BBS stands for Bus Bar Scanner. This is the scanner for keyboards using switches with single common contact for all keys in a keyboard. This is typical contact topology found in older organ consoles. It's also the easiest one to install, as it doesn't require splitting the contacts into groups of 8 switches required for diode-matrix scanners. The BBS boards come in different sizes. Most used is BBS64 shown on top of above picture, for 5-octave keyboard. Smaller flavours are BBS48 with only 48 contacts, and BBS32, mostly used for pedals, where 32 keys is usually more than enough. They differ only in number of assembled components, and if you wish, you can cut excess empty PCB, but it's so small anyway that cutting is not necessary. The smallest available version - BBS16 - is not shown in the picture. All BBS boards can be powered from 3 AA cells or external power source (3-5V). Keyboard is connected to black 16-pin connectors shown in the picture, using easy to make IDC plugs and ribbon cable (ribbon cable and plugs is not part of the delivery). One connector covers individual poles of 16 keys. There is one expander input, that lests you expand kesy range by additional 16 to 128 keys depending on type of expander chosen. This way you can easy build 2 or 3 keyboard controller. Common pole of all switches - the bus bar, usually present in form of 1-2mm thick rod, can be connected to GND (0V), or +5V depending on version ordered. Diagrams below show the pinout and keys connection.

Features:

• converts contacts with common bus into MIDI keyboard.
• optional unlimited transpose up/down. Pressing both transpose buttons simultaneously resets transposition to default note.
• optional MIDI channel change
• input for optional keyboard/pedalboard expander adding 32, 64 or 128 keys each
• optional split, with different MIDI channel for lower and upper part
• works in battery mode (enters power down after some time to save battery) or external power mode (works all the time at full speed). Specify power supply type when ordering.
• can work with bussbar connected to GND or +5V, with contacts normally open or closed, or with active outputs.
• cable with pannel mount metal-cased DIN5 MIDI socket
• when used with PC GamePort cable it requires no external power supply (normally open contacts only).
• dimensions 127x19mm (5''x3/4'')
• general info about all my boards

Download user manual.

How to order

The board is available in 4 sizes for the following prices: 60EUR for 64 inputs, 55EUR for 48 inputs, 50EUR for 32 inputs, 45EUR for 16 inputs. All prices in this website include shipping worldwide. When placing order, you choose:

1. Keyboard range, i.e. what are the note numbers assigned to each key. They don't have to be continuous, and can also duplicate. Transposition moves all keys up and down. Default is countinuous range from MIDI note 36.
2. Transposition (reduces number of available keys by 2) and its step size in number of semitones. Default: 1 semitone.
3. Channel Change (reduces number of available keys by 1) alows to change MIDI channel of the controller.
4. split point, if any