I now have bi-directional communication on my PS/2 to ABI PIC chip! caps lock and scroll lock now turn the led's on and off on the keyboard! so no need now for the external led's! next will be getting the number lock to work
Troubleshooting ABI Boardmaster 4000
- Thread starter trm
- Start date
It is quite fun to see it developing! The only downside is it does seem to take me a lot of time to actually implement features we want! so it is taking far longer than I thought! But there is really quite an improvement, CTRL key works fine now so all the control codes can be accessed. And a table for the control codes has been added so can be easily changed should a different code be required. I also now have a table in it for when the numberlock is not active, so the keys become the arrows etc on the pad. this is yet to have the code put in to access said table, but its good that's done. There is still one more table to be put in for the (E0) numbers, that's the special keys like insert home delete end, and the arrow keys below. But so far I am up to just under 800 of the 1024 max program steps available. so should be able to squeeze everything in! not bad for less than 1k of program code I think anyway!
Right, the numberlock code is in and working, just the numberlock off keys to define and the 'E0' coded keys.
It is getting near completion now!
The next question for you all is..... who is going to build and try it? if so what PIC chip will you be using? so far it is built on a PIC16F84a , but it should also be able to work on the PIC16F627a. I personally will be aiming to transfer it to a PIC12F675 which is a small 8 pin device which will fit inside the 3 pin DIN connector which plugs into the ABI makeing it a nice neat solution.
let me know and you can be the first to try it!
It is getting near completion now!
The next question for you all is..... who is going to build and try it? if so what PIC chip will you be using? so far it is built on a PIC16F84a , but it should also be able to work on the PIC16F627a. I personally will be aiming to transfer it to a PIC12F675 which is a small 8 pin device which will fit inside the 3 pin DIN connector which plugs into the ABI makeing it a nice neat solution.
let me know and you can be the first to try it!
LOOK!!
http://youtu.be/eG1qD7QbK_Q
F1 loads PALDUMP from the disk
F2 types RUN and enter
2 key operation!!
http://youtu.be/r0_1iQNhXHE
keyboard led lights
http://youtu.be/eG1qD7QbK_Q
F1 loads PALDUMP from the disk
F2 types RUN and enter
2 key operation!!
http://youtu.be/r0_1iQNhXHE
keyboard led lights
that's great! I now have 3 pin din plugs and just arrived this morning is the ps/2 sockets! so will do a little tutorial on putting it all together! I am hoping to put the chip inside the 3 pin plug, so its just like a adapter lead. thats the reason for using the PIC12F675, but of course if anyone has the larger size PIC16F84a or PIC16F627 already it will work on that too but that's not going to fit in the plug housing!
The F keys, they are not present on the original keyboard, so have decided to use them as follows....
F1 This issues the code 'LOAD PALDUMP' followed by a return, this is the most common script i use so thought it was a good idea! you of course need the paldump file on the floppy disk saved as PALDUMP!
F2 This issues the code 'RUN' followed by a return
F3 This issues the code 'LIST' followed by a return
F4 This issues the code 'DIR' followed by a return
The chip is now quite full! I have used 993 out of the 1024 available memory, so there is room for one or more 'F' keys to be configured, but for 1k of memory space it is quite squeezed in there! If anyone wants to alter the code the memory mapping needs to be studied first as altering anything will most likely mean the compiler will be trying to write over code that's already there! been a bit of a nightmare getting it all in with tables being in the same page and working round them!
If there are some suggestions on the F keys I can incorporate them, as there is a shift table and a control table, so in total a possible 36 shortcut keys using them! but to implement that a PIC chip with more memory will be needed. I am thinking of the PIC12f683 as that has double the memory of 2K which will take are of the extra F key features!
I am open to suggestions!
more details on the adapter lead later on....
The F keys, they are not present on the original keyboard, so have decided to use them as follows....
F1 This issues the code 'LOAD PALDUMP' followed by a return, this is the most common script i use so thought it was a good idea! you of course need the paldump file on the floppy disk saved as PALDUMP!
F2 This issues the code 'RUN' followed by a return
F3 This issues the code 'LIST' followed by a return
F4 This issues the code 'DIR' followed by a return
The chip is now quite full! I have used 993 out of the 1024 available memory, so there is room for one or more 'F' keys to be configured, but for 1k of memory space it is quite squeezed in there! If anyone wants to alter the code the memory mapping needs to be studied first as altering anything will most likely mean the compiler will be trying to write over code that's already there! been a bit of a nightmare getting it all in with tables being in the same page and working round them!
If there are some suggestions on the F keys I can incorporate them, as there is a shift table and a control table, so in total a possible 36 shortcut keys using them! but to implement that a PIC chip with more memory will be needed. I am thinking of the PIC12f683 as that has double the memory of 2K which will take are of the extra F key features!
I am open to suggestions!
more details on the adapter lead later on....
