23 Sep
2006
23 Sep
'06
1:13 a.m.
M H Stein wrote:
--------------Original Message:
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 07:47:11 +0100
From: Gordon JC Pearce <gordon at gjcp.net>
Subject: Re: Commodore keyboards and PCs
That's why you use an el-cheapo keyboard and pull the board from it, and
hook up your own matrix...
M H Stein wrote:
> Not to take any business away from Jim and they are a little expensive,
Erm... If you just wanted to encode switch
presses to a PS/2 input, why
not just buy an el-cheapo keyboard for about ?2 from your friendly
neighbourhood computer shop and set about it? Bit better than the $100...
Gordon
-------------Reply:
True enough, but you don't have the look & feel or the C64 key labels &
layout;
I think the idea is to use a defunct C64 and use it as a keyboard for the emulator.
In fact, since it's a snap to upload different
conversion tables into it you could use
it for several different emulators of systems using RS-232 or matrix (and probably ASCII
as well) keyboards, all on the same computer; just plug in the appropriate
keyboard, upload the matching table and it's just like the real thing but without the
"real" hardware.
Well that is pretty handy I suppose.
Also I thought I'd mention it for the
RS-232<>PC keyboard option, something I've
found useful for several applications; interfacing to otherwise inaccessible
systems and replacing terminal keyboards are two examples.
Finally, the folks at Hagstrom have always been friendly & helpful and I thought
I'd give 'em a plug :)
Fairy nuff. I suppose it's one of those things that when you need it,
you *really* need it. I'd think it would be a bit beyond the "hobbyist
toy" market though ;-)
Gordon.