Search found 281 matches
- 20 Jun 2016, 22:06
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: IBM PC XT -> siXTyPerCent
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5138
More PCB revisions. Composite view with colour coded rows and columns: sensor-pads-v0.8-2016-06-18.png The columns on the under side of the PCB, which appear to be the driven lines on the IBM PC-XT reference. The columns are separated by chunky ground fencing, which I guess is necessary because thes...
- 19 Jun 2016, 21:52
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: IBM PC XT -> siXTyPerCent
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5138
New PBC design, following suggestions from DMA. First the rows, on the front of the PCB: sensor-pads-v0.8-2016-06-18-rows-B&W.png And the columns, on the back of the PCB: sensor-pads-v0.8-2016-06-18-columns-B&W.png The weird lines leading nowhere are ground lines to prevent cross-talk. The connectio...
- 17 Jun 2016, 23:27
- Forum: Group buys
- Topic: Mini-Groupbuy: IBM Model F "Bigfoots" [shipped]
- Replies: 147
- Views: 25033
- 16 Jun 2016, 12:52
- Forum: Gallery
- Topic: Rusty keyboards in abandoned place
- Replies: 50
- Views: 10879
I love the power station control room with the glass skylight. Very super-villain lair!Madhias wrote: ↑Shameless advertisement to get some clicks: https://www.flickr.com/photos/madhias/
- 15 Jun 2016, 21:55
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Is this corrosion?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 910
I think it's cupric oxide. It won't eat all the way through the copper traces, it's not the same as iron rust. In fact, a black oxide layer is sometimes used to protect the underlying metallic copper. It looks ugly, but it shouldn't affect the performance of the PCB, I reckon.
- 15 Jun 2016, 19:23
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: IBM PC XT -> siXTyPerCent
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5138
The beamspring design gets lots of praise in DT fora. Probably because they are massively over-engineered, built according to exacting principles. It is curious to note that the parallel sense/drive lines is a modification made later, possibly by IBM engineers who where satisfied with "good enough" ...
- 15 Jun 2016, 14:16
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: IBM PC XT -> siXTyPerCent
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5138
To illustrate, I suppose something resembling the beamspring PCB, such as the one shown in the Rustmaster Strikes Again! . I'll aim to design the matrix as a four-by-sixteen grid. The PSoC 5 series appears to have enough I/O to cope with that, without need for external components. In fact, with 72 I...
- 15 Jun 2016, 09:01
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: IBM PC XT -> siXTyPerCent
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5138
Ok, my simplistic understanding of your explanation is to avoid parallel lines (or surfaces, front to back) on the PCB where sensing is not supposed to happen. Because, capacitors! Of course :-) Would it help to insert a ground line between parallel lines on the PCB? What about ribbon cables? I supp...
- 14 Jun 2016, 20:07
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: IBM PC XT -> siXTyPerCent
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5138
Hi DMA, Thanks for sharing what you find. I don't quite understand, are you referring to the pairs of traces that run between the pads across the width of the keyboard? I meticulously copied the layout and spacings from an existing PC-XT PCB, and I haven't a clue if the result is electronically soun...
- 06 Jun 2016, 17:47
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
For me, the main appeal of this is the cheap off-the-shelf prototyping board that has all the hardware I need for a Model F controller and maybe for a beamspring controller. Much like the Teensy with hasu's or Soarer's firmware. I agree that the single chip solution is very appealing. I also feel t...
- 06 Jun 2016, 17:38
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
You will find that instead of one thread, you will need to follow two because both will attract comments at once. I don't think there's any need.DMA wrote: ↑..should I close this thread and move to workshop? Looks like it belongs to workshop.
- 04 Jun 2016, 21:24
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
Hi DMA, The results so far look really promising. I have enough spare IBM Model F PC-XT parts to reproduce the experiment, except for the PSoC, and the unknown VirtualBox ingredient. I have no excuse really, save for "real life" and "work" and "paying bills" etc... I agree with your opinion of C++. ...
- 03 Jun 2016, 21:12
- Forum: Group buys
- Topic: Mini-Groupbuy: IBM Model F "Bigfoots" [shipped]
- Replies: 147
- Views: 25033
Look out for the square IBM badge: the glue is very likely to have lost adhesion, turned brown and powdery. I recommend poking the badge from inside the case with a blunt implement, through the hole that is situated underneath the badge. I was lucky to notice that the badge was detaching on my Bigfo...
- 31 May 2016, 21:09
- Forum: Gallery
- Topic: IBM 3101 Industrial!
- Replies: 53
- Views: 10581
- 31 May 2016, 20:47
- Forum: Gallery
- Topic: IBM 3101 Industrial!
- Replies: 53
- Views: 10581
Thanks for the pictures Alex. You have found a beautifully intact specimen. I am curious to know, since you have a Model F right alongside in the photos, how do these two keyboards compare in sound and feel? I very much doubt that I will find one to try for myself, and I keep hearing enthusiasts ent...
