ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Discussions about Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 Hardware
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sirmorris
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ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Post by sirmorris »

:D :D :D

Party time!

After a couple of weeks of part-time soldering I've finally completed my most-of-a-ZXKBD3 interface! If you don't know it then visit the never-less-than-wonderful Wilf Rigter's zx81 hardware site. Google's dead on me at the moment so I can't post a link. His original design incorporated a joystick port and the no$zx81 high-speed data transfer port but I've no need for these so I left them off. I did however bring out the reset line and power :)

All I wanted was the ability to add a decent keyboard to any of my Sinclair machines without opening them up. And this suits the bill perfectly. I can now stick it in the back of my many zeddies and speccies that have dead membranes. It's an old BBC Master keyboard that was surplus to requirements. Eventually I'm going to trim it down and make a case for it. The plans are still forming for that though. And it'll probably have to wait until I've attended to my Apple 2. Or the Atom. I haven't decided which to go at next yet :geek:

Incredibly it worked 1st time - apart from a joint that went dry on the keyboard itself meaning that one of the rows didn't work. A quick reheat and it's 100%. I have to admit I'm really chuffed!

Here's some pictures:
front.jpg
The front..
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back.jpg
The back..
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rats.jpg
Rats!
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siggi
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Re: ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Post by siggi »

Here is the link to Wilf's pages ...

http://www.user.dccnet.com/wrigter/

Siggi
My ZX81 web-server: online since 2007, running since dec. 2020 using ZeddyNet hardware
http://zx81.ddns.net/ZxTeaM
sirmorris
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Re: ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Post by sirmorris »

Thanks Siggi :)

I thought of dropping Wilf a line, letting him know we're here.
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yerzmyey
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Re: ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Post by yerzmyey »

...and as I said in another topic, such a thing could be better replacement for joystick.

My question is: do both keyboards work simultanously? (the additional one & the original one)?
Or maybe, if one connects new keyboard, the original one stops working?
IN NIHILUM REVERTERIS - a big text-adventure game for ZX81: http://tiny.pl/g2m6m
"MONOCHROME" issue 5 - (Spring 2014) free paper/PDF magazine about ZX81: http://tiny.pl/q2m44
ZX81 COMPETITIONS 2007/2009: http://zx81.republika.pl/
sirmorris
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Re: ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Post by sirmorris »

Both are enabled.

Joysticks really don't work very well with zeddy software. The games are simply too slow. There's no one control method, and hacking games really isn't a proper use of anyone's time ;) There's far too many other things to be doing!

The JS port stayed off, even though it would have only taken me half an hour to add it. IMHO it's a complete waste of time.

I got my zeddie box out last night and had a looksee which ones were working, in good shape etc. I'm going to get some membranes when they arrive and have a couple of '81's licked into shape. One is going to be 'untouched' - so external everything. The other I think needs to be fully pimped :D ( but no joystick ;) )
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yerzmyey
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Re: ZXKBD3 (well most of it ; ) - IT LIVES!

Post by yerzmyey »

So that's what I thought at last too.
Keyboard is rather better for games (yes, children of PC times ;) ), and it would take then 2 functions - as a keyboard AND as a joystick, hehehe. :)
IN NIHILUM REVERTERIS - a big text-adventure game for ZX81: http://tiny.pl/g2m6m
"MONOCHROME" issue 5 - (Spring 2014) free paper/PDF magazine about ZX81: http://tiny.pl/q2m44
ZX81 COMPETITIONS 2007/2009: http://zx81.republika.pl/
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