Got the PS2 keyboard interface installed - sort of. I'm still using HELP START SELECT OPTION RESET on the old keyboard, but they were never a problem. Here are some pics of the install: The PCB lives between the pokey chip and the main board. They sent a plastic PS2 socket but I don't have the skills necessary to solder directly onto a plastic socket. I took this metal socket from an old KVM switch box. The other side of the PS2 socket, right next to the SIO socket.
Argh...a bait post, I was expecting a burning PCB, come on, we all have had one and we love to hear about how people fixed the problem.. Seriously, glad the was no fire etc..
Wired up START, SELECT, OPTION, RESET buttons today. I removed the old keyboard completely. Here are some pics of the SSOR install: Start, Select, and Option signals are routed to R134, R135, and R136 respectively. The reset signal goes to L14(not shown). All signals tap in on the left side of those components. I removed the PCB to make the four solder connections. The solder connections protruded a little on the bottom of the PCB so I added an IC socket to make a little more room. I expected to find the new SSOR keys on F5, F6, F7, and F8, but found them on F2, F3, F4, and F5. I must've found some old documentation. So I guess this project is finished. Thanks for riding along. Cy
You're quite a modder, Cy. Very well done - so how does it perform, the Atari 8bit and... PS2 keyboard?? PS. Got some pics from VCF EAST 24 to post - thanks for flagging this event, fella.
Doin' great! I'm using it every day and have spent hours programming. I'm think Works great! I use it every day, sometimes for hours at a time. I began to worry that with the stock keyboard removed things might fall into that big hole. I guess I could have put the old keyboard in(and I still can) but I thought this might look cool I covered that big hole with some plexiglass. Now I don't worry about things falling in. Actually I can drop pens and pencils into what now is a shallow tray
Seeing the naked 800XL is pretty cool. Have you considered putting some LED lighting in? Might look nice lit up.
