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keyboard encoder

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matticus66:
i was wondering if anyone has used one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=13718&item=6178640099&rd=1


it seems like they are going for cheap so i wasnt sure if they are
crappy or what. And where would i go about getting the wiring for this?
would i have to find an old floppy drive cable and strip the ends or what?

AlanS17:
I think they're cheap because they're relatively unknown, unproven, and nobody knows what to do with those pins. A drive cable ought to work fine, though.

I can't speak for its quality because I've never used one or talked with someone that has. That doesn't make it bad, though.

Tiger-Heli:
I'd save your money.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,34505.0.html

Product page is http://www.tokn.net/

They have a 32-input version on E-bay as well.

Here's a preview from my encoder comparison page:

(12.11)  The TOKN KB16 Encoder is difficult to recommend.  At it's full retail price, it is more expensive than the solderless version of the KeyWiz Eco2, offers half the number of standard inputs, no shifted inputs, the same IDE header connection method, but requires twice as many wires per switch due to the lack of a common ground connection, and cannot load a saved config file nor be programmed interactively without an attached keyboard.  The "advantages" of the device are the use of EEPROM to allow memory retention of an alternate saved codeset and an active keyboard pass-thru which allows daisy-chaining of multiple encoders.  YOU do the math!  Even at the introductory price ($10.50), the device barely fares better (arguably) than a standard keyboard hack.  The introductory price is higher than the cost of a keyboard hack, and the encoder has 16 total inputs, compared to an "effective" 20 active inputs (for a two-joystick panel) and an unlimited (104, 107) number of total inputs which could be used for admin functions for the keyboard hack.  The advantages over a keyboard hack are the lack of soldering, the ablity to program any keystroke to each input, and the presence of the active pass-thru.  Basically the functionality of the device is limited to a small controller for a classics-only cab or CP.  Documentation of the device is mirrored here, here, and here.
(12.12)  The TOKN KB16 is currently (26Apr05) readily available on E-bay for around $10.50, but I am not sure how long this price will be available.
(12.13)  The TOKN KB16 and TOKN KB32 are programmable through an attached keyboard.  No software is required and alternate codesets are retained in memory; however, there is also no way to save multiple codesets or load a different pre-configured codeset.

NoOne=NBA=:
Get the KeyWiz Eco.
You'll be alot happier in the long run.

Kremmit:
Better yet, get the KeyWiz Max.  Screw terminals are really nice, especially if you're new at this.  With screw terminals, it's easy to move a wire if you hook something up wrong. 

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