many more wires running between
the keyboard and the main system board than the 1040.  I don't remember the
count on either board, but the 1040's (and newer 520) keyboard has the
connectors mounted to the bottom, thus fewer wires.  As to moving these
keyboards out of the case, I've seen two successful attempts at the 1040.
Neither involved cutting the case, though.  A new keyboard case was constructed
out of [cardboard|sheet metal] and a multi-conductor wire bundle was run
between the old case and the new case.

As far as using phone cords for this purpose, most available will not
safely handle the current required by the keyboard electronics.  If you
read the documentation that comes with a terminal/workstation equipped with
the DEC LK201 keyboard, you will find warnings that you should not use
ordinary phone cords with them.  Fire may result.  I've seen it happen,
though only in an environmental chamber where that was the intended result.
(I was with the PRO program at DEC while the keyboard was being designed.)

I hope this clears some things up.
-- 
					Daniel A. Glasser
----------------------------------------+----------------------------
Cheese is not a discipline!		| ...!ihnp4!chinet!dag
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Disclaimer: I assume full responsibility for my opinions.
            If my employer knew of some of them, I'd be unemployed.