Modifying / Creating a keyboard

R

reltn

New Member
Hey guys,

i jus want to know if its possible to modify a key board so that i only have the arrow keys and the space bar, i dont want anything else.

Its for my work place, and we use it to bump orders across on the system when they are filled, the other keys and such are just a waste. I want to also modify the space bar so that its a kind of round button, is it possible?

the thing is the keyboard is too big where it is and i need something smaller,
it runs off of a unix based server so no windows xp or anything here

thanks

Jase
 
it may be possible to simply " cut off" the extra keys, but you need to watch out for circuitry. I would practice on an old/useless keyboard and see if you can try it there first.
 
What you're trying to do would be next to, if not impossible because of the circuirtry... However, they do make little numberpads, even some with keys you lable yourself. I don't know how you're set it up for unix, but within windows it should be quite easy... Does unix run similar to Windows with the numberpad? Perhaps you could just use it that way, as when numlock's off?
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...1_213/002-5960719-7056028?_encoding=UTF8&s=pc

This could work, but it might have too many buttons.

And whats that keyboard with the buttons you can arrange how you like and program, sort of tablet shaped? Aaagh!!! :mad: Doesn't come to mind. If anyone knows what its called, say it. I'll look for it in the meanwhile.

As for modding a keyboard, what they ^^ said. I don't have a clue, but these are alternatives if you just want to buy one.
 
I have seen in one of my MikroBitti magazines a 25-key keyboard, you can organize the buttons however you want them. Basically you have a flat surface and then you can put on the necessary buttons you want, and then assign them to do a certain thing.
 
its not acually that hard, you just need a few tools, and materials. You need to fabricate a new keyboard from modling pastic, rip open an old keyboard, steal the contact pads for your new board, maintain the IC circuit at the top of the keyboard (you'll see it when you open it). Cut all the unneeded tracks for the extra keys, just retain the contacts for your 4-5 keys and remap them to the new keyboard, but of boddging and bang you have your new pad

hmmm looking at that, it sounded a lot easier in my head ;)
 
apj101 said:
its not acually that hard, you just need a few tools, and materials. You need to fabricate a new keyboard from modling pastic, rip open an old keyboard, steal the contact pads for your new board, maintain the IC circuit at the top of the keyboard (you'll see it when you open it). Cut all the unneeded tracks for the extra keys, just retain the contacts for your 4-5 keys and remap them to the new keyboard, but of boddging and bang you have your new pad

hmmm looking at that, it sounded a lot easier in my head ;)
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Thats about what i would have suggested, you may need to substitute contact pads for redundant keys with a little resistor though. Try it and see.
 
dragon2309 said:
Thats about what i would have suggested, you may need to substitute contact pads for redundant keys with a little resistor though. Try it and see.
Click to expand...
nah, pretty sure they're all push to make, not push to break ;)
 
apj101 said:
nah, pretty sure they're all push to make, not push to break ;)
Click to expand...
good point, i think the hardest job will be manufacturing your own keyboard case out of palstic to house the buttons, and yes yuou can make anything for any button, just make sure it can interact with the sensor pad thingy in the right way.
 
Ok cool, i may jus rip a keyboard apart and have a look,

Do i have to use keyboard keys? or could i use a different kind of button, like a big red one!!

haha the only reason i ask is i am building a desk/shelf out of mdf, and was going to incorporate the keyboard into it, for example cut out the nessecary holes for the new 4-5 buttons mount new buttons on my desk, so it looks neat, and then make a kind of box underneath the desk, to house the electrical keyboard, see what i could do is keep a keyboard under the desk, and then coould i wire new buttons to it?
like modify the circuit,

i hope you understand what i mean, i have a visual in my head hahah
Jase
 
that sound doable, in reality you dont even need to use the presure pads provided by the key board, any switch will do, but if you intend to use these keys for any kind of gaming the pressure pads are a good idea as they give a good experience.

You wont need to keep the whole keyboard under the desk, just the connection switch, you could for example house all the IC and its circuits, along with all the redundents wireless (not really wires but you;ll see what i mean) is a tiny box not much bigger than a match box. You'd have 8 wires coming to your new keyboard, 2 for each of the 4 buttons you want.
 
apj101 said:
that sound doable, in reality you dont even need to use the presure pads provided by the key board, any switch will do, but if you intend to use these keys for any kind of gaming the pressure pads are a good idea as they give a good experience.

You wont need to keep the whole keyboard under the desk, just the connection switch, you could for example house all the IC and its circuits, along with all the redundents wireless (not really wires but you;ll see what i mean) is a tiny box not much bigger than a match box. You'd have 8 wires coming to your new keyboard, 2 for each of the 4 buttons you want.
Click to expand...

Like a button extention! :D
 
apj101 said:
that sound doable, in reality you dont even need to use the presure pads provided by the key board, any switch will do, but if you intend to use these keys for any kind of gaming the pressure pads are a good idea as they give a good experience.

You wont need to keep the whole keyboard under the desk, just the connection switch, you could for example house all the IC and its circuits, along with all the redundents wireless (not really wires but you;ll see what i mean) is a tiny box not much bigger than a match box. You'd have 8 wires coming to your new keyboard, 2 for each of the 4 buttons you want.
Click to expand...

so in theory it could be done?

can anyone help me through the proccess of what i need to keep and what i dont?
 
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