Keyboard PCB Map

[wonko7h3san3]

I managed to map a good deal of keys on a keyboard PCB, including the elusive arrow keys. I pulled the thing from an HP keyboard part # C4735-60101, but I'm sure any keyboard that uses this PCB (printed bellow the IC is Keytronic PCB 72387) would also use these combinations. And if this works on others, well then bonus, but I have not the time or patience to test other PCBs.

Ok, first off I want to explain how I organized this. I numbered the contacts on the back of the PCB from 1-28, left to right with the contacts close to you, and key mappings are based on contact No. + other contact No. = key. Second, I organized the list based on common contact #s, which will become apparant when you start reading the key mappings. Third, if the key is on the righthand keypad, I listed both the numlock off and on keys (numlock on in () <- these things), and I also included notes (you'll see plenty of those). Fourthly, I found that different combos yielded the same key, so I only included one combination. Lastly, I only listed keys that resulted in output in Kate (yes I did this testing in Linux), so you will not find windows, function, alt, ctrl, etc. listed, and not every key is listed cause I was getting annoyed with this little project so once I found the directional keys, enter, and esc I quite. Besides I figured I found the really important keys and more than enough for a two player MAME controller.

I attached a text doc to this post cause if I listed the mappings here it would make the post too long.

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[Tom61]

A keyboard hack in 2003... Gah... I figured these would have died a long time ago, too much work for so little gain. In the days of 4 button analog pads for PC, these made sense, but now when USB game pads with 8+ buttons for very little money, it doesn't. (If you don't have USB, the Power Ramp Mite is another good canidate for hacking)

P.S. The chance of this working on any other keyboard besides the one you hacked is virtually nil.

I do, however, acknowledge the effort and dedication this took you to figure out.

[NFG]

I've done this before, I made a neo->keyboard adaptor that worked exceptionally well.  The problem is, as Tom61 suggests, in the era of new for $10 USB pads a keyboard hack is a lot of work for little gain.  Keyboard swapping, matrixing conflicts (where certain combinations of keypresses result in erroneous output) and a lack of common points make the project essentially pointless.  But when you're done you can cross your arms on your chest and shout "I made this!  haw haw!"  =)