Aeberbach
Active member
A few months ago I made an A1200 keyboard, and some people said "A600?" so here it is. This is a similar project using one circuit board, one 32-way socket, one ribbon cable, 78 Gateron Brown MX keyswitches, three stabilisers and one LED. I also designed 3D-printed parts to mount the keyboard and to make the available spacebar fit. Then I made some custom keycaps* where required using a cheap laser engraver and keys dipped in laser toner.
Update, May 2020: While we're all stuck inside waiting for this virus to stop bothering us, I have been using my Amiga a lot more and I guess you lot have too. A couple of people asked me if these keyboards were available so I am producing more. At the moment consider them available, possibly with a two to three week lead time if you ask when I am out of stock of any parts. Of course you can order parts yourself without any involvement from me - just check my Github repo (https://github.com/aeberbach/A600KB) where you can find PCB fabrication files, STL files for the 3D printed parts, and part numbers for the connector and ribbon cable also needed.
A1200 keyboards (https://github.com/aeberbach/A1200KB) are a very similar proposition, and if not for doing the A1200 keyboard I would not have got the A600 one basically right first time. A1200 is slightly more expensive since it is larger, uses more key switches and is heavier to ship. I use one full time and it's great!
Base Option: Amiga 600 PCB with 3D printed mounting parts
This includes the PCB, double-sided on 3.2mm substrate, and three pieces of attached "rail" that makes the keyboard snap neatly into the A600's top case.
$40
Addition: 7U spacebar stabiliser assembly + two other stabilisers (for Tab and Enter keys)
I designed a unit to fit in the 8U spacebar position of the A600. It has stabilisers and correct wire 'U' for the 7U spacebar, as an 8U spacebar is very hard to get. To make it fit with no gaps it has 1/2U blank platforms either side of the bar.
$12
Addition: Molex 32-way socket and ribbon cable to connect the PCB to your A600.
The keyboard uses a 32-way socket with only circuits 1-30 in use. The ribbon cable has two conductors trimmed from one end so that it is a 30-way connector at the Amiga end and fits in exactly the same as the green membrane connector of the original.
$10
Addition: 78 Gateron Brown PCB-mount MX keyswitches
Soldered to the PCB for you. These are tactile but not clicky, you only feel the click. I only have this type and only enough for a few keyboards. Caps Lock LED fitted too.
$35
TL;DR: a fully assembled keyboard ready to plug in and attach keycaps to is AU$97.
Cost of shipping to places within Australia is AU$20. Cost of shipping elsewhere in the world is AU$38. Sorry the prices went up - I just got back from posting one and that's what it is costing!
To order please express interest in this thread before sending a PM. I'll acknowledge here. Payment to be Paypal (friends & family) or you can add the fees.
*I am not supplying keycaps. There is too much choice! You can get a big set of caps from AliExpress for about US$35 that will fill all the spaces on your keyboard, but they won't have all the correct Amiga legends. Maybe you will need to buy some blanks in addition to a set that has the ISO Enter key. You can't buy a full Cherry MX Amiga set of keys anywhere right now as far as I know. If you must have a perfect keyboard that looks just like the ones Commodore made you should buy the Kipper2K keyboard from Amiga on the Lake.
Update, May 2020: While we're all stuck inside waiting for this virus to stop bothering us, I have been using my Amiga a lot more and I guess you lot have too. A couple of people asked me if these keyboards were available so I am producing more. At the moment consider them available, possibly with a two to three week lead time if you ask when I am out of stock of any parts. Of course you can order parts yourself without any involvement from me - just check my Github repo (https://github.com/aeberbach/A600KB) where you can find PCB fabrication files, STL files for the 3D printed parts, and part numbers for the connector and ribbon cable also needed.
A1200 keyboards (https://github.com/aeberbach/A1200KB) are a very similar proposition, and if not for doing the A1200 keyboard I would not have got the A600 one basically right first time. A1200 is slightly more expensive since it is larger, uses more key switches and is heavier to ship. I use one full time and it's great!
Base Option: Amiga 600 PCB with 3D printed mounting parts
This includes the PCB, double-sided on 3.2mm substrate, and three pieces of attached "rail" that makes the keyboard snap neatly into the A600's top case.
$40
Addition: 7U spacebar stabiliser assembly + two other stabilisers (for Tab and Enter keys)
I designed a unit to fit in the 8U spacebar position of the A600. It has stabilisers and correct wire 'U' for the 7U spacebar, as an 8U spacebar is very hard to get. To make it fit with no gaps it has 1/2U blank platforms either side of the bar.
$12
Addition: Molex 32-way socket and ribbon cable to connect the PCB to your A600.
The keyboard uses a 32-way socket with only circuits 1-30 in use. The ribbon cable has two conductors trimmed from one end so that it is a 30-way connector at the Amiga end and fits in exactly the same as the green membrane connector of the original.
$10
Addition: 78 Gateron Brown PCB-mount MX keyswitches
Soldered to the PCB for you. These are tactile but not clicky, you only feel the click. I only have this type and only enough for a few keyboards. Caps Lock LED fitted too.
$35
TL;DR: a fully assembled keyboard ready to plug in and attach keycaps to is AU$97.
Cost of shipping to places within Australia is AU$20. Cost of shipping elsewhere in the world is AU$38. Sorry the prices went up - I just got back from posting one and that's what it is costing!
To order please express interest in this thread before sending a PM. I'll acknowledge here. Payment to be Paypal (friends & family) or you can add the fees.
*I am not supplying keycaps. There is too much choice! You can get a big set of caps from AliExpress for about US$35 that will fill all the spaces on your keyboard, but they won't have all the correct Amiga legends. Maybe you will need to buy some blanks in addition to a set that has the ISO Enter key. You can't buy a full Cherry MX Amiga set of keys anywhere right now as far as I know. If you must have a perfect keyboard that looks just like the ones Commodore made you should buy the Kipper2K keyboard from Amiga on the Lake.
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