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 Forum index » News... » PC
XT => AT conversion for keyboards?
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Kassen
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:06 am    Post subject: XT => AT conversion for keyboards? Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Found a IBM "Model F" keyboard that makes the infamous "Moldel M" look and feel positively lightweight and cheap.

The problem is that these output a XT keyboard format which is entirely different from "modern" (post 84) keyboard data so I'd like a converter. Anybody know how/where to get one?

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

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Uncle Krunkus
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I've only ever seen one adapter, and I think it went the other way.
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Kassen
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Oh, to use newer keyboards on older computers?

I wonder about the dimensions of the matrix, maybe I could simply put in a modern encoder.

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Danno Gee Ray



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I've used adapters for this type of conversion, that were 5 pin din female to mini din male (kind of cylindrical). These will only convert the physical connectors not the signal format. If I recall, some operating systems may have a setting to use older keyboards, might even be a setting in the bios as well.
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Kassen
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Yeah, the adapter for the physical plug is easy but the anatomy of the signal itself is quite different. I did some reading and I think somebody blew a motherboard trying to simply plug it in. That might be a different issue though as I also know hotswapping a Model M can lead to issues as the current they draw can be a bit higher then modern keyboards for some reason and this can fry a little fuse (no big deal).

Maybe I'll be in luck and it's possible to swap out the encoder. I think I read somewhere the keyboard side of the encoders didn't change and everybody else based theirs on IBM's design so that could actually even fly.

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deknow



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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

kassen, i think i read some things about interfacing these with printer ports for use in linux. a little googling will find stuff.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Those Model F keyboards are worth quite a bit of money nowadays, may be worth just selling the thing.

Andy
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Kassen
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Yes! I saw one online on a specialised site for 85 or so $.

The thing is though, I'm quite into these old IBM's, I have two Model M's side by side here and of course a heavy keyboard like that can be attached to a laptop in livecoding situations to get some badly needed rockstar-stances into that nerdy context :¬)

Deknow; I think I saw that, yes, but it sounded like a bit of a fragile system to me. that would probably rule out bios editing as well as editing if/when the system gets in some unstable state and needs fixing before it has a chance to load that driver.

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BobTheDog



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PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

The function keys on the left where always a great idea, the person that came up with the idea of moving them needs shooting.

Thinking about it I may even have one sitting in the computer graveyard in the loft, I would be interested in if you get it working.

CHeers

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Kassen
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hmmmmm, I did some more searching online and converters aren't to be found. Then I screwed the thing open to see what was going on inside and discovered a rather ugly amount of damage to the chord where it enters the keyboard. That's a bit too much for me, especially as the whole matrix is completely unlabelled, I'm not going to sort that out, it's not *that* much better then a Model M.

Oh, well, now I have spare keys and springs as those are interchangeable and I'll keep my eyes open for a AT Model F.

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