[Coco] Coco Digest, Vol 153, Issue 65

[Michael Brant]

Ok my two cents.  I like that idea very much.
On Aug 26, 2015 5:49 PM, "Dave Philipsen" <dave at davebiz.com> wrote:

> Wow! Great minds think alike I guess. I was thinking of that same
> thing...one PCB with the possibility of two (or more) different layouts and
> the possibility of adding extra keys for hacker types.
>
> Dave Philipsen
>
> > On Aug 26, 2015, at 4:02 PM, Mark J. Blair <nf6x at nf6x.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> On Aug 26, 2015, at 12:24 , Dave Philipsen <dave at davebiz.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Ok, after thinking about it a little more I came up with another idea.
> Design the keyboard with a stock, passive-matrix layout and design a
> dual-row header where all of the traces exit to the flat cable so that all
> of the signals must pass through it.  Only do not install the header.  Just
> have traces connect all the pins across to the opposing side (1 to 2, 3 to
> 4, 5 to 6, etc.) So now you have a factory style layout and the ability to
> cut all of the traces between the two rows of the header connector with a
> dremel tool.
> >
> >
> > I considered exactly that idea last night. I like it because it probably
> would add zero cost to the board, while making it easy to splice into the
> matrix.
> >
> > I'm also considering whether it might be practical to design the
> keyboard such that it can be assembled in either a CoCo-1/2-like
> arrangement, or a CoCo-3-like arrangement. I would need to shrink the right
> shift key to 1x1 size to keep common keys in the same locations, and extra
> keycaps plus two different cosmetic bezels would be needed (which might
> make it impractical by eliminating some economy of scale optiona). But if
> this ends up being practical, then either configuration would end up with a
> few unpopulated physical keyswitch locations, which might be repurposed by
> a keyboard hacker to provided dedicated control keys to a keyboard
> smartener device.
> >
> > Anyway, the prices I see from WASD might make this doable in the $200
> range. My next step will be to look into local sheet metal fabricators to
> see how much a support plate will cost.
> >
> > --
> > Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
> > http://www.nf6x.net/
> >
> >
> > --
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>
> --
> Coco mailing list
> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>