Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 10:12:15 AM PDT, Antonio Carlini via cctalk wrote: On 12/05/2021 17:53, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > The normal mouse specs are in VCB02 Video Subsystem Technical Manual, > EK-104AA-TM-001 (appendix C). > >The LK201 is in there too. It's possibly in the VCB01 docs;. Decades ago in New Zealand I had a Vaxstation II/RC with QVSS. The kernel, user-mapped producer/consumer ringbuffer code with hardware-to-X-event is the same for both. On NetBSD, probably microvax 3x00 and DECstation/turbochannelAlpha, too. I know I'used both two-roller and one-ball "puck" mice on a mix while in grad school. >I think I have one of those mice with the non-round connector, but I >also have a MIPS DECstation that I now suspect needs it :-) The Personal Decstation (5000 /20, /25, /33, and /50) need an "access.bus" mouse, 8-pin but with latches on the side. flatter than RJ-45. VSXXX-BB? All other DECstations use the same round mini-DIN as QVSS/QDSS, via the 15-pin to MMJ/mini-DIN cable. Oddly enough I saw a PS2 keyboard-and-mouse to LK201/VSXXX adapter for sale on eBay, but it's US $350 or thereabouts.
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
> On May 12, 2021, at 1:12 PM, Antonio Carlini via cctalk > wrote: > > On 12/05/2021 17:53, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: >> I remember those. I thought Jonathan was talking about the round ones, but >> I suppose the protocol is identical. There was also a tablet, same >> interface I believe. I used one of those to trace some topo maps. >> >> Does anyone know of protocol documentation for these devices? >> >> paul >> >> > The normal mouse specs are in VCB02 Video Subsystem Technical Manual, > EK-104AA-TM-001 (appendix C). > > The LK201 is in there too. Got it, thanks. 8 bits plus parity, you don't see that very often. A quick scan confirms that this would be doable. It's a fair amount of new software, plus a different host connection. 7 pin mini-DIN connectors are readily available so the simplest answer would be to put such a connector on the board and rely on a cable with connectors at both ends, but I don't know how hard those are to find. As I said before, I'm not likely to do such a project, but anyone who's interested can use the existing designs as a starting point. paul
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
On Wed, May 12, 2021 at 11:12 AM Antonio Carlini via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > On 12/05/2021 17:53, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > > I remember those. I thought Jonathan was talking about the round ones, > but I suppose the protocol is identical. There was also a tablet, same > interface I believe. I used one of those to trace some topo maps. > > > > Does anyone know of protocol documentation for these devices? > > > > paul > > > > > The normal mouse specs are in VCB02 Video Subsystem Technical Manual, > EK-104AA-TM-001 (appendix C). > > The LK201 is in there too. > > > I think I have one of those mice with the non-round connector, but I > also have a MIPS DECstation that I now suspect needs it :-) > Is that the same one the DEC Rainbow needs for DECwindows? Warner
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
On 12/05/2021 17:53, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: I remember those. I thought Jonathan was talking about the round ones, but I suppose the protocol is identical. There was also a tablet, same interface I believe. I used one of those to trace some topo maps. Does anyone know of protocol documentation for these devices? paul The normal mouse specs are in VCB02 Video Subsystem Technical Manual, EK-104AA-TM-001 (appendix C). The LK201 is in there too. I think I have one of those mice with the non-round connector, but I also have a MIPS DECstation that I now suspect needs it :-) Antonio -- Antonio Carlini anto...@acarlini.com
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
> On May 12, 2021, at 1:17 AM, Steve Malikoff via cctalk > wrote: > > Jonathan said >> Just curious; have you thought of adding VSXXX-?? mouse emulation, using >> input from either USB or PS/2 mouse? >> With a mini-DIN output? These are becoming hard to find (aside perhaps from >> our Australian member who mentions having them by the kg). > > Said Australian member here... I did indeed mention it. Here is a photo of > exactly 3kg of DEC VSXXX-GA mice: > http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data/500/VS-XXX-GA_mice_3kg.jpg I remember those. I thought Jonathan was talking about the round ones, but I suppose the protocol is identical. There was also a tablet, same interface I believe. I used one of those to trace some topo maps. Does anyone know of protocol documentation for these devices? paul
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
Jonathan said > Just curious; have you thought of adding VSXXX-?? mouse emulation, using > input from either USB or PS/2 mouse? > With a mini-DIN output? These are becoming hard to find (aside perhaps from > our Australian member who mentions having them by the kg). Said Australian member here... I did indeed mention it. Here is a photo of exactly 3kg of DEC VSXXX-GA mice: http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data/500/VS-XXX-GA_mice_3kg.jpg I'm not sure what I'll do with them. I'll keep some for my pile of DEC workstations. Trade perhaps? I haven't tested them yet. Steve.
