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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Keyboard for Micromite Plus
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| paceman Guru  Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Nice job Grogs - can I have a kit please? I'll send you a PM. Greg |
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MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
A kit or assembled one will both be OK, i am not picky. 
Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
I will send you a kit then, if you are OK with that. You will get a couple of spare blank PCB's as already mentioned, but you will have to supply your own parts. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
Yes, I'm OK with that!  Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
Kit sent to you, TZA. Should be about a week away, with any luck. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
Thanks! I think i have the ctrl, and Fn key figured out. Just need some more debugging before i send it. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
There's more to a keyboard controller then people think at first, eh?! (rhetorical)
Your code is getting very deep(read: complicated), so it's not that simple - keyboard control - something we all take for granted. I hope to collect my 3mm aluminium plates tomorrow, which will be exactly the same shape as the flappy base that was originally on the unit. This will restore rigidity, and add a little more weight, which will help keep it where it is. I will put up photos once I have that done, and we should be complete! Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
UPDATE: All done, except for the plug on the end of the cable. 
It is hard to see, but there is a slice of OHP film taped down over the top of the PCB, to prevent it shorting out on the aluminium base-plate. 3M VHB tape is remarkable stuff, and by God, it sticks. I have used it for many a mounting, and it has never let me down, and this looks much neater then drilling new holes right through the case. The plate is 3mm aluminium, cut by a local firm, using the flappy original "Plate"  as a template.
I used CRC 2016 Contact Cleaner to clean down the surface of the new aluminium plate first, then lower gently into place, and press down. Last image shows the finished prototype sitting on one of those foam-rubber mat-anchor-securing-sheet-stuff. I don't know it's proper name, but people put it under normal keyboards to stop them moving, and it is also common in cars for people to plop their cellphone on to stop it sliding off the dash. I had green, but you can get it in black among other colours. With it sitting on this stuff, it is solid as a rock. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| robert.rozee Guru Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 2428 |
you didn't use the original screws to hold the back on? it looks extremely professional. now you just need to sell the design back to the original chinese manufacturer! cheers, rob :-) |
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| WhiteWizzard Guru Joined: 05/04/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2931 |
Hi G, Looking good there. Can I suggest you try four low profile self-adhesive rubber feet. These will make the unit look very professional as well as adding the all important anti-slip. Available in round or square, and in black, white, grey and clear. Also various sizes. I think round, black, 8mm (diameter) x 2mm (high) will look best on your unit (I have spent many hours trying different feet for my units here - using the correct one gives a pleasing result!) By the way, I would not go for domed shape as these are too high for your requirements IMHO. Ebay a good source for lots of cheap feet . . . Nice work once again Grogs 
WW |
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bigmik Guru Joined: 20/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2948 |
Yes Grogs, I have been watching this thread for a while... You have excelled yourself this time. A decent keyboard now rises from the ashes of the Chinese flexi-toy. Regards, Mick Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<< |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
Thanks, chums. 
@ Rob - original back-plate was just a flappy bit of useless tin-foil type stuff - no strength at all, and the securing screws were all of 1mm in thread length, so they were totally out.  I suppose I could have found replacement screws of the right length, but at the end of the day - 1mm thread depth into plastic, is not gonna hold, and the weight of the aluminium plate would probably overcome the screws and drop off the bottom!
@ WW - Yes, I have some of those stick on rubber feet. The ones I have are black, about 8mm, and square. The actual contact foot surface is flat. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Yes, nice work Grogs, I'm looking forward to my boat coming in to emulate things. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
@ paceman - I found another SSOP 170 chip, so your kit will be in the mail tomorrow. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
How do you upgrade the software? Or is it 'removable'. With the tape it seems pretty permanent, but i can be wrong as i am not sure what parts are taped together. I am going to lasercut an acrylic plate and might do the same. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
As it is via the MM console, software update is just by hooking the keyboard up to a 232 or USB converter as you normally would with any other MM. Issue a CTRL-C to interrupt the current code, then XMODEM the new code to the chip over the KB cable. If you are talking updating the FIRMWARE, then this requires that you remove the back-plate, but I am hoping that won't need to happen very often. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
I was thinking you used the B23 version which has a bug with wiping the program. Or do you have another version on it? Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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| WhiteWizzard Guru Joined: 05/04/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2931 |
B24 worth loading (but is only available currently for MX170s) |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
I have not experienced that issue - yet - but as it is certainly a proven bug, I will upgrade. This will be a good test to see how easy(or hard!) it is to get the unit apart again..... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9585 |
Well, I killed it. 
By God, that 3M mounting tape REALLY sticks. It sticks so well, that the only way to get the keyboard apart, is to effectively destroy it. 
I have another four or five, so does not bother me, but I will have to rethink the mounting tape idea - much less of it then what I am currently using, would probably be the first step! Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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