Keyboard DIY Help

[DJ_Pabloco]

Ok so I got this Arc Keyboard for free:


And I have the Arc Mouse so i thought I would love this thing... but It is kinda pointless with a laptop So I decided to try and turn it into a Midi controller- except on traktor I will map it with keyboard keys.

I have made a basic layout on illustrator and I am basically going to use all arcade buttons and a few square pushbuttons:


But me and my stepdad- who works for xerox and is very high ranked + that means he is amazing at this electronics stuff- are trying to figure out how to replace the keys with the push buttons.

Because we know we could try and find each key on the circuit board but there are 70 buttons up there. I dont think we could find all 70 and be able to fit all the wires and stuff. Neither does he. He said there is probably a way to do it from the wierd rubber bumps on the thin circuit board thing. Here are some pics of the arc Keyboard cracked open.





is there anybody who knows how to connect the arcade buttons to the rubber things or something like that

[bo0tstrap]

As far as i am concerned, i think the arcade buttons you can purchase here are standalone buttons. Meaning you don't have to push down the "rubber thing" if you connect the positive and ground from the arcade button, to the the corresponding inputs where the rubber things are located.

try taking one of the rubber knobs off, and if there are two inputs there than im not wasting your time =]

cheers

[bo0tstrap]

hot damn thats alot of arcade buttons, could be pretty spendy =]
im sure it will look mighty savage once it is completed good luck

[VirtualLogic]

Um just to let you know in Australian cash that will be just over $200 just or the arcade buttons if you are getting sanwa, or if you get generic ones then it will cost $150
also you cant just connect buttons to the rubber shit. You have to make a map of the matrix that the keyboard works on.
A keyboard it basically a shift register (i think) which means it takes your button presses and turns them into messages that the computer can recognize . long story short it doesn't have wires for each individual button it has buttons daisy chained together.

*EDIT*check this link out for the map thing http://www.instructables.com/id/Hacking-a-USB-Keyboard/*EDIT*