After some browsing on the "local ebay" I found this board. It took me a couple days to want it enough to do some research about it. The description was a little weird and it didn't look like anything I had seen before. After lots of searching together with gmjhowe we couldn't find out what it exactly was. After I shot the owner an email it appeared to have been created by a "small" hobby club. I found a PDF scan of the magazine from 1985 where they mentioned putting together a team to develop this keyboard. Besides that I found a file on an FTP server commenting about a chip used in this keyboard.
The exact name of the keyboard isn't clear to me either, the ad called it a CHE keyboard (for Computer Hobbyverening Einghoven, which was the name of the said hobby club.) The file on the FTP mentioned the board as TOuSJE, and on one of the PCBs is also printed TOuSJE, so I figured I would be using that name. (They also made a couple of computers, called the CHE-1 for example.)
This keyboard was designed to be used on an Apple III. Oh, and I apologize for the bad pictures, I'm not a photographer.
First, the box.
It was bigger than I had expected, but no worries.
There it is! It looks better here than it did in the ad. It even came with a zipbag of extra switches and a couple caps! That wasn't mentioned, but it's really nice so I can take a close look at the switches without having to desolder them from the board. And of course open them
There are two kind of switches in the board, with a black stem (left) and a white stem (right). I'm almost sure the black one is an SMK Lock. The only thing different is that it hasn't a black thing on the front like in the picture of Electronic Surplus. (link via wiki)
The white one looks somewhat similar, but the stem has a smaller cross and a smaller stem on the keycap. The keycaps aren't interchangeable between the black and white switches. The mechanics inside are two completely different things.
The pictures above were all of the switch with the white stem. I'm assuming it's a variation of the SMK Vintage Linear, but I really don't know. This one just has numbers on the bottom, like 9 in the last picture. There are different numbers on different switches, in the spares bag I found a couple with 2 and 5. I don't know if there is any difference between them. They might be clones or not be made by SMK at all.
This are the switches with black stems. The pictures don't look that good, but I tried. Here you can see SMK in the diamond shape. This switch is always "on", or whatever the official term might be.
I did a quick improvised measuring of the actuation force of the keys, like the Ripster method but the Euro version. The white one is about 60cN and the black ones about 48cN, but those numbers shouldn't be taken seriously, it's just to give you an idea.
I'd call it a DA-15 female connector, I haven't anything that uses it here at home, nor am I planning on getting something that works with it. (Not even a converter
) The feet click into place, as you can see. Quite stable. Time to open it up!
I was a bit shocked by the button and switch hanging on loose wires in the case! It looks sloppy to me. I think it's the reset button in order to clear the memory and the other one to toggle between programming and usage mode. But I'm not sure. (And oops, the camera strap took the focus! Didn't see that when taking pictures, sorry.)
And all doubleshots! They don't fit Cherry MX switches, which is a bit sad. They're in good condition, but a bit dirty. They're in the container until I fancy cleaning them.
The white switches are only used for the spacebar and the key next to it. The plate is really solid.
And that were the last pics, a closer look at the PCB. In the case were two PCBs, one on which the switches were soldered, made by Datacomp Electronics (I think it's the same PCB as used in their keyboards). That PCB was wired to one on which TOuSJE was printed, which is the custom PCB made by CHE. It ought to be completely programmable and the like. It even has an AA sized battery on the PCB!
Plans for the keyboard
Most likely I am going to get myself a Teensy and try to replace the TOuSJE PCB, so I can use USB and make it easily programmable on modern computers. (I don't have any experience with wiring up a teensy nor programming it, but I will try! Help is appreciated :3 ) Is there an European someone with a Teensy to spare so I don't have to pay shipping from US?
Thanks for scrolling all the way down to see it all!
