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I’m attempting a replica of the original keypad and would like some measurements as I don’t trust my measurements from photos. Also, I’d like to know what keyswitches they used.
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amenjet 3
Yes, that is it. It plugs in to the keyboard connector (a 16 pin DIL socket) of the Microtan and provides just enough keys to drive the monitor program. I’ve tried to measure it and failed, really. I tried AI and it was worse than me, which was a surprise.
The key switches are hidden in all the photos I’ve found, and I have no idea if they are clicky tactile switches or more like keyboard switches.
If I can’t find this out then I’ll have to use my best guess…
Thanks for the 6502.org suggestion, I’d not thought of them.
1 Like
4
An idea from Baz on the stardot discord: maybe this unit is the same kind that acorn used for the system 1.
See
amenjet 5
Although the Acorn and MT65 keypads look the same from the top, when you look at the sandwich side-on, the Acorn is a switch dome affair with a plastic cover and plastic buttons, the MT65 has switches on the lower PCB which protrude through the top plate. I’m not sure if the buttons are part of the switch or are a separate part that is held by the switch. The Acorn keypad is all on the top PCB.
I’ve just got an itch, I want a keypad and one that looks like the original. Not sure why, it happens sometimes.
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amenjet 6
Thanks to Alan at UKPC I now have the dimensions of the keypad and some pictures of the switches. The size wasn’t any of the ones I or AI came up with.
The switches are a mystery. They have a transparent body and the black button seems to be part of the switch. They are clicky. I think I have enough now to make a decent replica. I’d like to know what those switches are though, I don’t think I’ve seen them before.
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EdS 7
Glad you got an answer! A bit late, but just to note that Adrian Graham aka binarydinosaurs has one (thanks @Pernod for the tip):
the hex keypad
amenjet 8
Oh, he does. I had a look on his site (twice) and didn’t see it. But yes, I think I have enough now to make a replica.
amenjet 9
Thanks to some help getting photos and measurements, I have now sent some parts off for a prototype keypad. Updates to follow…
This is an existing recreation, that might be interesting.
http://www.microtan.ukpc.net/Microtan-R/Keypad2.jpg
Kicad files are available on the site.
They have created recreations for many of the Tangerine boards.
click on the link to Microtan-R
The website is only http and not https so my browser is a bit unhappy.
Good luck, and have fun.
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microtan 11
I have just opened my Microtan treasure chest, and I do have a keypad in there. So if you need any measurements, let me know what to measure and I will be happy to get them for you.
amenjet 12
Thanks. I’ve sent parts off now. If they come back and don’t look right then I will come back to you for measurements. I want to make something that, even if it isn’t identical to the original, looks like it.
I have the microtan R keypad above, but didn’t find the correct keytops until recently. I also need to make a ribbon cable for it with the correct headers. I also have quite a few of the boards, I really need to get them all up and running.
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