Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!gitpyr!davidc
From: davidc@pyr.gatech.EDU (David Carter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: detachable keyboards and the A500
Summary: A500 keyboard will fit in B2000 keyboard case
Keywords: detachable keyboard A500
Message-ID: <6397@pyr.gatech.EDU>
Date: 13 Sep 88 18:45:10 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 46

In article <1020@lakesys.UUCP> mikes@lakesys.UUCP (Mike Shawaluk) writes:
>Actually, there is probably an easier way to get a detachable keyboard; simply
>buy a ... B2000 keyboard, and a 5-pin DIN jack ...
>This is assuming, of course, that the keyboard decoder & interface is the
>same for 2000's and 500's, which it oughta be.
>
>However, there is one minor caveat; a "spare" B2000 keyboard may be a
>significant fraction of the price of an A500...
>
>  - Mike Shawaluk

Significant indeed!  The dealers around here want $125 for a B2000 keyboard.

I asked about this on the net a few months ago, and didn't get any replies.
But my own investigation has found:  the A500 and B2000 keyboard printed
circuit boards =look= identical (except the B2000 keyboard has empty holes
where the Power and Drive LEDs would go).  That is, physically they should
be interchangeable.  However, pressing control-A-A on a B2000 produces a
"shutdown" keyboard message; the A500 generates a hard reset signal, and
does not produce the "shutdown" message.  While a B2000 keyboard might
still be able to reset an A500 (I'm about to try this), I'd personally
prefer to keep the hard reset capability.

So the "even easier" way to make the A500 keyboard detachable is to get
an empty keyboard case from a B2000.  You'll still need the connectors and
a coiled cable (7 conductors plus shield; the A500 has 8, but one is a no-
connect).

This isn't really "easier" because, as far as I've been able to determine,
Commodore doesn't sell just the B2000 keyboard case as a replacement part.
However, if somebody wanted to order, say, 50 or 100 of them, they might
be interested.

So the question for the net is: how many of you would be interested in
buying an empty B2000 plastic keyboard case.

Please send mail to me, and I will post the count.  If there is sufficient
interest, I will pursue the idea of ordering a bunch and selling them at
cost.

Also, anyone who knows where to get a 7-conductor-plus-shield coiled
cable, please tell me.  (and no, PC keyboard extension cables don't have
that many conductors)


David Carter		davidc@pyr.gatech.edu