IBM Model F

[1391401]

Is the 122-key Model F 2KRO or NKRO?

[Muirium]

The Model F XT is NKRO. My guess is the 122 key is NKRO as well. Depends on the controller I suppose.

Also: put your question in the thread title. More people will spot it that way.

[bhtooefr]

It's NKRO, at least 6110345 is, and most of the 122 Fs have the same controller. (The difference between the models primarily being keycaps.)

[1391401]

Thanks!

[Hypersphere]

What is an objective test for determining key rollover (other than mashing the keys to see what registers on a keyboard viewer or text editor -- or asking Deskthority, of course)?

[quantalume]

It's NKRO, at least 6110345 is, and most of the 122 Fs have the same controller. (The difference between the models primarily being keycaps.)

Do all the F-122s have two-piece keycaps on the 1X keys? The F-122 that I have has two-piece keycaps like the Model Ms, but it doesn't have ridges on the F and J keys, like the XT Model F.

[quantalume]

Got another Model F question...Can I yank the spring out of a barrel and insert a stabilizer sleeve, or do I need to disassemble the whole thing and pull out the rocker plate?

[Muirium]

Model F and Model M caps are compatible, I think. So you can get your homing bumps that way if you've any M caps spare.

There's some rollover testing app people suggest on Windows. I've never used it, and can't remember its name besides the fact it has an uppercase S in there that I find suspect. There is also this, from Elitekeyboards:

http://elitekeyboards.com/switchhitter.php

Again, Windows only so I've not used it. I just run Keyboard Viewer on my Macs and mash away!

[quantalume]

There's also xev under linux. I just mashed 8 keys down on my Soarer-ized M-122, and they all showed up. Impressive.

[bhtooefr]

I use the mash away approach, too.

Model F and M keys up to 1.75 U (unstabilized) are 100% interchangeable in both directions - two piece, you can use just the cap piece, or both pieces, and one piece caps will also work. 2 U and larger keys, if they use stabilizers, the Model F uses wire stabilizers that will not work on the Model M (so the Model F caps can't go on the Model M), but the Model M uses insert stabilizers that can be retrofitted to a Model F (and work better than the wire stabilizers anyway, especially on vertical keys like numpad Enter or ISO Enter, so you can retrofit Model M keys for those functions). Spacebars, the wires aren't compatible, although I thought someone made a template for bending a wire to make a Model M spacebar work on a Model F.

Also, you have to pull out the rocker plate - without the spring under compression from the installed keycap, the rocker actually falls down and signals the key as depressed.

[quantalume]

the Model M uses insert stabilizers that can be retrofitted to a Model F (and work better than the wire stabilizers anyway, especially on vertical keys like numpad Enter or ISO Enter, so you can retrofit Model M keys for those functions).

Hmmm...I just tried installing a Model M ISO Enter on my F-122 the other day (with the stabilizer sleeve) and found that it wasn't as light or smooth as the F's original wire-stabilized Enter key. Is there anything one can use to lubricate the stabilizer post? I tried a thin film of lithium grease, but it didn't seem to help.


Thanks for clarifying the need to remove the rocker plate. That's not something I'm going to attempt on a F-122 anytime soon.