$50 to whoever figures this out

[Adrenochrome]

If somebody can make this work, I'll mail them $50.

I want someone to make or tell me how to make a simple patch cable to run between a Stowaway keyboard that uses the old UC connector, and a LifeDrive.

I've been using a Think Outside Bluetooth keyboard for a month now, and while it's cool and handy, it's a pain to work with for any serious writing. It has a double-capital problem, it drops characters, loses the connection every time I save a document or if Pocket Tunes switches songs in the background, rocks on a tabletop whenever I try to hit certain key combinations, and is designed for a Pocket PC, so it has almost none of the proper Palm OS keys (I can't even type in Palm shortcuts with the keyboard - must Grafitti them in).

I loved my old 5-row Think Outside keyboard. It was big, it was sturdy, it had all the right shortcuts, never dropped connections, turned on the Palm with a keystroke - in short, I never had to think about it.

Seriously - if somebody can come up with a way to make it work, I've got $50 with your name on it.

[Antoine]

The pin connectors are very different between the old uni connector and the multi connector on the LD and other newer palm PDAs. That woudl require someone who is really good in engineering to do so as you have circuits and IDs to play with. $50 might not be enough for that one ;)

[Adrenochrome]

Yup, but not all the pins have to work. Only a couple are used by the UC keyboard, so it might be possible to do. Even using a Handspring keyboard or any other would be fine as long as it worked.

[Tam Hanna]

Hi,
I personally beleive that this is impossible because the Athena Connector lacks all the RS232 statzus pins. I am pretty sure that the Keyboard communicates using the status pins(hardware flow control)-and it may be extremely difficult up to impossible to get that working(except maybe with a converter cjhip that needs to be powered, adapted to specific peripherals,.. and that doesnt always work either if they use the control pins for polling,..)

[Maticek]

Just for your information: for $50 you can get a new keyboard on ebay.

[Adrenochrome]

Just for your information: for $50 you can get a new keyboard on ebay.
But not a wired keyboard for an LD.

[Adrenochrome]

Hi,
I personally beleive that this is impossible because the Athena Connector lacks all the RS232 statzus pins. I am pretty sure that the Keyboard communicates using the status pins(hardware flow control)-and it may be extremely difficult up to impossible to get that working(except maybe with a converter cjhip that needs to be powered, adapted to specific peripherals,.. and that doesnt always work either if they use the control pins for polling,..)
Pretty much what I figured, but there still may be someone who can figure it out. Did Handspring or Clies use RS232?

[Maticek]

You are right, it's a IR keyboard. I had good expirience with it.

[weelogic]

I'm with Adrenochrome on this - I would much rather have a hard connector keyboard than IR or BT - more for the drain on battery, but I like the solid connection as well (having knocked a PDA under an airplane seat with a pretty indiscreet report on it once....)

[potter]

I personally beleive that this is impossible because the Athena Connector lacks all the RS232 statzus pins. I am pretty sure that the Keyboard communicates using the status pins(hardware flow control)-and it may be extremely difficult up to impossible to get that working(except maybe with a converter cjhip that needs to be powered, adapted to specific peripherals,.. and that doesnt always work either if they use the control pins for polling,..)

Pretty much what I figured, but there still may be someone who can figure it out. Did Handspring or Clies use RS232?
The Handspring Visor line had the same limitation on its serial port as the Athena connector does:
No flow control lines, only RX, TX and GND.
TTL level signals, as opposed to RS-232 level signal.
Hmm, I have a old keyboard for a Visor, somewhere. Does anyone know where I might be able to find the connectors needed to pull this off?

Also, knowing how little data actually flows between the keyboard and handheld, I doubt that the flow control lines matter, other than tying certain lines high or low as need for the keyboard. Therefore for using a UC keyboard, we only have to deal with the TTL to RS-232 level changing. Also, I think the dataflow is actually only one way, so only Palm's RX lines to be changed.

[AreaEducator]

Even using a Handspring keyboard or any other would be fine as long as it worked.

I'd like that, too. I'm in the course of replacing my Handspring Visor Platinum (I think it's a Platinum) that I got back on Christmas 2000. I love my Stowaway W-fold keyboard. I'm willing to try the IR Stowaway (I'm hesitant about bluetooth), but I'd really like another w-fold with a hardware connection.

