Keyrah V2

Chip shortage has hit us on Keyrah V2: We won't be able to offer this any time soon. It may take up to a year until the required chips are back on the market.

No signs of chips this year. The earliest date that we can get samples of a new chip that we intend to use is December, so probably no mass-production until Q2/2022. iComp is a very small company, down at the end of the food chain when it comes to "who is being served first".

I have a company policy in place for well over 20 years now: Don't take money if the delivery date is not precisely known. "Order" usually means sending money as well, and I am trying to make people aware of too many scams that happened in the retro computing world already. You won't miss out if you make an account in our shop system, then log in, navigate to Keyrah and tick the box at the top of the page (only shown to logged-in users). You'll get an eMail when pre-orders are open if you tick that box.

Sorry, no news - other than "many chip deliveries pushed to 2024". This doesn't necessarily apply to the chips we need for Keyrah, but it's just the latest I remember for CPLDs. Not fun these days...

We are looking into redesigning the product with a different IC now... The good thing is we can improve some things, the bad thing is it involves designing new hard and software

We're thinking positive - it's not bad that a new design is required, but it's a chance. We may even keep the price increase below actual inflation.

Progressing really good - close to hardware-freeze, which marks "start of production". We'll definitely make it before Xmas, as all components are confirmed for late October. Yes, we have all semiconductors in stock, the parts we're waiting for are only electro-mechanical parts.

Jens

Will it get a PS/2 Mode, so that I can use it with the LYRA Adapter (and can then use the MK3 Keyboard Feature)?

Quote from Maliboy

Will it get a PS/2 Mode, so that I can use it with the LYRA Adapter (and can then use the MK3 Keyboard Feature)?

PS2 on the "output" side is not planned. I believe the target market is too small for the effort, so the idea was scrapped during project planning. The PS2 connector shares signals with the matrix reader, so converting an open-matrix keyboard to PS2 is not possible with this hardware.

What the hardware may be able to do is to convert a USB keyboard to PS2. However, that's not on the agenda either, again, for extremely low market expectations. I'm happy to be proven wrong, though: If someone places an order for 500-800 units on the condition that this functionality is in, I will consider it.

PS2 is going to be supported on the input side: Keyrah V3 will be able to turn a PS2 keyboard into a USB keyboard, in case you have a "favourite keyboard" that doesn't work with your modern hardware where PS2 is not available any more. Same with XT keyboards, which are also on the list (though not yet implemented; got to find one in my collection for development). And Amiga 2000/3000/4000 keyboards. And A500 keyboards. And 8-pin Atari ST keyboards. And of course the keyboards we've supported with V1/V2, but with a tiny difference: No more jumpers! Most of the keyboards will be automatically detected before the first key press. For most of the "serial" keyboards (PS2, XT and the like), you'll have to put a jumper on.

I will consider suggestions about other keyboards that shall be supported by Keyrah V3. Most will probably require a small adapter to even make a connection, which I will demonstrate with a personal wish of mine, an adapter for Sirius 1/Victor 9000 keyboards. I'll make the schematics for the adapter public, as I believe there is "little to no market" for such a project. I just want to play around with the keyboard that I've used a lot as a teenager

Thank you for this fast answer.

Of course it is a pity for me that the idea was rejected, but I can understand it. I maintain that most people want the adapter for exactly what andrewuk184 writes: Connecting the original keyboard to an emulator (here a C64 Raspberry, but I can also imagine the A500 Mini).

I just started Google again and found an active USB to PS/2 adapter (but not yet a dealer who sells the part).

The easiest way would be to get an original A2000/A3000/A4000 keyboard (which is now impossible if you don't want to sell your kidney), because with a little soldering and an adapter you could also use it directly with an A1200. Unlike the A500, the A1200 no longer has the controller in the keyboard frame.

Hello Jens,

Just wondering how you are proceeding with the redesign of the Keyrah? Just getting all my part together for a Pi4 A1200 build.

Cheers, Lou