[comp.sys.amiga.hardware] Maximum mouse and keyboard cable runs?

dewolfe@ug.cs.dal.ca (Colin DeWolfe) (02/21/91)

The subject line says it all...  What would the maximum cable runs be for a
A1000 keyboard cable.  We are considering using a wall phone jack to plug the
keyboard into the wall and keep the machine on a different floor.  Same thing
with the mouse.  Any idea how much footage we will be able to get away with?

This is for a board room (we are going to also run RCA cable through the wall
for the composite video to a monitor in the board room) in case you're wondering
why we're gonna do this..

Thanks
--
Colin DeWolfe
dewolfe@ug.cs.dal.ca

ben@epmooch.UUCP (Rev. Ben A. Mesander) (02/22/91)

I'm not sure of the max length, but I've got 5 feet on my Amiga 1000
keyboard cable.

>Colin DeWolfe
>dewolfe@ug.cs.dal.ca

--
ben@epmooch.UUCP            ben%servalan.UUCP@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu
{chinet,uokmax}!servalan!epmooch!ben  (Ben Mesander)   War in gulf:
newpath 288 396 216 0 360 arc 288 612 moveto 288 180 lineto 288 396
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gmclaren@sirius.UVic.CA (Gavin Mclaren) (02/22/91)

In article <1991Feb20.225323.10467@cs.dal.ca> dewolfe@ug.cs.dal.ca (Colin DeWolfe) writes:
>The subject line says it all...  What would the maximum cable runs be for a
>A1000 keyboard cable.  We are considering using a wall phone jack to plug the
>keyboard into the wall and keep the machine on a different floor.  Same thing
>with the mouse.  Any idea how much footage we will be able to get away with?

There was a discussion a few years back, if I remember correctly.  The
problem with this is that the keyboard gets its power from the Amiga, and
people with even 12' extensions to the keyboard cable were having
trouble.  The resistance loss in the cable is too much.

The solution at the time seemed to be to add another power source for
the keyboard, keeping a common signal ground.  You might be able to
install batteries in the keyboard, or a small DC transformer  at
the wall outlet you are talking about.

Gavin McLaren

sl242003@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jon Paul Baker) (02/23/91)

In terms of keyboard and mouse cable runs, I have run 12 feet of 
mouse cable (non-powered generic ATari-type joystick extension) as
well as 7 feet of keyboard cable (IBM generic keyboard extension).

But, I am running a 150W powersupply with my Amiga 500 in an
IBM Microtower case.  If you are looking to make your A500 keyboard
detachable, it is a simple thing to remount the keyboard in a 
project case and re-pin out the cable to use an IBM setup.

m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT) (02/26/91)

Check the Amiga Hardware Reference Manual; there is a comment about
the A1000 keyboard cable in my version (old) of it.  I believe it
mentions that the A1000 keyboard uses a telephone HANDSET cord (not a
wall cord) and that the maximum length is about 12 to 15 feet.

Wildstar
(Amiga 1000 Owner)

sysop@tlvx.UUCP (SysOp) (03/03/91)

In article <1991Feb22.093748.3065@sol.UVic.CA>, gmclaren@sirius.UVic.CA (Gavin  Mclaren) writes:
> In article <1991Feb20.225323.10467@cs.dal.ca> dewolfe@ug.cs.dal.ca (Colin DeWolfe) writes:
> >The subject line says it all...  What would the maximum cable runs be for a
> >A1000 keyboard cable.  We are considering using a wall phone jack to plug the
> >keyboard into the wall and keep the machine on a different floor.  Same thing
> >with the mouse.  Any idea how much footage we will be able to get away with?

Uh, what about the monitor?  (And if a program asks for a floppy, that would
be annoying, going between floors... ;-)  I guess you could run speaker wire
with NTSC pretty far, although I suppose that probably isn't the correct
wire to run.  (?)
> 
> There was a discussion a few years back, if I remember correctly.  The
> problem with this is that the keyboard gets its power from the Amiga, and
> people with even 12' extensions to the keyboard cable were having
> trouble.  The resistance loss in the cable is too much.

With my A1000, I have what must be a 25' coiled phone cord, with no problems.
Also, I have a joystick extention cable for my mouse (which is maybe 6 to 10
feet).  I have no idea what the maximum length is, although in my case 25'
seems to work.  (Could it be heavily machine-dependant?  Or dependant on
the size of wire?)

I got the cords when my monitor broke, and I wanted to use my Amiga in front
of the TV.  (The NTSC jack does come in handy!)
> 
> The solution at the time seemed to be to add another power source for
> the keyboard, keeping a common signal ground.  You might be able to
> install batteries in the keyboard, or a small DC transformer  at
> the wall outlet you are talking about.
> 
> Gavin McLaren

Another wire question:  at a local music store, they said to be sure to
use audio cable with audio equipment.  I've been using speaker wire with
the Amiga -- should I buy some RCA-to-1/4inch jacks and use audio cables?

Speaking of my broken monitor, if anyone knows how I can get a certain
coil for a 1080 monitor, let me know.  Or, does anyone know what I can
do with a 1080 that works fine except for one missing peice?
--
Gary Wolfe, SYSOP of the Temporal Vortex BBS                        // Amiga!
..uflorida!unf7!tlvx!sysop,   unf7!tlvx!sysop@bikini.cis.ufl.edu  \X/  Yeah!