IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

[dyger]

So this isn't anything special right?

[terrycherry]

I received it today. But I have no time to clean and check whether it is. It's clicly and heavy like the Cherry black.
Here's the large picture for you to determine the switch.




Maybe 1week after,I have time to clean it.

[zaarqon]

Can anyone identify this keyboard? The only information I have is the picture and that it's a 5-pin connection. I tried buying it but was outbid.

[guk]

Didn't miss out on anything, Commodore branded variant of this one:

Maybe a Silitek SK-88xx, QWERTZ Variant of this: http://www.ebay.de/itm/SILITEK-SK-8831B ... 1150260050

[zaarqon]

@guk, thanks alot, that's nice to know

[seebart]

@terrycherry those switches of yours look a lot like some I own. It could be clare pendar. I'm typing on glass right now and don't have the link but if you search for a thread of mine called "can anyone ID this keyboard for me" you can see my pictures.

[OleVoip]

@terrycherry: As the presence of the bell key (⍾) and the who-are-you key (✠) suggests, this must have been the keyboard of a teletypewriter. I'm certain, it's from a Siemens T1000, international or military variant, from the late 1970s or early 1980s. Compare with photos of the German variant.

Siemens used this type of switches also for their Transdata terminal keyboards of that period, see for instance https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=54446
edit - or see seebart's

[terrycherry]

seebart, OleVoip: Thanks for this important information. It got her name "Siemens T1000"
I through that was Siemens when the another seller sell the same keyboard(but black slider version) with Siemens logo on PCB but without the true model and full case to prove it.

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same switch with seebart and niubio.

I"ll received the black version of this switch two days later. Take time to clean it and make more details and photos for yours!
I think seebart's keyboard is the very first type with this switch, and mine have the PCB mount is the later type keyboard.
I noticed the swith is "Siemens vintage switch" with two variant(white or black slider)

Here's the Aroflex UA-8116(T-1000CA) details link which based on Siemens T1000 teleprinter
http://cryptomuseum.com/crypto/philips/ ... /index.htm

[seebart]

OleVoip that's the first time I see that GH link. Looking at the picture I'm now sure that mine is also a Siemens teletypewriter varaint. The shape of the case and the keycaps are identical. The TD 81610 is simply a larger model with more function keys on the left.

[guk]

So what's this, Integrated dome-domes? Or one of those fancy protective layers (e.g. tg3)?

[gogusrl]

Dunno but I like the caps.

[Nuum]

Looks like the domes act as spring and the slider in the middle presses on the membranes/PCB, maybe with a second spring underneath it, instead of the domes doing that. The caps indeed look nice, are they MX compatible?

[guk]

Sounds like a good explanation. thanks. Wouldn't know about mx compatibility of the keycaps, but they sure look nice/dyesubbed. It's a wee little at&t branded keyboard on taobao.

Link: http://world.taobao.com/item/5203683114 ... .29.JfiLun

[seebart]

I've seen a few at&t branded keyboards but never one in 60% factor.Too bad interesting stuff like this often shows up far far away from me. Nice find. Are you buying it guk?

[guk]

PM'd you seebart

[Muirium]

You going to split that 60% in two or something?



Naturally, it's a much more appealing keyboard than its huge contemporaries. Although I fear the switches won't feel up to much, as there's definitely something of the dome about them. Precious few companies have ever got those right!

[seebart]

You going to split that 60% in two or something? Naturally, it's a much more appealing keyboard than its huge contemporaries. Although I fear the switches won't feel up to much, as there's definitely something of the dome about them. Precious few companies have ever got those right!

Well I'm thinking about getting it but like you say the unknown domish looking swtich turns me off...

[OleVoip]

Looking at the picture I'm now sure that mine is also a Siemens teletypewriter varaint.

I think seebart's keyboard is the very first type with this switch, and mine have the PCB mount is the later type keyboard.

Here they're already busy with sth different, so I'll comment on it in seebart's thread.

[ramnes]

More like "identify the switch":



It's from an old (XT era) Siemens Nixdorf "portable" computer.

[gogusrl]

Lasered POM ? Got a pic of the full keyboard ?

[terrycherry]

ramnes: I never seen that mystery switch. Take more pic please! You should find OleVoip, he knows Siemens keyboard so much!

