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Author Topic: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?  (Read 1232 times)

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Lilwolf

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Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« on: June 05, 2005, 02:57:37 pm »
Ok, just bought a jukebox... one with about 36 buttons (I think... haven't picked it up yet... but I think its A-Z + 0-1... anyway..)

I don't care at all about gaming... so I was considering buying a 20port cheap keyboard encoder and then try and create my own matrix for the key input.  Can I?

Or after that... How hard is it to hack a keyboard if you don't care about ghosting or others?  should I just hack a keyboard and be done?   I haven't hacked a keyboard before (just a few old joysticks).  I don't think it would be worth my time for 20 bucks and a keywizeco.... unless I had to buy two.

thanks

Chris

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2005, 03:38:40 pm »
Hacaking a KB could be just as easy; it depends on the keyboard and what kind of connection it uses.  The last keyboard I hacked, I just de-soldered the connector it hald and was able to solder a pin header in its place for a ribbon cable.  If you have a spare keyboard lying around, rip it apart and see how easy it's going to be to hook up wires to it...
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DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

SirPeale

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2005, 03:46:57 pm »
If you can solder, hacking a keyboard is dead easy.  For a jukebox project, it'd work really well.

Someone recently posted a howto on keyboard hacking.  They well all out and put it inside a project box.  This tutorial was awesome, with one major thing that I would have changed:

They soldered wires to every lead on the keyboard PCB, then labeled the wires 1-36.  What they *should* have done was label the first of the sets A-H, and the next ones 1-28 (or however many there were).  Using the example I gave makes it much easier to cross-reference a particular keyset.  Let's see how my table skills are holding up...

12345
A
B
C
D
E

I'm not sure how to make the lines appear on the table, so just pretend they're there.

whammoed

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2005, 04:49:48 pm »
If you decide to hack a keyboard, let me know which one you decide to use.  I may have a map for it already...I have a bunch. ;)

RandyT

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2005, 06:42:27 pm »
Here's another option for you:

Use a KeyWiz Eco and wire up 4 more (or however many you need) dual-diode "one-click Shazaaam" buttons.

If you need more info, contact me.

Otherwise, I'm with the "hack a keyboard" crowd.  Jukeboxes are one of the few applications that won't have single problem with it.

RandyT

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2005, 06:37:01 am »
Here's another option for you:
Use a KeyWiz Eco and wire up 4 more (or however many you need) dual-diode "one-click Shazaaam" buttons.
This will work except Lilwolf didn't even want to pay the initial $20 for the Eco.

I have a very detailed page on the theory and how-to (more than you need to know) at http://www.mameworld.net/emuadvice/keyhack2.html, and IMHO, Spystyle has the best "short and sweet" tutorial at http://spystyle.arcadecontrols.com/index79.htm
It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it's what you leave behind you when you go. - R. Travis.
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RandyT

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2005, 08:47:11 am »
This will work except Lilwolf didn't even want to pay the initial $20 for the Eco.

Actually he said:

I don't think it would be worth my time for 20 bucks and a keywizeco.... unless I had to buy two.

Which I took as, paraphrased, unless he needed to buy two, the effort of hacking the keyboard wouldn't be worth it.  I was just saying that it could be accomplished without buying 2 units by just wiring a few buttons with some diodes. ;)

But hacking a keyboard is still a viable option for a jukebox, and those links will certainly help get the job done!

RandyT

Tiger-Heli

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2005, 08:54:00 am »
Re-read the original post and now agree with Randy.

It now sounds like Lilwolf is saying the time to hack the keyboard would be worth more than the $20 for the Eco, unless he had to buy two.

A third option would be to use an Eco and hack a gamepad for the additional 3-4 inputs, but if you're going to hack something regardless, IMHO, you might as well just do it once with the keyboard.
It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it's what you leave behind you when you go. - R. Travis.
When all is said and done, generally much more is SAID than DONE.

SirPeale

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2005, 09:11:39 am »
Re-read the original post myself, and I definitely stand by my original advice: a keyboard hack would be the best way to get the input.  It wouldn't take much time to map the matrix, AND there would be a vast amount of keys to use.

Lilwolf

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Re: Adding a matrix to a keyboard encoder?
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2005, 11:27:57 am »
Time seems to be harder to find then 20 bucks these days.  I'm now steering towards the shazam + diodes method. 

1/2 because I haven't bought anything from Randy yet.   And figuring no matter how good I am.. it will take more then an hour and not look as good.

One other option might be to wire up one of the printer port adapters also.  But I think I am going to put that one off for the same reasons.

But I will pull apart a few of my really old  keyboards and see if it will be trivial (no soldering)... otherwise I'll probably get an Eco board.