Cherry G80-8200HPDUS-2... My first foray into Browns

[SLM]

A while ago I found a link in the eBay finds section to this board, actually a lot of two used ones.  Finding myself newly addicted to double shot key kaps I felt it was necessary to get them.   They got here today and I just opened one up.  Crazy heavy duty cable with a coiled section, made in Germany, and double shot keys that do show some wear, especially the enter key.  It's worn smooth in the center but the rest appear to be in pretty good shape. I'm happy with them.  I bought them more for key swap fodder (Shift key) than anything anyway.  The stems are brown on the one I opened, at least under the D, J, Enter, and number pad 5.  I didn't pull any more off.  Looking down into the switch with a flashlight there looks like there might be a diode or some other electrical doodad in there that isn't in my G80-3000LSCRC with Blues.  Hum...  wonder if it will be NKRO?  Ricercar posted they most likely will be.  Gonna have to check that.  

I don't know if they'll make decent typing boards or not.  It's quite a ways over to the Enter key with it being that big square thing thus having three keys between the ";" key and Enter instead of the standard two.  As a left handed gamer the "closer to normal" layout will let me use it to game if not type.  I use the arrow pad to move and the number pad and right Shift, right Control, etc for other actions.  I also bought a G80-11900 a few weeks ago for the key caps but might end up selling it to a friend who's right handed.  The track just messes me up.

I'm going to get it hooked up and give it shot.  If not the Blues board will be right back out as I do like that one.  On this one (browns), if I'm really light pushing the keys I can feel that little bump but just "air typing" on it, I don't notice it.  Maybe with practice I would.

Gawd this site is costing me a fortune, lol!

[SLM]

Always better to have too many than not enough right???  :happy:

The board is the same width as the G80-3000 and only slightly deeper, maybe 1/2 an inch or so.

BTW Ripster, didn't you post a link to a NKRO test site somewhere?  Again my search foo is weak and I can't find it...

[ricercar]

That's visually identical to a G80-6955-HPDUS-2 board I bought for the double shots. Mine has "8200" on the pcboard, so no big surprise. The genuine 8200 is likely an n-key board like mine. Once the PCB is mounted firmly within the case, it feels really fine for gaming.

nkey test = http://random.xem.us/rollover.html

[SLM]

That's visually identical to a G80-6955-HPDUS-2 board I bought for the double shots. Mine has "8200" on the pcboard, so no big surprise. The genuine 8200 is likely an n-key board like mine. Once the PCB is mounted firmly within the case, it feels really fine for gaming.

nkey test = http://random.xem.us/rollover.html

Thanks for the link.  I'll check that out tonight when I get home from work.

"Once the PCB is mounted firmly..."  I take it you did some sort of case/mount modding?

And yea, it does look the same.  I wonder if either the Cherry software or in-game software will let me map some of the other keys around the arrows for other actions.  When I press them they register things like ab, ac, ad, aj, ak, etc depending on the key of course.  Again, something else to check out.  This board might see more use than I thought it would.

[ricercar]

"Once the PCB is mounted firmly..." I take it you did some sort of case/mount modding?

yeah, my PCB had some play in it, so I use matchsticks or small rubber washers between the pressure points on the case-top and where they touch the PCB surface. It makes a world of difference in the feel of the Cherry browns (and likely all key switches) when they are immobilized.

I wonder if either the Cherry software or in-game software will let me map some of the other keys around the arrows for other actions.

They won't register to most software I've tested, but the Cherry software lets you map any of the crystal-topped keys to the following:

• an arbitrary keystroke or series of keystrokes
• Windows actions, such as minimize all windows,
• mouse clicks
• Media keys

Dialog examples, using a G86 board (my 8200 clone is too far for a lazy man to walk):

When I press them they register things like ab, ac, ad, aj, ak, etc depending on the key of course

The Cherry software can clear that by loading the default setup for your model number into your hardware.

[SLM]

Hum...  Thanks!  I'll have to dig up the software and give it a go.  Looking at the picture it looks like there might be all kinds of fun things you can do.  Maybe if you use the Cherry software to assign a key a "value" then maybe that would allow Windows to register the key so then other software (say a game) might register the key?  Or am I thinking way too deep on this?

Edit:  If I get brave enough I'll see if I can get the case apart and do some shim work.  I haven't played with it enough to see how loose it is.

[ricercar]

Yes, Windows software that's able to pick up scan codes outside the normal range would be able to receive the default keystrokes from the keyboard.

By default the physical keys outside the normal physical 104 give scan codes outside the normal scan code range, IIRC mine are all in the range of scan codes 133-240. Someone used Cherry "Designer" software to program your | ab | ac | ad | ae | -producing keys to produce those "macros". The Designer software programs non-volatile (e.g. Flash) memory with substitute values.

In other words, you need Cherry software to program the extra keys in a way that it works on all the machines you plug it into, regardless of the OS. If you programmed the extra keys as "multimedia" standard scan codes, then the keys would work for multimedia on Windows, MacOS X and any Linux distro that recognizes multimedia keys.

I put a link to the Cherry "Designer download page in the geekhack thread about the $24 SPOS.

[SLM]

Grabbed the software and installed it but it doesn't seem to detect the board.  Maybe because I run through a KVM switch?  Oh well, I guess there goes that idea for now.  Maybe I'll do some more tinkering around later.

Edit:  I'm pretty sure it's NKRO.  I ran out of fingers pushing 13 keys but they all show!

[ricercar]

It's not the greatest number of keys that register, but rather the smallest number n where additional key presses produce nothing. This board probably has no number; hence the n in NKRO.

Cherry Designer is finicky. You may want to connect the keyboard directly to the PC, and use the wizard to read the active profile from the current keyboard. This is what I had to do with one of my programmable 'boards.

[SLM]

It's not the greatest number of keys that register, but rather the smallest number n where additional key presses produce nothing. This board probably has no number; hence the n in NKRO.

Cherry Designer is finicky. You may want to connect the keyboard directly to the PC, and use the wizard to read the active profile from the current keyboard. This is what I had to do with one of my programmable 'boards.

Maybe I phrased it wrong or I don't have it quite straight but how I thought the NKRO thing works...  With NKRO all keys pressed simultaneously would be registered?  Depending on the key combination 2 key roll over would result in only those two keys and no more being registered correct?  NKRO- n (basically infinite) amount pressed and all register.  2KRO- the minimum number of keys, two in this case, pressed that could result in no more key presses being registered.

Do I have that right?  With a NKRO board wouldn't every key pressed show on the test site?

[Mental Hobbit]

Yes, you got it right.
If a board can e.g. register W-A-S-D at the same time, but not J-K-L, it's 2KRO, not 4KRO.