Amiga 500 Keyboard - Arduino Leonardo

Welcome to the Amiga 500 Keyboard interfacing project! This guide will help you connect and map the iconic Amiga 500 keyboard to an Arduino Leonardo, allowing you to bring new life to this classic piece of hardware. By following the instructions provided, you can retrofit the Amiga 500 keyboard for modern applications while preserving its unique layout and feel.

For a demonstration of the original Amiga 500 keyboard in action, visit the Amiga Undead GitHub repository.

Wiring Information

This section describes the wiring for connecting the Amiga 500 keyboard to an Arduino Leonardo.

To connect the Amiga 500 keyboard to the Arduino Leonardo, refer to the following table:

Connector Pin	Function	Wire Color	Arduino Leonardo IO Pin
1	KBDATA	Black	8
2	KBCLK	Brown	9
3	KBRST	Red	10
4	5V	Orange	5V
5	NC	-	-
6	GND	Green	GND
7	LED1	Blue	5V
8	LED2	Purple	-

• KBDATA (Black, Pin 1): Connects to Arduino Leonardo digital pin 8. This line transmits data from the keyboard to the Arduino.
• KBCLK (Brown, Pin 2): Connects to Arduino Leonardo digital pin 9. This line provides the clock signal for synchronization.
• KBRST (Red, Pin 3): Connects to Arduino Leonardo digital pin 10. This line allows the Arduino to send a reset signal to the keyboard.
• 5V (Orange, Pin 4): Connects to the 5V power supply on the Arduino.
• NC (Pin 5): Not connected.
• GND (Green, Pin 6): Connects to the GND pin on the Arduino.
• LED1 (Blue, Pin 7): Connects to 5V for indicating power.
• LED2 (Purple, Pin 8): Not connected.

---

Amiga 500 Keyboard Layout

Credit: AmigaOS Wiki

Help Key Special Functions

The Help key on the Amiga 500 keyboard is used as a modifier in this implementation, enabling additional functions when combined with other keys. Below are the available combinations and their corresponding functions.

Key Combination	Function
Help + F1	F11
Help + F2	F12
Help + Ptr Sc (on numpad)	Print Screen
Help + F3	Record macro
Help + F4	Save macro
Help + F5	Reset all macros
Help + F6	Play macro slot 1
Help + F7	Play macro slot 2
Help + F8	Play macro slot 3
Help + F9	Play macro slot 4
Help + F10	Play macro slot 5

NumLock

When NumLock is turned off, the following keys on the numeric keypad function as navigation keys by default:

• Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down.
• The arrow keys on the numeric keypad (2, 4, 6, and 8) also function as cursor movement keys.

With NumLock turned on, these keys will function as standard numeric keys instead.

Macro Recording and Playback Guide

This section explains how to use the macro recording and playback functionality of the Amiga 500 Keyboard to USB HID Converter. Macros allow you to record a sequence of key presses and play them back with a single key combination.

Macro Slots

There are 5 macro slots available, each capable of storing up to 24 key reports. The macros are stored in EEPROM, so they persist across power cycles. 24 to keep withing the EEPROM 1kb size of the Leonardo. If you disable persistent macros flag you can go up to 45 per slot on the Leonardo but macros will not persist power cycles.

Recording a Macro

1. Start Recording:

   • Press Help + F3 to start recording a macro.

2. Select Recording Slot:

   • Press one of the keys F6 to F10 to select the recording slot (1 to 5).
   • The keyboard will work normally, but it will record every key press until the macro slot is full or you stop recording.

3. Stop Recording:

   • Press Help + F4 to stop recording and save the macro to the selected slot.

Playing a Macro

1. Play Macro:
   • Press one of the keys Help + F6 to Help + F10 to play the macro stored in the corresponding slot (1 to 5).
   • The macro will play back the recorded key presses at fixed intervals.

Resetting Macros

1. Reset Macros:
   • Press Help + F5 to stop any playing macro and reset all macros. WARNING this cleans and reset the EEPROM.

Example Usage

1. Recording a Macro:

   • Press Help + F3 to start recording.
   • Press F6 to select slot 1.
   • Type the sequence of keys you want to record.
   • Press Help + F4 to stop recording and save the macro.

2. Playing a Macro:

   • Press Help + F6 to play the macro stored in slot 1.

Notes

• Macros are stored in EEPROM, so they will persist across power cycles.
• Each macro slot can store up to 24 key reports.
• The recording will stop automatically if the macro slot is full.

Build and Upload Guide

This guide will help you compile and upload the Amiga 500 Keyboard converter code to an Arduino Leonardo. Choose between the Arduino CLI (for command-line users) or the Arduino IDE (beginner-friendly) to get started.

---

Option 1: Arduino CLI (Command Line)

This method is ideal for users comfortable with the command line. Arduino CLI allows for efficient building and uploading.

Requirements

• Arduino Leonardo connected via USB
• Arduino CLI installed

Steps

1. Install Arduino CLI:

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/arduino/arduino-cli/master/install.sh | sh
   sudo mv bin/arduino-cli /usr/local/bin/

2. Configure Arduino CLI:

   arduino-cli config init
   arduino-cli core update-index
   arduino-cli core install arduino:avr
   arduino-cli lib install "Keyboard"

3. Connect Arduino Leonardo via USB and identify the port:

   arduino-cli board list

   • Note your board’s port (e.g., /dev/ttyACM0) and FQBN (arduino:avr:leonardo).

4. Compile the Sketch: Navigate to the directory containing your .ino file (e.g., Amiga500-USB-Keyboard-Leonardo.ino) and run:

   arduino-cli compile --fqbn arduino:avr:leonardo Amiga500-USB-Keyboard-Leonardo.ino

5. Upload the Sketch:

   arduino-cli upload -p /dev/ttyACM0 --fqbn arduino:avr:leonardo Amiga500-USB-Keyboard-Leonardo.ino

   • Replace /dev/ttyACM0 with your actual port if different.

6. Test the Uploaded Sketch:

   • Connect your Amiga 500 keyboard and verify functionality in a text editor.

---

Option 2: Arduino IDE (Beginner-Friendly)

The Arduino IDE provides a graphical interface for writing, compiling, and uploading Arduino sketches.

Steps

1. Install the Arduino IDE:

   • Download from Arduino Software.

2. Install the Keyboard Library:

   • In the Arduino IDE, go to Tools > Manage Libraries....
   • In the Library Manager, search for "Keyboard" and install the Keyboard library.

3. Open Your Sketch:

   • Launch the Arduino IDE.
   • Go to File > New, paste your code, and save it as Amiga500-USB-Keyboard-Leonardo.ino.

4. Select Board and Port:

   • Go to Tools > Board > Arduino Leonardo.
   • Go to Tools > Port and select the port for your Arduino Leonardo.

5. Compile and Upload:

   • Click Verify (checkmark icon) to compile.
   • Click Upload (arrow icon) to upload the sketch to the board.

6. Test the Keyboard:

   • Connect your Amiga 500 keyboard to the Arduino Leonardo.
   • Open a text editor and verify functionality.

---

Additional Notes

• Linux Permissions: If you encounter permission issues on Linux, add your user to the dialout group:

  sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

  Log out and back in for changes to take effect.

• Troubleshooting:

  • Ensure correct board and port selection.
  • Double-check wiring connections.

TODO

• Add an optional Piezo Buzzer to the Leonardo to produce tones for better macro recording user feedback