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 10:49:05 AM PDT, Paul Koning via cctech wrote: > Last year I created an LK201 keyboard emulator that uses a USB keyboard. Just curious; have you thought of adding VSXXX-?? mouse emulation, using input from either USB or PS/2 mouse? With a mini-DIN output? These are becoming hard to find (aside perhaps from our Australian member who mentions having them by the kg). Speaking of which; are any of those mice for sale? I could use another VSXXX-BB -- access.bus for Personal Decstation -- which are even rarer.
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
> On May 11, 2021, at 3:17 PM, Jonathan Stone wrote: > > > > On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 10:49:05 AM PDT, Paul Koning via cctech > wrote: > > > > Last year I created an LK201 keyboard emulator that uses a USB keyboard. > > Just curious; have you thought of adding VSXXX-?? mouse emulation, using > input from either USB or PS/2 mouse? > With a mini-DIN output? These are becoming hard to find (aside perhaps from > our Australian member who mentions having them by the kg). No, I don't have anything that would use such a device. It's probably easy enough to do. The USB keyboard emulator is a device that has a USB host connector that accepts a keyboard, and an RS232 output to connect to the terminal. If you have some other device to emulate where the new hardware is USB (like a mouse) and the DEC side is a UART, it would be a matter of new software plus perhaps a different connector. One big question would be the need to dig up the protocols at the two ends. The LK201 protocol is spelled out in great detail in the Pro technical manual; if you can find the mouse protocol documentation then it's just SMOP. By all means feel free to grab the design and fork it to do what you want. As I said, I'm not likely to do it myself given the lack of anything to try it on. paul
Re: LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
On 5/11/2021 11:46 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: Last year I created an LK201 keyboard emulator that uses a USB keyboard. More recently I extended that work to create a second one that uses a PS-2 keyboard instead. Partly because I had one and figured it would be fun to try. You can find both designs on Github at https://github.com/pkoning2/lk201emu . The "doc" directory describes both; in particular, file doc/kicad.md talks about the hardware design, with pointers to an OSHPark layout, a parts BOM, and assembly instructions. The new one is slightly larger than the old (2 by 2 inches, rather than 2 by 1.5). I like the audio implementation a bit better; perhaps I'll revise the USB version to use that same technique. Enjoy. Comments and feedback will be much appreciated, either by email or on this list or as "issues" on Github. paul Unicomp is still around, so you buy a real 'Clicky Keyboard'. USB or PS2. https://www.pckeyboard.com/ Ben.
LK201 emulator for PS-2 keyboard
Last year I created an LK201 keyboard emulator that uses a USB keyboard. More recently I extended that work to create a second one that uses a PS-2 keyboard instead. Partly because I had one and figured it would be fun to try. You can find both designs on Github at https://github.com/pkoning2/lk201emu . The "doc" directory describes both; in particular, file doc/kicad.md talks about the hardware design, with pointers to an OSHPark layout, a parts BOM, and assembly instructions. The new one is slightly larger than the old (2 by 2 inches, rather than 2 by 1.5). I like the audio implementation a bit better; perhaps I'll revise the USB version to use that same technique. Enjoy. Comments and feedback will be much appreciated, either by email or on this list or as "issues" on Github. paul
