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Amiga 2000 keyboard options

andy

andy

Experienced Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
442
Location
Austin, TX
I've finally started to resurrect an Amiga 2000HD that I've had in storage for many years. So far, I've replaced the defective SCSI hard drive, and managed to install the OS. The big problem I have is that I don't have a keyboard. I've been looking for some time on ebay, but prices start around $200 for an untested one that's in poor condition. I guess they made more Amiga 2000s than keyboards...

Can anyone recommend an alternative?

Is there a PS/2 or USB to Amiga adapter that is known to work well? How well do they handle the difference in key layout between Amiga and PC? The few options I've found are all from Europe, so it will be expensive and shipping will take a long time. I tried to buy one on ebay a few months ago, but it got lost in the mail.
 
icomp.de sells a nice programmable keyboard adapter. Lyra3 I believe it is. I've been using their micromys mouse adapter happily for awhile now with a usb-ps2 adapter.
 
You can get a Northgate keyboard (one with a hidden dip switch panel) that can be used on Amigas (also expensive).

I managed to get some Amiga mice back in the day and even fixed a couple sticky/broken buttons but I have more Amigas then keyboards myself.

Any idea is there was ever an Amiga KVM?
 
I had a feeling the home made adapters would have issues. I will keep an eye out for a compatible Northgate keyboard since they sometimes go for less than the $200-$300 Amiga keyboards are currently fetching.
 
andy said:
I've finally started to resurrect an Amiga 2000HD that I've had in storage for many years. So far, I've replaced the defective SCSI hard drive, and managed to install the OS.
Click to expand...
May I ask what the hard drive model was? I am working on my A2000 as well which has a Quantum Prodrive 40S with a number of issues.
 
How were you able to install the OS without having a keyboard?

Anyway, I would recommend the Lyra adapter from icomp.de as well.
 
I may have to give the Lyra a try.

Has anyone built this?
www.pcbway.com

AMIGA 500 PS/2 KEYBOARD ADAPTER - Share Project - PCBWay

AMIGA 500 PS/2 KEYBOARD ADAPTERThis is a tested and working circuit.Do not be sad if your Amiga 500 keyboard is not working. AMIGA 500 PS/2 KEYBOARD ADAPTER will help you to use your Amiga 500 with yo...
www.pcbway.com

For hard drives, I have found my Amiga to be picky about which drives it will see. I have successfully used several IBM SCSI drives (DSAS-3720, DSAS-3540, and a 1GB IBM type 0662). The original Quantum worked a few times, but failed suddenly.

I had no problems installing the OS with just the mouse.

I used ADTWin to write Amiga floppies from disk images. It works well, but is very picky about motherboards. An old socket 423 motherboard running XP seems to work reliably with it.

ADTWin

m1web.de m1web.de
 
andy said:
I've finally started to resurrect an Amiga 2000HD that I've had in storage for many years. So far, I've replaced the defective SCSI hard drive, and managed to install the OS. The big problem I have is that I don't have a keyboard. I've been looking for some time on ebay, but prices start around $200 for an untested one that's in poor condition. I guess they made more Amiga 2000s than keyboards...

Can anyone recommend an alternative?

Is there a PS/2 or USB to Amiga adapter that is known to work well? How well do they handle the difference in key layout between Amiga and PC? The few options I've found are all from Europe, so it will be expensive and shipping will take a long time. I tried to buy one on ebay a few months ago, but it got lost in the mail.
Click to expand...
The lack of a keyboard plagues all of the Amiga's "?000" line of computers.
Keyboards being mechanical wear out and get tossed.
Correct me if Im wrong but I do not recall any 3rd party making an Amiga compatible keyboard even back in the day. Maybe you could buy one directly form Commodore?
I suppose when someone would retire their Amiga "?000" it would wind up in a garage, shed, basement, attic, etc and the keyboard would eventually get lost/tossed.
The Amiga 1000's missing a keyboard has an additional problem because of the 1000+1000 = 2000 deal. When the Amiga 2000 came out you could send in your 1000 keyboard and get a $1000 off a new 2000.
Many Amiga sellers on ebay will not include the keyboard and sell it separately.
 
AFAIK Amiga 500 keyboards is mostly compatible with the separate keyboard Amigas, except how reset is handled. An Amiga 500 keyboard has a separate reset wire (and also two wires for the LEDs) while the separate keyboard Amigas first sends a reset scancode and either if the computer responds or if a certain time (IIRC 10 seconds) passes it sets the clock/data signals in a specific state that is detected by the hardware in the Amiga, causing a reset.

I'm not sure if the keyboard controller chip is the same in the Amiga 500 as in the (non-Cherry OEM) Amiga 2000 keyboards or not. If it's the same chip then you might only need to change some signal telling the chip if it's in an Amiga 500 or not for reset to work. Otherwise I think that everything else except reset would work as is.

Sure, you' won't get a nice case for the keyboard, but still. You might be able to find a semi broken Amiga 500 case that's still in decent shape around the keyboard, and just cut it to become part of an external keyboard case. Or 3D print a keyboard case.

(A tangent: It's sad that so many keyboards have gone missing over the years, but it's also nice to see that the keyboards have some value! I don't think that most of them are that great, but the Cherry OEM one (with narrower function keys than all other Amiga keyboards) are great, with it's vintage Cherry black MX switches!).
 
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