Possible way to cheaply convert a keyboard

User avatar
keycap

11 Jun 2016, 21:21

Is it possible to use the microcontroller from a cheapo rubber dome keyboard to convert an old, incompatible keyboard to USB? This simply involves rewiring the entire keyboard to match the membrane pinout for the microcontroller.

Sure it would only be 2KRO, but I can deal with that. Besides, this modification has the advantage of being dirt cheap—a fraction of the cost for a Teensy 2.0.

I would love to make use of this as I have waaaaaaay too many rubber dome keyboards that I never use :)

Hak Foo

12 Jun 2016, 07:33

If you just want cheaper, get some Pro Micros from China. They're less than 10USD each, and a fair part of that is shipping.

You could *theoretically* do it, but the amount you save-- even given near-free used salvage boards-- is far offset by the pain in having to re-trace the matrix of the sacrificial board, and rewrite the recipient to match. With a Pro Micro and Soarer firmwarre, you can just configure the matrix however is easiest to actually wire.

User avatar
Redmaus
Gotta start somewhere

12 Jun 2016, 08:46

Sometimes pro micros don't work though, they flat out don't convert bigfoots at all, I learned that the hard way :(

Findecanor

12 Jun 2016, 09:15

keycap wrote: incompatible keyboard to USB? This simply involves rewiring the entire keyboard to match the membrane pinout for the microcontroller.
There is nothing "simply" about it. You would have to first reverse-engineer the rubber dome keyboard's matrix, then manually wire the old keyboard to fit that matrix. On keyboards with 2KRO, the logical matrix may be much more complex than for a "regular" hand-wired matrix with diodes, so the logical layout may not necessarily match the physical layout very much and you could get a quite complex mess of wires. And woe if you had made a mistake...

If the keyboard speaks the PS/2 or AT protocol, just buy a good converter to USB. If it speaks XT or terminal protocol, use Soarer's converter firmware with an Arduino Pro Micro or Teensy 2.0. Apple's ADB or M0110 keyboard? - Hasu has made converters.
There are schematics and source code for other converters from various protocols to PS/2 over at kbdbabel.org.
(A Arduino Pro Micro has the same controller as a Teensy 2.0, only with a voltage regulator, fewer pins and a different bootloader. There is an old long thread about using it.)

If any of the above fails, maybe you could desolder the old keyboard's controller and solder in ribbon cables to a Teensy or similar with a modified TMK firmware. If the keyboard is not tiny then you might need a Teensy++ with more pins.

User avatar
keycap

12 Jun 2016, 16:30

Hand wiring doesn't seem like much of an issue for me as I'm only making a small numpad.

User avatar
Halvar

12 Jun 2016, 17:27

If the size of the controller fits your casing and the connectors are usable/solderable, why not give it a try? Sounds good.

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