New Zealand Vintage Computer Forums

now for some info in attaching these to the board we need to go back a little.. and i found that if you put the mounts into the board by themselves, they will be easier to get in when you install the assembled and complete stabiliser units.

as i have showen below.

now to install the mounts they have 2 ends as in the first pic a push through clip and in the next a lip/ledge holder

now the clip goes to the top and the lip/ledge faces down.

you can put it in either way around but i found that putting the lip in first and then pushing the clip in after was easier to do.

lip/ ledge end

so after they have been in for a few minuets remove and assemble as i showed earlier and place them in there places. in the pic below i have not done the spacebar as i need to shorten the rod as they dont have the size needed and it needs to be shortened.

also note that the bars go on the bottom side of the switchs as in the pic.

it's all done but still waiting for the keyboard header. them ill put the ic's in.. and the key caps when they come..

on a side note i noticed that the list says 1 x kit for the 4 short long keys and 1 kit for the long space bar.. what you will need is 5 x short key kits and 1 long kit.

you need 4 for the short keys and you need a set of mounts and inners for the space bar as it comes with a non hole mount that you cant use.. but you need the bar.

also the parts list does not have the cable to connect the keyboard to the main base which is a ribbon cable. (20 way with female header at each end) not sure of length but not long.. will find out when i have made the base unit.

also if anyone is looking for some msx blank cart boards i have some .. these will take 64k roms (type; SST39SF010)

we just to show what i was saying about the mounts for the stabilisers . the short ones have the right type and the long kits don't.. as you can see in the picture.. you need a set from a short bar set to mount the long space bar.. as well as to shorten it a little.. as they dont make one the right size.

the left are the right ones (short bar) and the right hand one the mounts are wrong but the bar is what we need..

well have done some more today.. started with the resistors and found some i got were 1/4 watt and a little too big so made them fit and look ok..

added some more components few caps ... lol

that's enought for now.. need a break..

ok lunch over and done back into it again.. added some more components..

just a quick tip is i use some scotch tape to hold the resistor arrays in place while i solder them in then remove the tape. as in the pic added.

then added the crystals and some of the plugs

and from the other side...

well enough for tonight..

so had a few wet days and have done some more.. soldered what sockets i had (waiting for more from china) and a few plug as well.
unit seems to be coming together well.

was looking at the keyboard part of this build and was trying to work out where/how the 2 extra leds attach.. it all comes down to the type of Cherry MX switches you get.. the ones i got have clear tops and then there is a type that has solid plastic tops.. as you can can see in the pic below the ones i got have an open rectangle window so i was able to solder the 3mm led to the board and in then sits inside the opening in the switch.

in the other type there are holes to put the led or some extra pins in to mount the led in the switch(these you have to buy separate to the switch).. to do this you need to open the switch and add the led and pin's. see the pics below to get an idea.