FIGKeys

FIGkeys is the Arduino-compatible PS/2 Keyboard Interface shield for FIGnition. It comes as a £9.50(+P&P) kit with a high-quality PCB complete with a programmed MCU and all the other (very few) components needed to build it.



As you can see, it's amazingly simple and can be built in under 30 minutes!

It's also amazingly cheap, at £9.50 (+P&P) A lot of effort was made to reduce the firmware requirements so that the simplest possible hardware can be used whilst still providing a full set of features:
  • Reprogrammable for international keyboard layouts using just a PS/2 keyboard itself!
  • A duplicate header row for stacking other sheilds.
  • The PS/2 connector is placed between FIGnition's Phono Sockets.
  • The PCB can be made as a DIY home-made PCB!
  • The firmware makes full use of a PS/2s keyboard's typeahead buffer, if FIGnition can't keep up with the typing, FIGkeys will buffer up keys until it catches up!

FIGkeys is complete and available now along with the instructions; and in due course; the source code and circuit diagram will be released with an open-source licence (GPL3 and OSH).

Buy-It

For both UK and International orders, the best way to buy FIGkeys 1.1 is through Paypal. All you need to do is log in; make a payment to TheOriginalSnial@gmail.com; make it clear you're ordering a FIGkeys kit and supply your address.

FIGkeys is costed at £9.50 + Postage given by the UK Royal Mail price finder according to whether you want standard or recorded/signed-for delivery. I'm perfectly happy if you send the money in your local currency, but I always set the price based on today's exchange rate from the BBC. Examples in GBP are given below (correct as of April 2013):

 Location  Standard (1st Class in the UK)
  Total  Recorded /Signed for Delivery
  Total
 UK Not Available
 £2.00  £11.50
 EU Countries
  £3.00  £12.50  £8.30  £19.80
 Ukraine  £3.00  £12.50  £8.30  £19.80
 Australia, Indian subcontinent and Africa
  £3.50  £12.80  £8.80  £20.30
 United States, Canada and South America
  £3.50  £12.80  £8.80  £20.30

If you want to order more than one FIGkeys internationally, please email me first for a quote, as shipping costs will be much more cost effective and I charge shipping at cost price.

Kit Contents

When FIGkeys is sold, in all cases, FIGkeys is supplied as a kit. You'll get a remittance slip to say thanks for buying FIGkeys including the circuit board; all the components and its AVR Microcontroller (which will be pre-programmed). Note: you won't get a PS/2 keyboard, you're expected to use one of your own :-) !

Status

 Date  Progress
 6/12/2013  Components have been finalized and (PCB has been quoted for).
 7/12/2013    PS/2 Connectors Have Arrived.
 12/12/2013 AtTiny24 MCUs Have Arrived
 31/12/2013 PCBs Have Arrived.
 21/12/2013 Arduino Headers Arrived.
 23/01/2014 First Kits sent.
 23/01/2014 Build and Test Instructions Posted
 24/01/2014 User Guide and Upgrade Instructions Posted

Subpages (3): Build it Test it Use It
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