Request for Keyboard Hacking 101 Info.

**masterful** · 02-07-2002, 10:35 AM

Recently at work someone managed to break some pins off in their keyboard PS2 adaptor, so I tore the keyboard apart hoping learn some stuff about hacking a keyboard for my mp3car project. I have all the pieces, but the one that interests me most is the Silitek 'controller' board? I would like to use it inside a small remote type device (wired unfortunately) by wiring approximately 10 buttons to it. I don't understand the wiring however, and wondered if anyone here might. It has a female interface for the ribbon type input of the keyboard circuit board. In fact, it has two of them. A small one, and a large one. They are side by side, and they were both utilized. The small one has 8 pins, and the large on has 17 pins. Definitely not enough for every individual key, so I'm instantly lost. Someone have somewhere they can point me so I can bone up on this and be sure to ask the proper questions throughout? Thanks guys, you're always a big help.

Jeffrey.

**masterful** · 02-07-2002, 10:47 AM

Well, I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before I posted this message, but I found a tutorial I used once before when working on my arcade machine. I obviously didn't learn anything from it (cept I remember the key ghosting problem), but since I have it, I'll attempt to use it again. Still, if anyone knows any good documents, or tricks, I'd be thrilled to hear about them. Sorry, it's been a long 31 hours without sleep . . .

Jeffrey.

**asteroid** · 02-07-2002, 11:53 AM

yep there are two sets of pins, short two of these together to make a key.

You can rip out the encoder board from the keyboard and poke the pins with some wires and write down what combinations make a key

)

I will be doing this for my system

)

**mp3z24** · 02-07-2002, 12:22 PM

if you still have the plastic sheets that were under the keys, you can trace the paths back from each key. then if you are planning on attaching buttons for different key strokes you can simply solder wires to the existing board. or you can solder jumper wire to the existing board and then use a breadboard for attaching your button leads. or another option (what i'll probably do) is to jumper the keyboard board to a homemade board so you will have larger pad to solder to incase you need more than 1 attachment to a given keyboard circuit solder pad. i know the pads are small, something like 1-2 mm width and spacing... not fun to solder to.

~mike

D2 · 02-07-2002, 05:19 PM

While do'in my check today of the daily board I found this link http://beyondlogic.org/keyboard/keybrd.htm on the mp3car.com australian portal.

**masterful** · 02-07-2002, 05:45 PM

My Lord! That guy spends entirely too much time contemplating the universe that is the 'PC Keyboard'. That's amazing . . .

Jeffrey.

**mhermann** · 02-14-2002, 12:16 AM

If your not good with soldering you could try www.ultimarc.com

They sell a controller to make your custom keyboard.

**placet** · 02-14-2002, 10:29 PM

To make finding the points out easier, just use a continuity tester, don't follow the wires! Way too much work. All the 2 points do is act like a switch so test one point to the controller and test the other and you've got a match.

**LESLIEx317537** · 02-14-2002, 11:38 PM

I did a small keyboard hack.

You can find some info here -> http://www.lesliex317537.com/carputer.htm

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