aeberbach
commented
1 year ago OleUrgast I am so sorry I missed this comment - notification from GitHub really needs to be better!
I think you could use the 30-circuit connector, sure. I specified Mouser because it's the one I use, and I did not think to check AliExpress. In fact I assumed the FFC connectors and sockets in that pitch were thoroughly obsolete and it was only the larger distributors that might have new old stock remaining. At least if the Mouser part number is given then a specific part is identified and any substitute is up to the individual maker.
Great info on the keycaps. I now have kept one Amiga, the A1200 and in it is a ReAmiga 1.5. Even the LED assembly was built by me! I am using one full set of keycaps from Signature Plastics, which I had to order as a set and then around 30 individual special order keys, but I did get the full set of Amiga keycaps in the right sizes. The cost was unfortunate...
Hello, thanks for your great PCB-designs.
In your readme.md of the A600 keyboard PCB you forget to add the "Donate" buton at the end.
As there is one at the end of the A1200 keyboard PCB description, I used that, but you might add one at A600 description as well ;-)
Also you might upload your projects to PCBWAY as a shared project and set a link to it in your description. This has two advantages:
Maybe other companys have simular reward systems. While you get rewarded, the customer has no extra cost. Win-Win situation.
As communication by paypal is limited (paypal showed an error message), here the answer to your question:
I got 10 PCBs of the A600 mechanical keyboard PCB. As the minimum order quantity on PCBWAY is 5 (about 90€ incl. Tax and shipping) and 10 are only 30€ more, I ordered 10. Maybe someone else in germany might need one, and if I have spare ones after I did my own projects, I migth give them away at a self-cost basis.
My goal is to build an Amiga Emulator close as possible to the original without harming any original Amiga. So self printed case is a must. As the biggest printer with textured spring steel I have at the moment is an Anycubic Chiron (but I need to repair it first), I am limited to A600. This is the best choice for an emulator anyway in my opinion - while bigger than a Pi400 its much more portable than an A500 or A1200 (or an A4000T ;-). But it has still enough space inside to integrate a DrawBridge with floppy drive and a slot-in CD-Drive.
Also Thinghacker already designed an A600 keyboard to USB adapter based on a Raspberry Pico, so your PCB is quite easy to use with emulators.
Also an Amiga has a quite simular keyboard as a PC. I intend to place the 3 LEDs to switches to add hidden keys for F11, F12(esp. important to call emulator settings) and an FN-Key. So the "Amiga emulator" can also be used as an Office PC with Raspbian simply by swapping SD-Cards. With more powerful Pi's every few years and my slow progress on projects, in the final version it might be the Pi 5 or Pi 6 I fear ;-)
I just wait for some parts from China (brown keys, 30pin FCC 1.25 pitch connectors and cables, some chips for the controller etc., Thinghackers’s PCB) to start the project.
For keycaps I want to use the keycap generator from thingiverse and a resin printer. So blank keycaps in original size and profile should not be a problem at all (also spacebar in any lengh you want can be generated. ISO-Enter is faulty, but there are other designs available on thingiverse to print an ISO-enter).
Labeling keycaps is a bit more complicated. While the keycap generator can "engrave" labels directly into the design, this would not look like an original Amiga keyboard. Of course you could carefully fill the engravement with a fine brush with black resin, to make a "double shot" keycap and than wetsanding and polish the top of the cap to make the key perfect, but that seems to be a lot of work to do.
But I found other methods to label keycaps in the web:
To DyeSub you need a special ink in a piezo Inkjet printer. I actually have an old Ricoh Afficio which works well (but as I needed a bigger printer I barely used it). Anyway, as it was out of ink and leaving an Inkjet with permanent printhead out of ink for a longer time will damage the printhead, I decided to buy DyeSub ink for this printer. Only made two Amiga mousepads at the moment, but that worked well.
As dyesub transfer is used in most print-shops to print individual pictures on t-shirts, cups, mousepads etc. you actually do not need such a printer yourself. Just ask a printshop to print your "picture" (with all the labels you need) with DyeSub ink on DyeSub paper (mirrored of course). Should not cost much.
Embossing powder. You make a stamp with the label for you keycap (using photopolymere rubber stamp material), stamp glycol onto the keycap, put ultra fine embossing powder onto the keycap, turn the keycap, so all powder exept there the glycol is, falls down. Than use a heatgun to melt the powder. While this also uses heat, there is no preasure involved. So a good chance the keycap survives this 60 second treatment. This should work also white on black (CDTV or own colour sheme). But I do not know how wear resistant the print is.
two part design: cut keycap model in two parts. Upper 2mm print in high transparent resin. The other part whatever resin you like. Print labels with a laserprinter on foil. Than glue bottom part, foil and top part together using epoxy to embed the print inside the keycap (avoid bubbles). You might have to post-process the sides of the keycap (put some grease to the sides of the keycap before glueing parts together to make it easy to remove any epox coming out at the sides while pressing parts together).
printer for printing on plastic: These are available for doing merchandise articles (logos on pens, lightner etc.). Some small companys also use them to print on Lego bricks (Lego use some shabby stickers even on some UCS-models). Starting at about €2000 ($-AD 3000) it might be possible to buy one for privat use. But having other hobbys also it is much surely out of budget for most people. Also I know nothing about the wear resistance of the prints.
While I researced a lot about making and printing keycaps (or in general: Print on plastic), exept for embossing powder and making stamps I have not tried out the other methods yet. Still waiting for some parts from china...
One question: Is there a special reason your A600 Keyboard PCB using 32pin FCC 1.25mm instead 30pin? The 30pin connectors and cables seem easyly available on AliExpress, while 32pin I only found at Mouser. As Mouser is not represented in Germany, minimum value of the order or shipping cost are quite high... As I want to use the Keyboard inside an emulator, I do not know if it even matters - I have to check correct orientation and wireing, but maybe I can simply directly sandwich Thinghacker's controller to the keyboard PCB using two rows of pins and spare the efford for theese special cables and connectors completly.