Spectrum Next – Controller PCB Ordered!

I bit the bullet – and actually ordered a controller PCB! – I Bring to you…..

The Spectrum Next Super LED Blinkenator Two Thousand!

 

C64 Mini – Keyboard – More CAD…

Had quite a few odd issues with my old f1 key and trying to make a full keyboard from it using the same technique

…The main problem is that I can’t really remember what I did and in what order, and there’s some odd non-parallel lines that really should be – so I’ve started again from scratch

Turns out also that there’s a few types of keyboard out there, the C64-Mini isn’t quite 50% of the keyboard i’ve been referencing

Differences are only minor – BUT it does mean that an exact 50% scale won’t fit

So, Firstly I start with the side profile sketch again.

My revised Side View – I’m ignoring the space bar right now as it’s ‘different’

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C64 Mini Keyboard – ‘Invisible’ fitting mod – Part Deux- More images

Not much of an update, I put a shorter USB cable inside so thought I’d take some pictures of the top of the USB cable wiring…..

I’ve not installed heatshrink yet on the sticky-outy USB Pins – this WILL be needed to provide strain relief – being truthful, I hadn’t expected it to work first time so didn’t bother 🙂

Showing the complete wiring –

Joystick USB port -> USB Hub ‘output’

Keyboard -> USB Hub ‘output’

C64Mini Circuit board -> USB Hub ‘input’

There’s two free internal USB sockets now!

C64 Mini Keyboard – ‘Invisible’ fitting mod

Spent a few hours this week adding an internal USB Hub, getting ready to start on a basic instruction sheet for the kits

As can be seen – you can’t see it’s modded externally (well, other than the keyboard). Both external USB ports still work and internally there’s a free USB port for a USB Stick 🙂

Spectrum Next Light strips – more! – FIRST LIGHT

The inserts arrived – and they look fantastic

I hand soldered them using 2 year expired solder paste and a hot air gun

C64 Mini Keyboard – More!

Small updates –

Slowly but surely –

Spectrum Next – A little distraction – Push Push SD card?

Had a little bit of a play with the daughterboard to see if there’s any possibility of putting a ‘push push’ SD card inside…

Unfortunately it isn’t without chopping at a couple of supports inside. I’m trying to keep my Next case fairly minty – untill it’s possible to get another, i’m going to avoid this mod.

The reasons it won’t fit – The case was designed with two ‘helper’ guide rails for the SD card – shown in yellow in the images above. Those rails stop any push-push mechanisms from working – there’s just not enough mounting depth for the card reader.

Now, if someone were prepared to snip those rails off….then it’s entirely possible to knock up a new daughterboard……I’ve already done most of the EDA before I thought to take the next apart and check 🙂

C64 Mini Keyboard Part 7 – More CAD -Anatomy of a keycap

After couple of weeks of work, I’ve finally cracked surface modelling with Fusion360 (a bit)

Here’s a bit of a step by step in creating your very own f1 Key! This is a very brief summary of what I should have done if starting from scratch, I’ve left out the trials, errors and headbanging……….

C64 Mini Keyboard, 1/2 alive and Some CAD

Bit of a change of pace from the electronics, onto the CAD…Here’s a first draft of the first key on the C64 Keyboard – the Left Arrow!

Done at full scale, then at 50% scale

C64 Keyboard – It’s alive – More!

Straight as a laser beam!

C64 Mini Keyboard – It’s ALIVE!!!

Here’s the Money Shot!………….

And some of the journey so far……….

C64 Mini Keyboard….more progress and a little setback

It fits! There’s a tiny offset on the left for some reason but I don’t think that affects things when the key caps eventually go on

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