I'm in need of a replacement keyboard for my 128D. I have the chance of getting a keyboard from a 128. My question is, how easy would it be to fit? Does the 128 use a small ribbon connector? I know my 128D keyboard has several wires soldered on.

I've stripped and cleaned my board, but the space bar and some of the bottom row of keys (C - M) have no response unless they are pressed almost through the bottom of the board.

Does anyone here have a spare 128D keyboard they'd be willing to sell? I'm in the UK.

Cheers,

Pete.

The keyboard from the "flat" C128 uses a connector that is very similar to the connector of the C128D keyboard. Its pin layout matches the connector in terms of being a 25 pin D-SUB connector but it is formed as a plastic connector which is rectangular in shape but with the same pin-layout as the 25 pin D-SUB. Somewhat difficult to describe. Maybe you want a picture?

The first step would be to get the connectors to fit into each other. The second thing is to make sure that the pins are in the same place for the both type of connectors. The best way to find this out would be to examine the scans of the different motherboards. They can be found here: http://www.cbmhardware.de/c128/schematics/index.html.

Another idea is to use the IDE64 teams keyboard interface for PS/2 type keyboards. With that you can connect your standard PC's PS/2 (not USB) keyboard to your C64/C128. The product can be found here: http://www.ide64.org/pckeyb.html. In october 2008 Josef Soucek of the IDE64 team gave me a price of 56 Euros including shipping withing the EU for this device.

ebay is another good way to find a keyboard in, they show up there regularly.

Quote from: SmallCleverDinosaur on December 17, 2008, 12:13 AMThe keyboard from the "flat" C128 uses a connector that is very similar to the connector of the C128D keyboard. Its pin layout matches the connector in terms of being a 25 pin D-SUB connector but it is formed as a plastic connector which is rectangular in shape but with the same pin-layout as the 25 pin D-SUB.

Yes, we have a FCUG member who recently replaced his C128D keyboard with that of a flat C128.  He had the same problem in the original keyboard; certain keys would not work anymore, no matter how much cleaning was done.  A little bit of work but now his C128D is working perfectly, all keys working at 100%.

               Truly,
               Robert Bernardo
               Fresno Commodore User Group
               http://videocam.net.au/fcug
               The Other Group of Amigoids
               http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
               Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
               http://www.sccaners.org/

I'll shamelessly plug C=Key as well www.jbrain.com/vicug/gallery/c=key/

Jim

Quote from: brain on December 17, 2008, 06:39 PM
I'll shamelessly plug C=Key as well www.jbrain.com/vicug/gallery/c=key/

Jim

Interesting projects Jim! Are any of them available for purchase on the internet?

I read somewhere online that an SX64 keyboard will work as well. Might not look pretty, but it sure would be different!

Quote from: Andrew Sutton on December 18, 2008, 12:34 PM
I read somewhere online that an SX64 keyboard will work as well. Might not look pretty, but it sure would be different!

And expensive.

Quote from: Andrew Sutton on December 18, 2008, 12:34 PMI read somewhere online that an SX64 keyboard will work as well.

Never heard of that one, Andrew.  If you find the message again, let us know.

               Truly,
               Robert Bernardo
               Fresno Commodore User Group
               http://videocam.net.au/fcug
               The Other Group of Amigoids
               http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
               Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
               http://www.sccaners.org/

I've been sorted with another 128D keyboard that has had the cable cut off. I'll swap it over and should be up and running.

Thanks for the information about this ;-)

Pete.

Quote from: Badders on December 19, 2008, 08:29 AM
I've been sorted with another 128D keyboard that has had the cable cut off. I'll swap it over and should be up and running.

Thanks for the information about this ;-)

Pete.

Yikes!  Any idea why the cable was cut?  Replacement 128D keyboards really are in short supply; I'd hate to think that any were just being tossed out somewhere.

I have no idea, and it's been cut right at the mould where it goes into the keyboard. I'm going to have the snip the wires a couple inches from where they're soldered onto the main board, and connect up the cable I have. Can't see there being a problem doing that, just fiddly and time consuming, but if I get a working 128D out of it, time well spent ;-)

Pete.

Pete, I wish you luck with your endeavor

If you or anyone else is interested, I have taken some shots of a "slim" C128 that shows how the keyboard is connected to the motherboard.



The first one shows the computer with the top slid to the left and the keyboardconnector still connected to the motherboard. The second one shows the top removed and flipped over so you can see how the keyboardcable is connected to both the keyboard and the motherboard. The third shows the keyboardcable detached from the motherboard so you can see the pin-layout of the connector itself.

You can download larger pictures using these links:

http://www.commodore128.org.uk/images/forumpics/keyboard1.jpg
http://www.commodore128.org.uk/images/forumpics/keyboard2.jpg
http://www.commodore128.org.uk/images/forumpics/keyboard3.jpg

Quote from: SmallCleverDinosaur on December 17, 2008, 08:37 PM

Quote from: brain on December 17, 2008, 06:39 PM
I'll shamelessly plug C=Key as well www.jbrain.com/vicug/gallery/c=key/

Jim

Interesting projects Jim! Are any of them available for purchase on the internet?

Sorry about the delay.  Yep.  I *really* need to get my rear in gear on web sites for this stuff, but I keep spending my time working on the stuff itself.  So many ideas, so little time.

email me and I can answer any questions.  I have not been promoting it as heavily since the firmware is still a bit "beta", and I've been spending more time on uIEC as of late.

Jim

Quote from: brain on January 01, 2009, 04:24 PM

Sorry about the delay.  Yep.  I *really* need to get my rear in gear on web sites for this stuff, but I keep spending my time working on the stuff itself.  So many ideas, so little time.

I think that we all know what you mean and that we all bare with you. So many ideas, so little time