SONY NEWS keyboard converter

[hasu]

SONY NEWS is a BSD workstation with 68K/MIPS from late 1980s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_NEWS

This converter allows NEWS keyboard to be connected to modern PC via USB. It works with NWP-5461 and NWP-411A.


Limitations
- Buzzer is not supported.
- LEDs on NWP-5461 is not supported.
- Mouse connection is not supported.


Notes
- You might need to turn DIP switches.


Firmware
Source code is available at Github. See under sony_usb/ directory.
https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tree/master/converter/news_usb


Hardware
You can use  USB AVR family like ATMega32u4 or ATMega32u2 to make this converter. Use PD2(USART RXD) for keyboard data and give power with VCC and GND.


Preassembled TMK Sony NEWS Converter is also available here: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=72052.0



Protocol
NEWS keyboard protocol is a usual asynchronous serial communication. You can receive data from the keyboard easily with UART of micro controller.
- TTL level
- 9600bps
- 1-start bit
- 8-data bit
- non-parity
- 1-stop bit.


Pinout
Cnnector is an EIA 232 type with metric thread. This is a pic from NWP-5461.

NWP-5461
     -------------
     \ 1 2 3 x 5 /
      \ 6 7 8 9 /
       ---------
    1 VCC
    2 BZ(Speaker)
    3 Keyboard Data(from keyboard MCU TxD)
    4 NC
    5 GND
    6 Keyboard Command?(to MCU RxD via two schmitt triggers of Z8 74LS14)
    7 Mouse Data(from Mouse Ext connector)
    8 Power switch(directly to the switch via diode)
    9 FG

 NWP-411A
    -------------
    \ 1 2 3 x 5 /
     \ x 7 x 9 /
      ---------
    1 VCC
    2 BZ(Speaker)
    3 Keyboard Data(from keyboard MCU TxD)
    4 NC
    5 GND
    6 NC
    7 Mouse Data(from Mouse Ext connector)
    8 NC
    9 FG

Scan Code
Its scan code is one byte which consists of 1-bit release(break) flag at MSB and 7-bit code.
For example 0x29 is sent when 'a' key is pressed and 0xA9 when released.

   MSB         LSB
    7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0   bit
    | | | | | | | |
    | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-- scan code(00-7F)
    +---------------- break flag: sets when released

SONY NEWS NWP-5461
,---.   ,------------------------, ,------------------------. ,---------.                   
|Pow|   | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | | F6 | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10| | F11| F12| ,-----------.
`---'   `------------------------' `------------------------' `---------' |  *|  /|  +|   
,-------------------------------------------------------------. ,---. ,---------------|
|Esc|  1|  2|  3|  4|  5|  6|  7|  8|  9|  0|  -|  =|  \|  BS | |Hlp| |  7|  8|  9|  -|
|-------------------------------------------------------------| |---| |---------------|
|Tab  |  Q|  W|  E|  R|  T|  Y|  U|  I|  O|  P|  [|  ]|Del|   | |Ins| |  4|  5|  6|  ,|
|---------------------------------------------------------'   | |---| |---------------|
|Ctrl  |  A|  S|  D|  F|  G|  H|  J|  K|  L|  ;|  '|  `|Return| |Clr| |  1|  2|  3|   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------| |---| |-----------|Ent|
|Shift   |  Z|  X|  C|  V|  B|  N|  M|  ,|  ,|  /|   |Shift   | |PgU| |  0|  .| Up|   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------| |---| |---------------|
|Alt  |Gui |Alt |         Space     |          |Gui|App|Ctrl  | |PgD| |Tab|Lef|Dow|Rig|
`-------------------------------------------------------------' `---' `---------------'
 
,---.   ,------------------------, ,------------------------. ,---------.                   
| 7A|   | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 0A | | 68 | 69 | ,-----------.
`---'   `------------------------' `------------------------' `---------' | 64| 65| 52|                                   
,-------------------------------------------------------------. ,---. ,---------------|
| 0B| 0C| 0D| 0E| 0F| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15| 16| 17| 18|  19 | | 6A| | 4B| 4C| 4D| 4E|
|-------------------------------------------------------------| |---| |---------------|
|  1A | 1B| 1C| 1D| 1E| 1F| 20| 21| 22| 23| 24| 25| 26| 27|   | | 6B| | 4F| 50| 51| 56|
|---------------------------------------------------------'   | |---| |---------------|
|  28  | 29| 2A| 2B| 2C| 2D| 2E| 2F| 30| 31| 32| 33| 34|  35  | | 6C| | 53| 54| 55|   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------| |---| |-----------| 5A|
|  36    | 37| 38| 39| 3A| 3B| 3C| 3D| 3E| 3F| 40| 41|   42   | | 6D| | 57| 59| 58|   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------| |---| |---------------|
| 43  | 44 | 45 |       46          |    47    | 48| 49|  4A  | | 6E| | 66| 5B| 5C| 5D|
`-------------------------------------------------------------' `---' `---------------'

[hasu]

I just got my second NWP-5461 now. I found this NEWS keyboard on auction after 1 year since I got my other NWP-411A. I'm typing on this.

I found it clicks with very low volume from its speaker when I type keys today. I didn't found this click before. I guess it needs UART voltage 12V to drive the speaker properly. Clicky Topre! it is fun.

[Trente]

Hey Hasu, I am wondering how the keyboard feels like compared to other topre keyboard? I had heard that it is a bit less tactile and more linear, but how is this linear feels compared to the mx black or the linear Alps switch? Also, is the LED on power switch support now or not?

[hasu]

Hey, yes, it feels a bit heavier and less tactile comparing to HHKB Pro2 which is snappy. in terms of tactile it is smilar to Realfoce RGB and FC980C currently in my hand, I'm not sure it is proper to compare directly to linear switches but it is heavier and more tactile than alps green.
IIRC, LEDs are not supported at this time.

Do you have the keyboard or source? I'm curious about how did/will you get it.
It would be great if you can share.

[Trente]

Do you have the keyboard or source? I'm curious about how did/will you get it.
It would be great if you can share.

Oh, I saw someone on Reddit (/r/mechmarket) is selling one, but he/she did not test the board, so I am still considering if I should spend few hundred dollar to get as-is keyboard. The layout of 5461 looks fantastic, and the only thing I worried is if the keyboard is still functional

[Trente]

IIRC, LEDs are not supported at this time.

Also, sorry for my ignorance, I am wondering what is the IIRC?

[hasu]

I just mean "if i remember correctly" by IIRC.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=iirc

[Trente]

I just mean "if i remember correctly" by IIRC.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=iirc

Gotcha ,

[hasu]

Updated and organized first post.

- Fixed PInout: 5 GND and 9 FG had been reversed wrongly.
- Fix keymap and added README in github: https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tree/master/converter/news_usb