PCW Keyboards explained.

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PCW KEYBOARDS.
In a nut shell the keyboards for the PCW models: 8256, 8512, 9512, 9256, 9512+ and 10 are all interchangeable as they all have a four pin DIN plug fitted to their leads and will work with no problems -- any keyboard on any machine, although the different layout of the keys on the 9512 and 9512+ keyboards will need a little thought when using on the other machines and needless to say vice versa.

PcW9256 and PcW10 owners will probably find it hard to obtain a replacement keyboard - no problem - buy a PCW8256 or PCW8512 keyboard use it as it is, or remove the keys section and fit it into your old case.

The PcW16 is a different 'cup of tea' having a 6 pin MINI-DIN plug fitted to it's lead. This keyboard can be replaced with a normal PC keyboard but of course the keys are very different and will take a lot of getting use to (see the PcW16 keyboard pictures below).

PCW8256

KEYBOARD FAULTS

Usually a good strip down (all sections) and clean of the keyboard will cure most faults but sometimes the keyboard will only work intermittently, this can be the fault of a dry joint in the DIN plug and if so you will need to cut it off and solder a new one onto the end of cable, not forgetting first to note, which wire goes where.
I usually find intermittent faults are caused by a dry joint(s) on the keyboard socket (the illustration below, pictures this, but it is doubtful if it can be seen). Inspect the Keyboard Socket Printed Circuit Board, at the points where the Socket is soldered to the Board, with a strong magnifying glass and, holding the Board, try moving the Socket and see if any of the connections move --- if in doubt re-solder all of the connections. This information is true for all of the different PCW machines, excepting the PcW16.

ENLARGED FOR EASY VIEWING.
TEQNICHE 102 KEYBOARD FOR THE PCW.
Around 10 years ago a company called 'Teqniche by Pan Euro' produced a PC type replacement keyboard for the PCW with the full complement of keys (at that time 102). These keyboards were costly at £79 or less (this as quoted in adverts, the price excluded V.A.T. and carriage) but are now offered at a reasonable figure when they appear in the second-hand market. Production did continue for a few years making them not to hard to locate, look out for one and add it to your favourite machine -- they are nice to use.

Teqniche Keyboard
AMSTRAD CPC6128+.

It would seem that Amstrad utilised a Key pad unit in the CPC6128+ machine similar to that as used in the PCW8256/8512 series keyboard . These are highly reliable parts and rarely need replacing, other than for worn out lettering, but should a key need replacing then look to the PCW8000 series keyboards for most of the standard keys. These are cheaply available and a good source of spares (although, as of yet, interchange of keys is an untested theory).

AMSTRAD PcW16 KEYBOARD.

The PcW16 seems now to be turning up for sale without it's keyboard, so to enable you to use this machine with a PC keyboard you will need a pictorial guide to the original keyboard to enable you to follow the on screen instructions --- hopefully the following two pictures will help .

The picture below fits to righthand side of the picture above but, of course, is not to scale.
PcW16 keyboard righthand half

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