deskthority

A proper USB converter will need a new controller.


So you are saying that the keyboard controller isn't intelligent enough for a converter and thus needs a more intelligent controller, right?

Well in that case we need to look at the traces, in order to redraw the matrix in some readable format ...

I progressed in making this Keyboard to work. More stuff here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/comments/t2r26s/how_can_i_get_the_required_input_voltage_of_this/i03txo6/?context=3

I already found out that this Keyboard is powered with 5V on the pin 6 and pin 5 is Ground, the other two pins ...

Probably a variation on https://deskthority.net/wiki/SMK_Discrete_Dome. When I was looking for "Typemate," Google automagically added "Typestar" to my search.

Otherwise, my guess would be a Foam and Foil switch.

The Typemate 10 looks even very similar like the Typestar, but also different in it ...

Does someone knows what this switch is? I've looked through the wiki, but couldn't find anything lookalike.
Canon - Typemate 10.jpg
This is from the "Canon Typemate 10" electrical typewriter
Typing feel is linear and in my opinion a bit less travel than of cherry mx, also feels a bit stiff ...

Yes it's the one from Ricardo :) If you decide to buy it, I would be really interested to hear more about it, but I think I won't buy it. I just realized that it is declared as a Microsoft keyboard, but I don't think I have ever seen such a keyboard by Microsoft.


Here I made a video about that ...

So what's the status now? It seems like it has "sticky" keys with Soarer's converter firmware but it works with a particular version of TMK?


With Soarer's Converter I just get "rFF" on every keypress. And only with the TMK converter I can barely even use the use the keyboard. But even then it ...

I think exactly this problem seems to happening to my XT Keyboard, does somebody know how to fix it correctly? Is it really just a grounding issue? See my thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24764

Here is some analysis done with the tool scla. Does someone see something unusual or potential wrong?

I got great news! The keyboard in question seems to work somehow.

But iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit seems to have ome roblems.

First, itseems to have stuck keys.
SECOND; ITTTTTTTTTTTTTT ometimes SEEMS to PRESS/hold certain unrelated keys.

This text was written with the Mironorth ...

Brot wrote: 14 May 2021, 14:31keyboard.jpeg

Is this from Ricardo? I saw it too. You're from Switzerland too, right?
What a coincidence.

Also the keyboard comes with additional keycaps, wich is already super weird.

What is that switch?
Switch and Double-shot Keycap
photo_2021-05-12_13-01-59.jpg
Backside of Keypad/Keyboard
photo_2021-05-12_13-02-03.jpg
Sound test
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVecsXo_4J8[/youtube]

I know the following about it:

The calculator is made by brother in japan and ...

I hesitate to say never or anything so categorial about vintage electronics. But it is unusual to have RS-232 levels between a terminal and a keyboard. The cable is so short, there isn't any need for the signal integrity this buys one. Also, I don't see anything on the photos that would obviously ...

Just wanted to post an update on this keyboard: I'm currently in the way of creating some technical images showing the wires/connector pinout and some more technical stuff that hopefully will help me and others to convert this keyboard to usb.

Here is some work in progress: https://drive.google.com ...

Here is even more information about XT keyboards in general: https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/wik ... hard-reset

From what I've read there, I have the following problem: "0xFF indicates Overrun Error in scan code set 1".

Here's "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog":

Waiting for device:
Listening:
r14 +17 d17
r23 +0B d0B r94 -17 u17 rA3 -0B u0B
r12 +08 d08
r92 -08 u08
r39 +2C d2C
rB9 -2C u2C
r10 +14 d14
r90 -14 u14
r16 +18 d18
r17 +0C d0C r96 -18 u18
r97 -0C u0C
r2E +06 d06
rAE -06 u06
r25 +0E d0E
rA5 -0E ...

All XT keyboards are Keyboard ID: 0000. They have no way to tell Soarer’s converter otherwise. Unidirectional data stream. An XT keyboard just shows up and does all the talking. You can’t ask it anything.


Can someone paste a full log output of an working xt keyboard using hid_listener.
I ...

All XT keyboards are Keyboard ID: 0000. They have no way to tell Soarer’s converter otherwise. Unidirectional data stream. An XT keyboard just shows up and does all the talking. You can’t ask it anything.


Can someone paste a full log output of an working xt keyboard using hid_listener.
I really ...

Hm, is maybe the pinout on that board different?

Muirium wrote: 20 Apr 2021, 19:18 Try writing a blank config to it. That might clear things up. I have an empty null.sc text file for just this purpose.

I tried that, but it still gives the same output:

All XT keyboards are Keyboard ID: 0000. They have no way to tell Soarer’s converter otherwise. Unidirectional data stream. An XT keyboard just shows up and does all the talking. You can’t ask it anything.


Ah, ok. But why is mine not working correctly? I see that the keyboard does something, but ...

That's not super weird. XT keyboards handled lock lights themselves, because the XT protocol was unidirectional. The computer couldn't tell it what mode it was in, so it just counted the amount of times you pressed the lock lights. It's pretty easy to desync them.

I think one of your videos told ...

I have the same keyboard, it's an old Cherry G80, it seems. I'd never heard of Micronorth before. Curiously, it has no Cherry markings on it.

https://hblankes.home.xs4all.nl/Museum/gfx/multiterm.jpg
This keyboard was for an eastern (asian) IBM PC Portable clone (it has some sliders with tabs ...

Finally I made an Soarers Converter with a Pro Micro exactly like shown in the pdf.
All of my ps/2 keyboards that I've tested seem to work, but not the micronorth keyboard. The micronorth keyboard is just outputting "rFF" on all keystrokes (up and down). So it seems to work, but the codes are just ...

sixty wrote: 12 Apr 2011, 17:35 Going to attempt to convert this to USB tonight.

I don't actually like to post a reply to an 10 years old thread, since almost no one will reply.
But have you gotten this to work over usb? What kind of hardware do I need in order to get it working?

Myoth wrote: 10 Apr 2021, 21:12 from what I understand it shouldn't be too hard since it's serial (?)

Well, I think to convert I just have to add somehow an U to the Serial Bus.

I just bought an interesting Nixdorf Keyboard.
More general info here: https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/mo0eg9/nixdorf_keyboard/


Here are some pictures about the connector and some internals: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_mEirQtlyWsvgPplBKij0RS467Y-e8kt?usp=sharing ...

Does anyone know if the converter also support the numlock and capslock led? And how do I need to wire it up then?

... but I checked the image above and http://www.kbdbabel.org/conn/index.html. Mirror images, which is what KBDbabel uses.


I know why it is mirrored. The image in this thread shows the male connector of the cable, while the images in the link show the female port at the computer where the cable ...

Can I somehow make an external converter?
I have two AT to PS/2 adapters. Maybe I could connect the Dupont wires to the PS/2 male port and make it an external pluggable converter this way.

Also: Is the Pinout for XT the same as for AT? If so, the pinout for PS/2 on an AT to PS/2 passive adapter ...

I finally got a Pro Micro. Now I want to know what wires can I use. Also I want to know if I can attach the wires in a way to make the Pro Micro pluggable, so I can potential use other keyboards without (de-)soldering of the Pro Micro.