Amiga Keyboard on Dockingstation v2

Caution: Non registered users only see threads and messages in the currently selected language, which is determined by their browser. Please create an account and log in to see all content by default. This is a limitation of the forum software.


Also users that are not logged in can not create new threads. This is a, unfortunately needed, counter measure against spam. Please create an account and log in to start new threads.

Don't Panic. Please wash hands.
  • Hello !

    I am having some problems with two Amiga keyboards I am trying to connect to the chamv2 /v2 docking.
    First : I am connecting the white plug with black wire on the black wire arrow on docking station.
    But I am getting no response when in Amiga minimig core ? On one of the keyboards I can turn on and off the caps lock light with a press.

    But no keys produce any output. Both powerlight and floppy activity light is on too :-(

    This cant be right. Are both my keyboards broken or have I broke them myself.

    I was unsure if the keyboards were working 100% but I only expected some stuck keys..;(

  • You can test the keyboard with the "hardware test core". This will flash both LEDs and it shows the 8 bits of the last received scancode when you press or release keys (located above the 8x8 C64 keyboard matrix on the hardware testcore screen).

  • Great will try ! But are Powerlight and Floppy light on keyboard supposed to be on all the time ? And am I supposed to disconnect PS2 keyboard to use Amiga keyboard ?

  • Ahh though I meant an Amiga external keyboard connected to the dockingstation ? Hmm atleast maybe my keyboards arent broken then ! I took great care to connect black wire on the arrow side. But what was worriesome was that I got no response from the Hwtest (on the Amiga keyboard) the PS2 keyboard flashed leds and main unit too. Luckily the dockingstation seems fully ok after these adventures :-/ joystickports work etc. I could move the mouse pointer on the hwtest though. The rest was a bit confusing, could I not have the latest version ??
    I will try the AGA core too !!

  • But what was worriesome was that I got no response from the Hwtest (on the Amiga keyboard)

    The Amiga keyboard has it's own eight black/white boxes for the bits, about in the middle under the RAM-bar. You should see them flickering on every key press and release.


    Not even sure if LEDs can all be controlled - there have been versions that can, but caused trouble with some cores, so I believe the LEDs were taken out of the control section and are set to a fixed state - at least the Power LED is.

  • Well ! Good news and bad news ! With the C64 keyboard compatible core, both my Amiga keyboards work !
    But bad news, they dont work AS they should ! But that is because they are partly broken :(
    Short story - some on one, and quite a few on the other, of the keys, dont work.

    And apparently someone has made some creative soldering on the top corner of one of them, (not me !)

    I dont know if that is why it sometimes crashed with double blink on capslock light and stopped responding.
    Sadly that was the keyboard with the most working keys too. Just lower left hand system keys didnt work. (CTRL SHIFT AMIGA etc)
    (Used Keir Frasiers testkit keyboard test.)


    However ! Good news in the end - I did not damage Docking or Chameleon ! Thanks Heavens !

  • A500 keyboards are not too hard to repair. Depending on the version, you have a mechanical keyboard (left "Amiga"-key has a Commodore logo), which is easiest to repair, and the more common version uses a foil that of course is more delicate, prone to break if a drink is spilled over it. You may be lucky and re-seating the foil connector does the trick - don't forget to loosen the locking part before you pull out the foil, as otherwise you'll scratch off the traces that make contact - and that's what breaks first.

  • The last reply was more than 365 days ago, this thread is most likely obsolete. It is recommended to create a new thread instead.