Converting a Commodore PET into a USB docking station
The Commodore 64 is one of the most iconic computers of all time and is Commodore's best-known model. But Commodore made many other popular models, including the VIC-20, Amiga, and PET. The Commodore PET 64, which Commodore released late in the life of the model line for educational purposes, was Dave Luna's first computer. Unfortunately, it bit the dust in the 90s and Luna was never able to revive it. In 2005, he attempted to convert it to a PC, but never completed the project. Older and wiser, Luna was finally able to breathe new life into PET as a docking station.
Docking stations come in many forms with many different purposes, but the general idea is always to extend the capabilities of a laptop (or tablet). In this case, it transforms the connected laptop into a desktop experience with a dedicated display and full touch keyboard. The keyboard was actually not very good in the Commodore PET 64, but Luna plans to upgrade it with a MechBoard64 to keep the original look with modern high quality mechanical key switches. As it stands, the PET 64's keyboard connects to the attached laptop, and a 12-inch TFT LCD screen (in place of the PET 64's original CRT monitor) acts as a second monitor for the laptop. laptop.
The display connects to the laptop via a WAVLINK USB 3.0 DisplayLink adapter, but connecting the keyboard is more complex. Because the PET 64 was an all-in-one computer, the keyboard interfaces directly with the motherboard in a manner similar to laptop computers today. There is no USB interface or standardized output. For this reason, Luna had to create her own adapter. He used an Arduino Micro to scan the rows and columns of the keyboard matrix for key presses. When it registers a key press, it sends the corresponding character to the laptop connected via the USB connection. The Micro appears as a standard USB HID keyboard, so it doesn't require any special software.
The result is a functional laptop docking station in vintage Commodore PET packaging.
The Commodore 64 is one of the most iconic computers of all time and is Commodore's best-known model. But Commodore made many other popular models, including the VIC-20, Amiga, and PET. The Commodore PET 64, which Commodore released late in the life of the model line for educational purposes, was Dave Luna's first computer. Unfortunately, it bit the dust in the 90s and Luna was never able to revive it. In 2005, he attempted to convert it to a PC, but never completed the project. Older and wiser, Luna was finally able to breathe new life into PET as a docking station.
Docking stations come in many forms with many different purposes, but the general idea is always to extend the capabilities of a laptop (or tablet). In this case, it transforms the connected laptop into a desktop experience with a dedicated display and full touch keyboard. The keyboard was actually not very good in the Commodore PET 64, but Luna plans to upgrade it with a MechBoard64 to keep the original look with modern high quality mechanical key switches. As it stands, the PET 64's keyboard connects to the attached laptop, and a 12-inch TFT LCD screen (in place of the PET 64's original CRT monitor) acts as a second monitor for the laptop. laptop.
The display connects to the laptop via a WAVLINK USB 3.0 DisplayLink adapter, but connecting the keyboard is more complex. Because the PET 64 was an all-in-one computer, the keyboard interfaces directly with the motherboard in a manner similar to laptop computers today. There is no USB interface or standardized output. For this reason, Luna had to create her own adapter. He used an Arduino Micro to scan the rows and columns of the keyboard matrix for key presses. When it registers a key press, it sends the corresponding character to the laptop connected via the USB connection. The Micro appears as a standard USB HID keyboard, so it doesn't require any special software.
The result is a functional laptop docking station in vintage Commodore PET packaging.
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