Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!syntron!jtsv16!uunet!mcvax!enea!tut!santra!clinet!toweri From: toweri@clinet.FI (Jukka Lindgren) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: detachable keyboards and the A500 (what about A1000?) Summary: Can I take A1000 kb far away? Keywords: detachable keyboard A500, A1000 Message-ID: <694@clinet.FI> Date: 17 Sep 88 23:21:11 GMT Article-I.D.: clinet.694 References: <6397@pyr.gatech.EDU> Reply-To: toweri@clinet.UUCP (Jukka Lindgren) Organization: City Lines Oy, Helsinki, Finland Lines: 44 [Eat-Me] In article <6397@pyr.gatech.EDU> davidc@pyr.gatech.EDU (David Carter) writes: >In article <1020@lakesys.UUCP> mikes@lakesys.UUCP (Mike Shawaluk) writes: >>Actually, there is probably an easier way to get a detachable keyboard; >>simply buy a ... B2000 keyboard, and a 5-pin DIN jack ... >>This is assuming, of course, that the keyboard decoder & interface is the >>same for 2000's and 500's, which it oughta be. >> etc... Maybe this is a little bit going to a side track, but anyway: Does anyone out there have any experience about making (a long) extension wire for A1000 keyboard? I'm talking about a length of three to four meters. Basically there shouldn't be anything tricky about it. In fact, Amiga Hardware Reference Manual by Addison-Wesley writes: >The keyboard plugs into the computer via a four-conductor cable similar >to a telephone handset coily cord (in fact, a telephone handset cable >may be substituted in a pinch)... But they don't say a thing about maximum length for that cable! Someone just might think that it doesn't make any difference. Unfortunately it isn't so simple: As the keyboard transmits data serially to the main unit, it is done with a speed of 17 kbits/sec. At such speed there just isn't much time for check-and-re-check, therefore it looks to me that a cable four meters long might collect inductive, faulty, signals, or the real signal might get spurious. (ref. round-shaped Cray-supercomputers, in order to minimize cable-lengths) Now, do I manage with a simple telephone cable, or do I have to use shielded cable, or (please not!) was it absolutely insane idea to begin with? If I get a definite YES or NO, I will post it for others to see too. Thank you, in advance! =============================================================================== # ELM: toweri@clinet.UUCP | Any opinions expressed contain # # SNAIL: don't bother... | *The Absolute Truth* # # | Therefore no disclaimers can be made # ===============================================================================