Using an external MSX keyboard with a windows pc

بواسطة 12421351

Supporter (2)

10-12-2016, 07:14

Hello
Apologies for this query however I'm curious to know if there is any solution to using an external msx keyboard via usb or ps2.

Such as they keyboard from a hb-f500 :

I understand there will need to be some form of interface, what would be the simplest solution?

This will be for use with a windows pc

بواسطة 12421351

Supporter (2)

10-12-2016, 07:15

Neglected to mention in the original post, however this would be connected to a windows pc

بواسطة hamlet

Scribe (4106)

10-12-2016, 13:00

Also I don´t like emulators ´cause of the lack of original keyboards.
Even the HB55P Keys sounds better then modern laptops.
A possibility to connect a MSX (keyboard) to a PC will be BLACKTYPER from A-Labs.

بواسطة meits

Scribe (6571)

10-12-2016, 13:23

Some soldering and arduino programming pops to mind. The other way around has been done for mice quite a lot, though a mouse a quite a tad simpler than a keyboard.

بواسطة nikodr

Paladin (750)

10-12-2016, 14:54

Better to use a teensy programmer as it has hid support. For arduino it has to be a leonardo or a 324p one the default atmel328 chipsets are not recognized as hid devices unless there is a special bootloader like the hoodlader arduino bootloader. Teensy on the other hand has much more documentation of how to use it as keyboard, joypad mouse. For a job like this it is easy.

بواسطة stompetower

Expert (101)

10-12-2016, 21:29

What user 12421351 is looking for, is exactly what I built about a year ago:

It is based on a 'Arduino Micro' microcontroller ( https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardMicro ) that I bought for 10 euros online.
This microcontroller can be used to make HID devices for Windows.

بواسطة stompetower

Expert (101)

11-12-2016, 09:57

When I connect this little device to Windows, it will be recognized as both keyboard and game controllers:

When I click 'game controller settings' there will pop up 2 game controllers.

بواسطة stompetower

Expert (101)

11-12-2016, 10:03

In the OpenMSX emulator the keyboard will work 100% as expected from a real MSX. Besides, I can use my old Arcade joysticks that also work perfect. It gives a perfect nostalgic feeling within a MSX emulator.

I had to reverse-engineer the way how Sony connected a keyboard to the Sony HB-F700P computer (the one I have). For example, some lines are both for input and row selection and the KBDIR (Keyboard Direction) line is used to indicate the current function of these lines.

I can provide more technical details if someone is interested. I had the idea to put something on instructables.com, but it never happened. Let me know if you need more details.

بواسطة hamlet

Scribe (4106)

11-12-2016, 10:16

Great!
If I just got more time in life...

بواسطة Louthrax

Prophet (2491)

11-12-2016, 11:22

Hi Stompetower,

Great indeed. I really like the clean & neat little box you did too. What's the use of the colord buttons on the top?

Your work really deserves to be preserved & shared somewhere

بواسطة meits

Scribe (6571)

11-12-2016, 12:20

Now have a keyboard interface and connect this Sony keyboard to any MSX you want