ADB Keyboard and Mouse switch

[Themk]

last edit: cost analysis projections need to be done FIRST in product development. Design specs are based upon those projections.

Yup, I'll be crunching some numbers based on that soon, budgeting in a low-cost MCU, connectors, and mux switches, and LEDs. We are going all solid state on this one. I'll also through in what I hope it will cost for the PCBs from the manufacturing plant. Assembly will all be done by hand, I am quite comfortable soldering.

I have some more things to say in reply to what you have said, but, not being at my workstation, it is difficult to reply.

 

[Themk]

Maybe someone with more experience 3D printing can chime in here, but if I wanted to have writing on my 3D printed case, what are my options. Are 3D printers sufficiently high-enough resolution to have "molded" on text? What are my other options,for putting text on the case, other than adhesive backed paper labels. I know about dye-sub, but, that's a little bit too much for this Screen printing or pad printing might work okay.

 

[Themk]

Anybody got any ideas for putting text on the case?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Cart-Horse. [] ]'>

 

[Themk]

Lol.

I think I'll just go with the "molded" on text idea, and hope that the 3D printer renders it somewhat legible.

 

[Themk]

https://68kmla.org/forums/archive/topic.asp.TOPIC_ID=5499.html

https://68kmla.org/forums/archive/topic.asp.TOPIC_ID=1599.html

Got to figure out how to view this one:

http://www.applefritter.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.pl?board=hacks;action=display;num=1021788501;start=0

 

[Themk]

The first revision of the video switching board is almost complete. Stay tuned for some updates (and pictures!) tomorrow.

 

[CelGen]

The mac KVM switch I use here (no branding but it is not some hacked up non-commercial product) just uses a massive stacked wafer switch. It's essentially your classic parallel port A/B/C switch but instead of DB25 ports you get a DB15 and ABD port in each position with one common connection.

 

[Themk]

Nice!

This video switching is slightly different. It's all 4052s, controlled by a MCU.

Five ports, 4 in, 1 out.

 

[Themk]

So, Revision A of the Analog video switching board for the project is complete. Now, keep in mind, this is revision A. By the time I start shipping these products, it will probably be at revision C (or higher).

Anyway, it is provided by (74HC)4052s. Those are controlled by the microcontroller which will be located on the primary PCB, which will also be doing the ADB routing and switching. I have Gerber files too (but you aren't getting those (yet anyway) [] ]'&gt.





Wow, just realized I spelled analog as 'analogue'. Well, I guess the 2nd one isn't technically incorrect, but I meant to say 'analog' on the silkscreen.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Sweet! I've meant to open up my mechanical Mac KVM to see if it would help, but I've been obsessing elsewhere. Have you peeked inside any digitally swiched PS/2 KVMs for cribbing design features? I've got a couple of those I could line up for a photo shoot over the weekend.

Meanwhile I have found an interesting feature to creep onto some of the blank space of your PCB. [}] ]'>

ADB I/O box plans?  Dunno if it's been done yet, but this looks like something to at least add some PiInterconnects to your design. If nobody has cloned this beauty yet, looks like it's well worth a layout translation for a batch of those $4.50 SEEED PCBs  as prototyping boards. Those would have PiPins as well of course.

No way I have anything to do with hacking that thing, the only Pi I do has fruit in the middle, preferably fresh wild raspberries from the bushes outside the family farmhouse folded into my late Great-Aunt's egg custard inside her lard crust  .  .  .

.  .  .  or her Gooseberry Pi? Mmmmmmmmmm. :-b  .  .  .  .  .  .

 

[Themk]

Amazingly those pictures from Coxy are still being hosted! Neat! I Downloaded them, in case the happen to go offline.

Unfortunately, I don't have any digitally switched PS/2 KVMs banging around anymore. I gave the last of them away as Birthday/Christmas presents a couple years back. While I still primarily use PS/2 keyboards, I now am in the DVI/DisplayPort era, and USB mouse era, so they weren't of much use to me. That would be great to get a photo shoot.

There is plenty of blank space on the PCB, which could be used to implement that. I could also add a header for attaching an external device of that too. Hmm. Once I reverse engineer the schematic, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what's going on in that. Likely there is space, and, if someone didn't want it, it could be left unimplemented. Adding more drill holes and traces isn't going to affect the cost of the PCBs, at least, not in a way that affects me.

Your making my mouth water with the description of what sounds like an amazing pie!

 

[Themk]

Just a little update here, I scared up some S-Video and ADB cables, and started assembling my test circuit on my solderless breadboard.

It probably won't be until tomorrow that I run the test, but I'm getting there. This will tell me if the idea of a passively switched ADB data line will work.

 

[register]

Will this switch avoid a need to reset the ADB on the target Mac after switching? If not, likely a sluggish mouse action will occur before a proper reset of the Mac's ADB (which might be performed by software).

 

[jmacz]

Was this project ever completed? Looks like some of the links are broken above. Am looking for something that handles keyboard, mouse, and monitor. But not sure if this design was ever completed.