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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: engicoder on Mon, 06 July 2015, 13:26:10

Title: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: engicoder on Mon, 06 July 2015, 13:26:10
Cross-post from DT: original (http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/kroy-190-yellow-space-invaders-and-a-z80-t11088.html)

The Kroy 190 is one of the more unusual boards I picked up from XMIT's ongoing Keypocalypse (http://deskthority.net/vendors-f52/keypocalypse-electronics-plus-warehouse-sale-t10644.html). It was originally part of the Kroy 190 Lettering System, an industrial tape label printing system from the late 80's. The system consists of two parts; a keyboard unit and a tape label printer. The keyboard unit is in reality a z80 based microcomputer used to compose, edit and store text for labels. The keyboard unit can be connected to the label printer to print the labels stored in memory. There is a single line character LCD used to compose and edit the text for the labels. The keyboard unit case is made by Kroy and contains four PCB's: keyboard, single board computer, display board and power conditioning.

The keyboard PCB, plate and switches are from NMB/Hi-Tek. It uses yellow linear switches for all keys except the space bar which is a white linear. The yellow switches are very smooth and are comparable to whites. The keycaps are PBT dye-subs, but have a set of pink side/front printed symbols that can be accessed by pressing the "SYMBL SHIFT" key.

The z80 board is a complete microcomputer including cpu, timer/counter, SRAM and EEPROM. It also as a number of 74 series logic chips and a serial transceiver.

Here are a few photos (more on DT wiki page (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Kroy_190)):
(http://deskthority.net/w/images/thumb/2/24/Kroy190-Front-WithCaps.JPG/800px-Kroy190-Front-WithCaps.JPG) (http://deskthority.net/w/images/2/24/Kroy190-Front-WithCaps.JPG)
(http://deskthority.net/w/images/thumb/c/c0/Kroy190-Front-NoCaps.JPG/800px-Kroy190-Front-NoCaps.JPG) (http://deskthority.net/w/images/c/c0/Kroy190-Front-NoCaps.JPG)
(http://deskthority.net/w/images/thumb/c/c9/Kroy190-Back.JPG/800px-Kroy190-Back.JPG) (http://deskthority.net/w/images/c/c9/Kroy190-Back.JPG)
(http://deskthority.net/w/images/thumb/6/60/Kroy190-Clamshell-Open.JPG/693px-Kroy190-Clamshell-Open.JPG) (http://deskthority.net/w/images/6/60/Kroy190-Clamshell-Open.JPG)
(http://deskthority.net/w/images/thumb/4/48/Kroy190-Alphas-WithCaps-Left.JPG/800px-Kroy190-Alphas-WithCaps-Left.JPG) (http://deskthority.net/w/images/4/48/Kroy190-Alphas-WithCaps-Left.JPG)


Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: nubbinator on Mon, 06 July 2015, 13:29:19
How's it feel?  I've noticed that most of the NMB Hi-Tec switches I've tried feel super stable, but with too short of a throw. 

Also, those are some sexy as hell caps.
Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: CPTBadAss on Mon, 06 July 2015, 13:30:14
Damn...the caps are great. The switches look cool. And I really like the little screen. Great pickup!
Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: engicoder on Mon, 06 July 2015, 13:39:09
Quote from: nubbinator on Mon, 06 July 2015, 13:29:19
How's it feel?  I've noticed that most of the NMB Hi-Tec switches I've tried feel super stable, but with too short of a throw. 

Also, those are some sexy as hell caps.

Feels about the same as NMB/Hi-Tek white linears. They are very smooth and stable. Full travel is just over 3mm. Not sure about activation.
Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 09 July 2015, 06:01:01
Nice switches :D

Also yay for Z80!  Been a long time since I've done anything with one of those, but they were used in terminals and keyboards and all sorts of equipment back in the day.
Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: engicoder on Thu, 09 July 2015, 08:09:43
Here is a picture of the Z80 board:

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 12 July 2015, 03:21:58
All those discreet components :)
Title: Re: Kroy 190:Yellow Space Invaders and a Z80
Post by: ConscienceDrop on Sun, 12 July 2015, 22:43:18
those caps are so amazing

im seriously drooling over them, the purple symbols and all. wow