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Groups > comp.sys.laptops > #1780

Re: Keyboard without number pad

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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micky wrote:


<<snip>>
> 
> If no one sells such a keyboard, what do you think about cutting off
> the right-most 3.5 inches of a standard keyboard.   Maybe closing the
> open case with a nice little piece of mahogany,ebony, or birch wood.
> I would use my 50 years of electronics semi-knowledge to first cut the
> cricuit board off in a way intended not to disable the remaining keys.
> I'd use a $4 keyboard so if it didn't work the first time, I could try
> again.   Does it sound difficult to get right?
> 
> Thanks. 

It's hard to make a clean cut (partitioning) of a keyboard, due to the
random way the scan matrix is set up. The keys that share a "wire"
within a keyboard, can stretch from the keypad to the querty section.
Cutting a conductor on the keypad area, could cause other apparently
random keys to stop functioning. So sawing or Dremel is not
recommended.

Only if the keyboard was made with switches (not membrane), and the
keypad section had "perforations" in the PCB, would it imply the
keypad section is expendable. Sometimes, they make two products
from the same PCB, by breaking off the part they don't want.
The engineer, sets up the scan matrix, so it "saws off easily".
And I really don't expect this to happen. I've looked at a few
scan matrices, and they really look random to me, with keys
having no apparent relationship, sharing wires.

You can build a keyboard. I've done it, years ago. I wouldn't
say it was exactly "fun" as such. It was one of the largest
PCBs I ever made on the kitchen table. I got my parts for it,
from these people. They also sell pre-made keyboards (fortunately).

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/catalogs/c271/P261.pdf

The first item on that page, is rather old. And it leads
me to this page. This suggests to me, you'd look to a
country where "space is a problem", to find products that
are smaller than average, and have things like the keypad removed.
Apparently, this is similar to a laptop keyboard, with the
little mouse button nestled within the keyboards.

http://www.plathome.co.jp/products/mini_key/3r/index.html

http://www.plathome.co.jp/products/mini_key/3r/image/minikey09.jpg

That keyboard is also relatively "tall". They don't have a decent
picture, so you'll have to zoom in.

http://www.plathome.co.jp/products/mini_key/3r/image/3r_top.jpg

    Paul

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Thread

Keyboard without number pad micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2013-02-14 00:20 -0500
  Re: Keyboard without number pad "Anthony R. Gold" <not-for-mail@ahjg.co.uk> - 2013-02-14 11:09 +0000
    Re: Keyboard without number pad micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2013-02-16 01:37 -0500
  Re: Keyboard without number pad Paul <nospam@needed.com> - 2013-02-14 09:38 -0500
    Re: Keyboard without number pad micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2013-02-16 01:52 -0500
      Re: Keyboard without number pad Charlie Hoffpauir <invalid@invalid.com> - 2013-02-16 09:17 -0600
        Re: Keyboard without number pad micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2013-02-17 03:27 -0500
  Re: Keyboard without number pad Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2013-02-15 09:40 +0200
    Re: Keyboard without number pad micky <NONONOmisc07@bigfoot.com> - 2013-02-16 01:56 -0500
  Re: Keyboard without number pad Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> - 2013-03-25 05:37 +0000

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