[Adrenochrome]

The Handspring Visor line had the same limitation on its serial port as the Athena connector does:


No flow control lines, only RX, TX and GND.
TTL level signals, as opposed to RS-232 level signal.
Hmm, I have a old keyboard for a Visor, somewhere. Does anyone know where I might be able to find the connectors needed to pull this off?

Also, knowing how little data actually flows between the keyboard and handheld, I doubt that the flow control lines matter, other than tying certain lines high or low as need for the keyboard. Therefore for using a UC keyboard, we only have to deal with the TTL to RS-232 level changing. Also, I think the dataflow is actually only one way, so only Palm's RX lines to be changed.

Looks like you might have a market if you can pull this off.

[Reggie]

Well, here's something that might work. The LifeDrive and the Treo 650 uses the same cable right?

Here are the detailed instructions to create a serial cable:

http://shadowmite.com/650serial.html

Did I win? :D

[Adrenochrome]

Well, here's something that might work. The LifeDrive and the Treo 650 uses the same cable right?

Here are the detailed instructions to create a serial cable:

http://shadowmite.com/650serial.html

Did I win? :D
Cool! It's a step in the right direction!

You win when I type via cable to my LD and tell my bank account to send you a check! (No, seriously.)

[Reggie]

LOL. Let us know how it goes - Good luck!

As for the $50, if it works, give it to Mines of TreoCentral instead -- the cable is his idea. :D

[Tam Hanna]

BTW, trust me. A wired solution isnt really so much of a help if you dont use an m5xx. I had a TT and a T3, and they all didnt hold their cables too firm. Better forget this if its just protection from prying eyes!

[Reggie]

Ok, just in. Here's the answer:

http://www.1src.com/headlines/show/001157.html

:D

[Adrenochrome]

You are really bucking for that $50, Reggie! :-)

The cable is $72 with shipping, and I'd still have to figure out a way to connect it to a keyboard. I'm going to have to stroke my chin over this one for a bit.

I'm tempted to try the PalmOne universal wireless - 5-rows and I haven't heard any complaints about it. If so, I'll have a BT keyboard for sale, cheap!

[Jayman]

You are really bucking for that $50, Reggie! :-)

The cable is $72 with shipping, and I'd still have to figure out a way to connect it to a keyboard. I'm going to have to stroke my chin over this one for a bit.

I'm tempted to try the PalmOne universal wireless - 5-rows and I haven't heard any complaints about it. If so, I'll have a BT keyboard for sale, cheap!

What's cheap? I am in the market for a BT keyboard for my Treo 650. Let me know if you would like to sell jsntrenkler(at)gmail.com

[DougMeerschaert]

I'm tempted to try the PalmOne universal wireless - 5-rows and I haven't heard any complaints about it. If so, I'll have a BT keyboard for sale, cheap!

I picked up one of these, and the buttons are simply too small for me. And they moved the /? key to the other side of the right shift, causing any number of typos when I did use it. And the darn thing has generic "PocketPC" graphics all over the place--while at the same time failing to operate with PalmOS as well as my old Stowaway XT did.

So, there--you just heard three bad things about it.

[Tam Hanna]

Hi,
www.microchip.com
If you have a PIC controller in the signal path, you could try to emulate the flow control lines somehow. It may just work fine for the hardware you are using.
BTW, if you need tutes, links or have any questions, feel free to email me. I love to help elecronicians now that I have recovered my lab from the accident!

[Adrenochrome]

I picked up one of these, and the buttons are simply too small for me. And they moved the /? key to the other side of the right shift, causing any number of typos when I did use it. And the darn thing has generic "PocketPC" graphics all over the place--while at the same time failing to operate with PalmOS as well as my old Stowaway XT did.

So, there--you just heard three bad things about it.
Got it this weekend, and it's going to replace my BT - which means my $50 offer is officially rescinded. The keys are smaller, and that "?" key placement is baffling, as is the backspace key, which seems much farther away than I'm used to. It's also all plastic and the LD has to sit in the cradle

But on the plus side, there are no dropped letters or double caps, which makes a big difference if you've got to type a lot at one sitting. I'd still rather have an old Stowaway W-fold, connected keyboard, but this will do.