Tomy Tutor keyboard vs. COCO 2

[+retroclouds]

Looking at the pictures of the Tomy Tutor MK2 and comparing them against the Radio Schack Color Computer 2 (Tandy), it appears to me that they are using the exactly same keyboard albeit with different key caps.

For sure, I've never seen a MK2 in the wild, but considering that the Tomy wanted to produce the Tutor as cheap as possible, that makes sense to me.

 

Wonder if they did the same for the MK1, I think so yes. Looked for the keyboard and the Color Computer 1 also had the chicklet keys, but with differently positioned keys.

It would also be interesting to see if the MK2 is compatible with the MK1 as far as the keyboard ribbon cable is concerned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+retroclouds]

I have a Tutor with a broken chicklet keyboard, so would be worth a shot.

[+jedimatt42]

surely there exists the keyboard matrix diagram for the tutor, and the keyboard matrix diagram for a coco, and the 2 photos to build a mapping between them. A simple paper exercise should be able to answer the question. 

 

This is the matrix for the US Tutor: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13M2gNuDQY2LgcgtXt4RwmUT4cyrAZYNVGBDHmFdoqfs/edit?usp=sharing

 

Idk if the coco matrix varies from machine to machine: 

 

 

[+jedimatt42]

The qwerty parts should line up, but they don't. Inverting doesn't help.

And there is a Pin 3 N/C on the coco keyboard that is a show stopper. 

[+retroclouds]

This is a nice CoCo keyboard project, unfortunately no longer available as it seems. 

It was rather expensive. Understandable seeing the equipment involved.

https://thezippsterzone.com/2018/09/14/coco-mech-mechanical-keyboard/