[Coco] CoCo keyboard connector

[Steve Batson]

Seems like a circuit to interface to the serial port would be the better way to go and there would be no soldering to the coco needed. 


Steve Batson
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On Mar 4, 2012, at 10:40 AM, haywire666 at aol.com wrote:

> 
> I'm trying to build a coco powered mobile robot.
> 
> 
> This talk about the keyboard makes me wonder if I could use all the keys (since they are just momentary switches) to 
> create a large horde of digital inputs for sensors for my project?
> 
> 
> For my project, I need alot of hmmm... limit switches? To let the computer know for example,
> the arm is all the way up or all the way down and so on. Thats going to take a very large amount of
> inputs...
> 
> 
> There could also be limit switches telling it the head is all the way left or right, bump switches around the motorized
> base and so on...
> 
> 
> As I recall, its a mess trying to solder to the keyboard connector though to try this?
> 
> 
> Has anyone done anything like that before?
> 
> 
> Steven
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hhos <hhos at st-tel.net>
> To: coco <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Sun, Mar 4, 2012 1:12 pm
> Subject: Re: [Coco] CoCo keyboard connector
> 
> 
>> Hey, is there a tech manual online somewhere? I'm interested in how the
>> CoCo keyboard connector works. I know it went to a thin mylar connector
>> for the CoCo 3, but wasn't it a ribbon cable for the CoCo 1?
>> 
> 
> I haven't found any PDF tech manuals on-line for the CoCo's, which
> surprises me.  There are certainly a lot of others that have been
> documented on-line. I have a technical reference for the CoCo1/2/3. I can
> send you some scanned schematics, if you wish?
> 
>> Are the CoCo keys just switches, that open/close contacts and it's read as
>> an X by Y matrix of switches?
>> -
> 
> Yes, they are just momentary contact switches in X/Y. They are laid out
> the same as the CoCo3. I know there are schematics of that readily
> available on-line. The CoCo1 doesn't have all the keys that the CoCo3
> does, though.
> 
> HH
> 
> 
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