Almost 44 years after its preliminary launch, the Commodore 64 continues to be beloved by retro computing lovers, hobbyists, and demoscene creators worldwide. It’s well-known for its delightfully blocky 8-bit graphics, the well-known SID sound chip that belted out the soundtrack of a era, and its in depth software program library. Nonetheless, not every part was as polished as its legacy may recommend. Commodore was infamous for its capacity to shave a few cents right here and there from its designs.
As such, some parts of the Commodore 64 have been simply okay. The keyboard fell firmly into this class. It undoubtedly wasn’t unhealthy — it was approach higher than the membrane keyboards that have been widespread on the time — however it additionally wasn’t significantly good. Nonetheless, the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia have made it appear higher with age. And performance apart, it does have a cool retro look to it.
Wiring up the Arduino (📷: Emanuele Martorelli)
So, to provide this keyboard a brand new lease on life, Emanuele Martorelli determined to show it right into a USB keyboard that’s appropriate with fashionable computer systems. Don’t fear — no Commodores have been harmed within the making of this venture. The keyboard is hooked up to the primary circuit board through a pin header, and it may be safely indifferent with out inflicting any harm.
As soon as indifferent, Martorelli eliminated the unique circuit board (which will also be carried out with out harm), though this step isn’t strictly obligatory. To modernize the keyboard, the header was wired to the GPIO pins of an Arduino Leonardo through jumper wires. This explicit Arduino board was chosen as a result of it will possibly emulate HID gadgets, which implies it may be programmed such {that a} fashionable laptop will acknowledge it as a normal USB keyboard.
Subsequent, Martorelli flashed the Arduino with firmware that interprets {the electrical} alerts generated by the Commodore keyboard into corresponding alerts produced by a contemporary keyboard. These alerts are then transmitted to the host laptop through USB.
What did Martorelli use this keyboard to do? To kind a BASIC program right into a Commodore emulator on a contemporary laptop. You might, after all, save a couple of steps and do the identical with a inventory Commodore 64—however gimmicks apart, you need to use the keyboard for any general-purpose computing duties you need. So, when you’ve got a Commodore sitting round accumulating mud, this generally is a enjoyable venture to mess around with.
When you’d fairly use the superb Coleco Adam keyboard with a contemporary laptop, there’s a approach to try this too.