I'm putting together an RP2040 keyboard adapter. Unfortunately, I'm not an electronics guy, so my skills are pretty much "follow directions and solder things."
The directions for wiring the AT keyboard to the pins on the 2040 are clear. You're supposed to add some 4.7K "pull-up resistors" to make the 3.3V 2040 pins output 5V. I can do that, but is that the optimal solution? Several people mentioned that the old IBM keyboards pull a lot of power, and sometimes USB adapters fail due to that. I don't have any problem with adding a dedicated 5V power supply if needed.
Is extra power a good idea, or is it overkill?
RP2040 AT->USB QMK adapter questions
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AudreyGB
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: IBM M122 running QMK
- Main mouse: Kensington Slimblade Pro
- Favorite switch: Model M Buckling Spring
What are you trying to make this for? Model M? Are you running QMK?
2040 is not compatible with QMK, I don't think. If you pick up a ProMicro you can do it easily. That's my recommendation. You might also use an off the shelf solution like a Soarers Adapter from Amazon.
As for a dedicated 5V power supply, that wouldn't be the solution. 5V pin supplies constant 5V power, you need 5V for logic to communicate with the board, not a constant 5V.
2040 is not compatible with QMK, I don't think. If you pick up a ProMicro you can do it easily. That's my recommendation. You might also use an off the shelf solution like a Soarers Adapter from Amazon.
As for a dedicated 5V power supply, that wouldn't be the solution. 5V pin supplies constant 5V power, you need 5V for logic to communicate with the board, not a constant 5V.