[OleVoip]

Haven't seen exactly that one, yet, but it seems to be a variant of those key modules of Siemens-Nixdorf's that have an integrated rubber dome; similar to this precursor depicted in a longitudinal cut,

but with a slider inside the modul and not (as foreseen but missing in the drawing) a slider integrated with the keycap.
The switch in the diagram is simply snapped onto the PCB. It would be interesting to know if that also holds for yours.

[terrycherry]

Which switch is the MITEL SUPERSET 700 Console Keyboard(MU190EA) from?
I just saw it at Hong Kong Housing Authority.

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[terrycherry]

What's model is that 52keys Micro switch hall effect keyboard?

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[richfiles]

Do I win the old as Methuselah contest?

It NEEDS to come apart and be cleaned, but I have not even tried. I don't wanna bite off a project too big at the moment. Some of the keys SQUEAK, especially the space bar, but it doesn't jam, even if you push it by an edge. No clue how it is interfaced. If I ever do anything with it, I'd probably just map out the matrix. ALL EIGHT of the home position keys (A, S, D, F, J, K, L, and ; ) are scooped with G and H being normal. Keys have a spherical surface, but otherwise go straight down. Also, who could possibly miss that giant Return key. It's almost 2 cm (5/8 inch) high!

I just have no idea HOW I'd use something so unusual. Even ignoring the crazy layout, the crazily specific key legends, the hill climb required to press Return, the navigation keys in totally unexpected places, or even just getting used to the ISO-ish elements (proto ISO?) vs my preferred ANSI layout... Hmm... yeah, it's definitely an odd one!

[terrycherry]

Haata owns that old rare keyboard. You can search his post.
Anyway,you had a great deal!

[Muirium]

Ah, a Univac! An absurdly unusual find, congrats!

Here's one in its natural environment:


http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/univa ... lit=univac

And here's HaaTa's:

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/univa ... lit=univac

I don't know how you'll ever get to use it, but HaaTa might know, give him a PM. It's sure a collector's piece. I wouldn't describe the layout as any more ISO than it is ANSI. There's no key between left Shift and Z for instance: a classic ISO feature. I think it's fairer to call it true vintage Univac and call it a day!

[OleVoip]

It's just that single key with ISO #47 (\) that they have placed with the keys #44 to 46 (^ and brackets) instead of putting it beside key #5 (Z), a feature ISO introduced in 1975, when the board was already made. Otherwise, this is perfectly ISO: all other 46 alphanumeric keys are in the right place, a beautiful bit-paired ISO-2530 layout. Vertical return key beside key #46 (closing bracket) in accordance with ISO 1091.
edit: Looked it up: the ISO rules also allowed the variant where no key is placed between Z and shift.
edit2: Had another look at the ANSI documents - for the alphanumerics, ANSI X4.14 used to allow this layout, too ("logical bit pairing"). Then it is indifferent, except for the return key.

[richfiles]

Yeah, picked it up off ebay back in 2011. The seller was actually in my own state. I guess I'm just not very familiar with ISO at all, being used to north American ANSI keyboards. Didn't even realize they were "ANSI" till the other day! LOL. the elements that stand out to me most (aside from the multitude of incredibly specific function keys) are the position of certain symbols on certain key locations/regions... The Quote symbol over the 2, and the @ symbol over on the right side of the keyboard, near Return, along with that back facing arrow on the left, and even the use of shift lock, vs caps lock all remind me of my Commodore 64/128 keyboards. I've always understood European keyboards evolved keeping some of those particular character positions (@, ", etc) and still use those design elements to this day. Obviously, Alt Gr and extra keys are certainly developments of modern ISO that make the numerous European dialects possible to type. I suppose that must have been frustrating in the days of 7-bit text!

What can I say, I'm a keyboard noob. My specialty is vintage calculators! I wasn't turning down that amazing keyboard though!

Hmm.. Apparently OleVolp thinks my ISO-eye is apparently adequate. Given the date these boards were made, it certainly precedes the later ISO standards, but does have those certain elements that are familiar to some people.

Other elements of this keyboard are just... Like nothing I've ever seen!
And I love it!

[Crazy Canadian XXIV]

Came across two of these on eBay before I signed up here (the other one had a German layout, and wound up selling for a measly 33 euros. What a steal!). All I know is that it's from a Sanyo MBC-555, aside from that it's a bit of a mystery. Anyone ever seen one before?

The keycap resemblance to round 5 is striking.

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