If your using the older PIC remember a 4mhz crystal is needed between the 'crystal' pins and a capacitor around 15pf as well from each of the crystal pins to ground. also the pin marked 'x' needs to be connected to a 10k resistor to +5v or the chip will not work!!
well this is the PS/2 socket ? adapter lead I got today
so set about chopping off the 5 pin din plug as just wanted the PS/2 socket and lead. then set about putting the ic socket on the end
The 10k resistors were added to the keyboard clock and data lines as the keyboard specification says this is needed, but the weak pullups are on inside the pic chip, and during my development found these were not needed, but decided to include them as once this was made up it was not going to be messed about with!
A bit of heatshrink round it and the center cut out for the PIC chip!!
DARN it is just to big to fit!!
That was a bit of a disappointment as i did think it was going to fit!
but it does still work!! looks like i might have to so to a SMD device if I want it to fit!
so set about chopping off the 5 pin din plug as just wanted the PS/2 socket and lead. then set about putting the ic socket on the end
The 10k resistors were added to the keyboard clock and data lines as the keyboard specification says this is needed, but the weak pullups are on inside the pic chip, and during my development found these were not needed, but decided to include them as once this was made up it was not going to be messed about with!
A bit of heatshrink round it and the center cut out for the PIC chip!!
DARN it is just to big to fit!!
but it does still work!! looks like i might have to so to a SMD device if I want it to fit!
This is what I bought
PS/2 socket and lead here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271016159217
3 pin DIN plugs here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160520895606
I already had the PIC12F675 from previous projects, but for a UK supplier there is either Maplin
http://www.maplin.co.uk/pic12f675-43386
or ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290944481578
Ic socket I also had in stock, i suggest if you try and do what I did you ditch the socket as that will allow more room inside the DIN plug. I only used a socket so I can easily change it just in case I made a mistake when changing the keyboard codes last night. I just need to test every keyboard key to make sure it is all correct, then yep anyone that wants it can have the code for the chip!
PS/2 socket and lead here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271016159217
3 pin DIN plugs here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160520895606
I already had the PIC12F675 from previous projects, but for a UK supplier there is either Maplin
http://www.maplin.co.uk/pic12f675-43386
or ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290944481578
Ic socket I also had in stock, i suggest if you try and do what I did you ditch the socket as that will allow more room inside the DIN plug. I only used a socket so I can easily change it just in case I made a mistake when changing the keyboard codes last night. I just need to test every keyboard key to make sure it is all correct, then yep anyone that wants it can have the code for the chip!
So I bought the ABI that sold recently on eBay. I guess me and some other sap were the only ones going over 100 quid. In my defence, post brexit the dollar/pound exchange rate is very favorable.
It's not missing the screen, it never had one as it doesn't have the opening in the top for the cable. Appears to have the video chip. I have a Thomson 4120 monitor on my Fluke 9100FT, supposedly it has a "monochrome mode" but no clue if that's compatible with the MDA that ABI spits out.
Can't say I'm too fussed over the lack of an LED given that I already live in the ancient world of CGA and the quality of the LED isn't that good but I would be interested in other parts, keyboard, cables (I know they are not hard to make but have a lot of projects) etc
I saw trm was offering parts (http://www.ukvac.com/forum/abi-boardmaster-4000-parts_topic333434.html) but doesn't look like he's logged in for a while.
dorkshoei2016-10-07 01:10:12
It's not missing the screen, it never had one as it doesn't have the opening in the top for the cable. Appears to have the video chip. I have a Thomson 4120 monitor on my Fluke 9100FT, supposedly it has a "monochrome mode" but no clue if that's compatible with the MDA that ABI spits out.
Can't say I'm too fussed over the lack of an LED given that I already live in the ancient world of CGA and the quality of the LED isn't that good but I would be interested in other parts, keyboard, cables (I know they are not hard to make but have a lot of projects) etc
I saw trm was offering parts (http://www.ukvac.com/forum/abi-boardmaster-4000-parts_topic333434.html) but doesn't look like he's logged in for a while.
dorkshoei2016-10-07 01:10:12
If you look at the datasheet for the video chip here
https://www.ukvac.com/forum/data/uploads/741/CRT90_datasheet.rar
You'll see it mentions composite sync / video, it must be possible to add a simple composite output cable or port. I haven't tried though so let us know how you get on.
https://www.ukvac.com/forum/data/uploads/741/CRT90_datasheet.rar
You'll see it mentions composite sync / video, it must be possible to add a simple composite output cable or port. I haven't tried though so let us know how you get on.
The datasheet says that RS170 (which is the original NTSC composite video standard?) is output on pin 20 so get the scope on there and see if it looks like there is sync and video on that pin.
Hook it up to something and see what you get. You may need to use a series resistor?
Hook it up to something and see what you get. You may need to use a series resistor?