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2026-08-05 📌 Customising an Acorn style keyboard
I haven't done much with keyboards recently, other than enjoying the two I use most. I've had a hankering to get an Acorn A3020 like the one I had a kid, buuuuut they're expensive and tricky because most of them ended up in landfill and if you can find them they usually have battery damage or other corrosion issues since they were very much commodity hardware despite the high original RRP. One's just gone for over 600 on eBay without even a mouse, and Acorn mice are a proprietary design making them similarly scarce. Another A3020 went for approaching 400 sold as parts. So I thought the next best thing would be to do a looks-like mechanical keyboard with a similar layout, some suitable keycaps and branding, etc. That can then be used either with an emulator or running RISC OS on a Raspberry Pi whilst still being suited to general use as well.
Acorn keyboards were almost ANSI layout, adding a key for the UK currency symbol to the left of a small backspace key. They also obviously pre-date Windows keys and other subsequent additions that are now fairly ubiquitous. So this isn't going to be hugely faithful, but nor is the grey and black Spectrum themed keyboard I use most often with my main PC, and that brings me great joy.
The base board used here is a Xiaomi Yuemi MK01, picked for the white/cream surround, and wired because this won't be in regular use so I don't really want to leave a rechargeable battery idle in it. Plus it was sixteen quid second hand and is a little bit retro itself, being released about ten years ago. The separate USB cable is a plus, although it's a shame it's micro USB rather than USB C since they're fragile and there was plenty of space for a better one to be used. This thing may be the heaviest keyboard I've used, so a fall would likely tear off a connector and damage the port.
Keys are a couple of inexpensive sets off AE, a retro white/grey set and a red set as you don't tend to get function key sets separately. The red set is white on red rather than black on red, but I think still looks good.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009212949294.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012541149614.html
Logo is a repro case badge from https://retrofied.uk/ cut down, which is a lot more durable than just a sticker.
This seemed an appropriate point to get a three button mouse, because trying to use RISC OS with a scroll wheel as a middle mouse button (used for menus, right button is for "alt" functions) is frustrating. The most cost-effective options were PS2 with an adapter, and I think ages ago I had an example of the ten quid Logitech M-S35 I settled on. It has a traditional ball design and is cream, so although not a rectangular brick it's not too inauthentic. And if memory serves PS2 mice could be used with Acorns with an adapter and/or software module. Logitech made the 9-pin mice Acorn opted for, but the branding was on the underside so I've chosen to rub off the logo.
Plenty of photos of Acorn equipment here:
https://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/Computers/A3020.html
https://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/32bit_FI.html
The keyboard switches on the MK01 do seem a little reluctant to pick up repeated double letter keypresses without firm input or release, which is specifically criticised by reviews as well as the fact the NKRO marketing is a lie. I notice this when typing words such as 'settings' or 'generally' quickly. I don't think it could be said to be much more finicky than a vintage membrane keyboard, and repeat when holding keys down is generally okay so I don't think it'll be an issue for Acorn games. But this isn't a 'good' board by any stretch of the imagination and I don't recommend buying one for anything other than novelty use.
KDE Plasma allows you to configure a Compose key for entering additional characters via Settings > Keyboard > Key Bindings > Position of Compose key, and I've selected Right Alt which lets you e.g. hit Alt then - then L in sequence for a pound sign, or other combinations for accented characters.
Scratches an itch, anyway, for less than the cost of a working original Acorn mouse or keyboard. I mean to write more about Acorn stuff at some point, so unpacking previous goes at emulation is on the cards.
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