- 31 May 2016, 20:39
- Forum: Group buys
- Topic: Mini-Groupbuy: IBM Model F "Bigfoots" [shipped]
- Replies: 147
- Views: 25033
You're all in for a real treat. There is no hype. Of all the keyboards I have tried so far, these are the pinnacle by a very wide margin. I have not yet found any other keyboard as pleasant to type on, and yet still a practical option for regular daily use. Murium may mention Topre as an equal (or a...
- 31 May 2016, 18:43
- Forum: Group buys
- Topic: Mini-Groupbuy: IBM Model F "Bigfoots" [shipped]
- Replies: 147
- Views: 25033
Hi Kekstee, Try some 2mm thick neoprene foam , it's what I use in my Bigfoots, and here is the hole cutting process , without whacking with a hammer like a maniac. Just a gentle twist with very sharp tools is needed. The neoprene tends to resist sliding, so you may need to insert paper tabs against ...
- 31 May 2016, 08:39
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: Can we design the teensy alternative for keyboards?
- Replies: 808
- Views: 158650
Hasu, I notice you wrote a comment on the Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller? thread. Do you know if the chip proposed here is capable of capacitive sensing, or CapSense® as Cypress Semiconductors insist on calling it? I'd love to see this project offer support for IBM Model F, an...
- 30 May 2016, 13:20
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
It looks as if the VirtualBox version I'm running is 4.3.36 -- I hope that the PSoC Creator is only required to recompile source code, and that there is an alternative method of uploading the binary images. There is a hint that the device can support "mass storage mode" but I've only so far seen a f...
- 30 May 2016, 11:41
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
- 30 May 2016, 11:11
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
Well it seems it was a "fat fingers" or "need sleep" failure: I tried again this morning with a fresh download of IE9.Win7.For.Windows.VirtualBox.zip , and it booted up in VirtualBox, and I was able to activate the 90 day trial period. No idea what has changed over the last few hours. Installing Kit...
- 29 May 2016, 22:28
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
- 29 May 2016, 21:25
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
Yup, I think that I have found the official VM images at Microsoft . That might be just enough to enable me to do something useful with KitProg. The release notes recommend that "you could take advantage of your virtualization platform’s snapshotting capability so that you can start over with a fres...
- 29 May 2016, 09:55
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
Hi DMA, That's unfortunate. No need for you to apologise, it's not your fault in any way. I had read the forum post from someone trying to program the PSoC from a Raspberry Pi, which sounds exactly like the kind of engineer that Cypress really ought to be selling to, but no: "We have not yet tested ...
- 28 May 2016, 22:46
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
I've had a look at the Cypress product documents. It certainly mentions CapSense® a lot, and Cypress also offers prototyping kits with capacitive keypad arrays. Farnell sells the CY8CKIT-059 PSoC® 5LP Prototyping Kit for £7.30 plus £3.95 handling charge for orders less than £20 (boo!). Darned it, fo...
- 27 May 2016, 21:50
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
So far, only ideas and drawings. The concept is to reuse parts salvaged from an IBM PC-XT, cut down to 60% format, and pierce a few more holes to accommodate the slightly modified layout. If the prototype satisfies me, I will ask a laser cutting shop I have tried a while ago to help with a final des...
- 27 May 2016, 19:14
- Forum: Keyboards
- Topic: Anyone interested in an ADC-based capsense controller?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 15321
Hi DMA, I'm another spectator watching this thread. I have a few IBM Model F rebuild ideas that are missing a suitable controller. This little gem from Cypress might fit the bill very nicely. I don't have the experience of Sensei Hasu in coding such things as TMK, but I am a professional telecoms sy...
- 11 May 2016, 23:19
- Forum: Group buys
- Topic: Mini-Groupbuy: IBM Model F "Bigfoots" [shipped]
- Replies: 147
- Views: 25033
For dirty and cut cable, that's an okay price. As long as nothing is broken besides the cable. Often this is a bad sign: you cut the cable to indicate that the item is broken beyond repair (or not worth the repair). "Beyond repair" did not apply in two out of my three IBM Bigfoots. Cutting the cabl...
- 10 May 2016, 20:52
- Forum: Workshop
- Topic: Converting an IBM 5120 Beamspring to USB
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4939
Looking at the schematics on page 255 of the friendly manual you linked to, in section "Keyboard -- Z4 Socket Pin Assignments" I smell a hint of the same sort of protocol as for the the IBM 5291 terminal keyboard. There's a "Kbd Strobe" and eight "Kbd 1...7" lines too. I suspect the "Kbd O" or "Kbd ...
- 06 May 2016, 12:53
- Forum: Other external
- Topic: Great/Interesting Finds
- Replies: 26262
- Views: 8606049
Wow! What a beautiful specimen. It looks almost as good as new. And including a punched paper tape reader! Squeal! Total vintage awesome!derzemel wrote: ↑Data General NOVA 2/10 complete system. 8 bids and it's already at 1042 Eur: