Replacement Keyboard Project Update

[Scouter3d]

Hi Chesh, thanks!
You are too kind! A big part of the development, and the biggest thanks! go to @username@ and his amazing coding-skills!
The joystick-part of the proto is yet untested, will check everything extensivly in the next few days...
Cheers, TOM:0)

[Scouter3d]

What a nice Christmas morning!

The PCBs work perfectly, Keystrokes and Joystick (as good as it gets ;0))

Next step: Designing a 3D printable case...

Cheers, TOM:0)

[MADrigal]

That's so good!!!!!

[cheshirenoir]

Such exciting news!
Can't wait to get the old girl working again. Both my controllers are toast.

Chesh

[Scouter3d]

Hi Chesh,

if you have 2x Mt8808 and an arduino nano i can send you a PBC to test :0)

Cheers, TOM:0)

[cheshirenoir]

Now I have replaced my faulty MT8808, I can confirm this works fine.
I was even able to type in Noel's (Of Noel's Retrolab fame) BASIC speed test.
Bad news, folks. the Creativision basic is really really slow!

Chesh

[Scouter3d]

Hi Chesh!

Thanks for the testing!

Yes, the CV BASIC is very slow :0) (partly as i understand because the CV has only the 16k Videoram and every access has to be made thru the VDP...)

The CSL Cartridge BASIC (Laser 2001, Salora Manager) is much faster and has RAM to use :0)

Cheers, TOM:0)

[cheshirenoir]

So, need help setting up a GitHub account so you can share the design?
I can already see some minor improvements that could be made. (Smoothing caps are probably the big one. I'll also be investigating if something like a Teensy 2 can be substituted for the Arduino, as well as moving power onto the board. If we can get more I/O pins we could look at two controllers and using Genesis controllers instead, which have all those extra buttons)

[Scouter3d]

So, need help setting up a GitHub account so you can share the design?
I can already see some minor improvements that could be made. (Smoothing caps are probably the big one. I'll also be investigating if something like a Teensy 2 can be substituted for the Arduino, as well as moving power onto the board. If we can get more I/O pins we could look at two controllers and using Genesis controllers instead, which have all those extra buttons)

Hi Chesh,

what i need most would be a 48h day and an even longer night ;0)
but i will try to upload everything next week...

Cheers, TOM:0)

[GregZone]

but i will try to upload everything next week...

Cheers, TOM:0)

Hi Tom,

I found this discussion thread while researching how to make a joystick interface for my CreatiVision re-creation PIA interface.

It sure is a pity it wasn't a simpler keyboard matrix. Multiple simultaneous connections sure makes interfacing a little more challenging!
Does this mean that the Creativision keypad touch switches are actually multi-pole? (double-pole?)

But I'll get to my point... I have my CreatiVision re-creation up-and-running, happily running a game in "Atract mode", but now I need to work out how to best interface a joystick to allow gameplay.

Your "Replacement Keyboard Project" seems like almost exactly what I need! But for my purposes, I'd probably want to customise to include pull-up resistors & diodes on the PCB layout, and also a different single IDC connector (for interfacing directly to my PIA port connector).

Did you end up sharing / licensing your work, to allow others to modify / customise for their individual needs?

I'm keen to have a crack at building on your excellant work, to customise for my needs and get me some CreatiVision control!

Cheers,
Greg