Need help getting an AT Zenith Z150 working

Lekrafter

22 Jan 2021, 20:27

I'm currently restoring this keyboard and I just finished lubing all the switches and soldered them back in, when I tried to use it to test the switches out, it didn't work although the beeper sometimes worked and the keyboard would also sometimes spit out what would seem to be the date and time. I think it could be the capacitors, if so how would I go about identifying their values?
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User avatar
TNT

22 Jan 2021, 22:48

Wow, that plate is clean!

If you don't have a multimeter and wanna go the safe road, just replace all the electrolytic capacitors. Very inexpensive. Their capacitances are written on their sides. Mind the correct direction when soldering them back in.

Also, what's that poor, lonely bamboo white doing there inbetween all of the greens? :mrgreen:
Last edited by TNT on 23 Jan 2021, 00:01, edited 1 time in total.

Lekrafter

22 Jan 2021, 23:34

TNT wrote:
22 Jan 2021, 22:48
Wow, that plate is clean!

If you don't have the multimeter and wanna go the safe road, just replace all the electrolytic capacitors. Very inexpensive. Their capacitances are written on their sides. Mind the correct direction when soldering them back in.

Also, what's that poor, lonely bamboo white doing there inbetween all of the greens? :mrgreen:
Thanks for the tip! As for the white switch it's just replacement for a broken green lol.

User avatar
hasu

23 Jan 2021, 07:04

Are you sure that the keyboard worked correctly before you restored?
And how do you connect it onto computer? directly to PS/2 port on motherboard, via PS/2-USB converter or ...


I won't be surprised at all if the keyboard works weirdly regardless of your restoration.

I have seen that people reported weirdness and various results of Zenith Z-150 AT keyboard.
https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/wik ... h-z-150-at

As far as I know the keyboard uses non-straight(illegal) AT protocol.
https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/wik ... -150-beige

Lekrafter

23 Jan 2021, 07:49

I didn't test it out beforehand and I've tried through a generic PS/2 to USB converter and through a soarer's. I'll order the Monoprice converter to see if it works, thanks for the help :)

User avatar
hasu

23 Jan 2021, 09:41

You can try my firmware, it is compatibile to Soarer's converter.
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=103648.0

I have improved the firmware to add support for Z-150 AT, it should work except for CapsLock, NumLock and ScrollLock.

Lekrafter

23 Jan 2021, 19:08

Just did but it unfortunately doesn't seem to work, but at least now the beeper always works

User avatar
Willy4876

23 Jan 2021, 20:12

Can you post a picture of the back side of the PCB as well?

User avatar
hasu

24 Jan 2021, 01:58

Lekrafter wrote:
23 Jan 2021, 19:08
Just did but it unfortunately doesn't seem to work, but at least now the beeper always works
Can you post debug outputs on hid_listen?
Check 'Debug' section on the first post of my thread.

Lekrafter

24 Jan 2021, 17:31

hasu wrote:
24 Jan 2021, 01:58
Lekrafter wrote:
23 Jan 2021, 19:08
Just did but it unfortunately doesn't seem to work, but at least now the beeper always works
Can you post debug outputs on hid_listen?
Check 'Debug' section on the first post of my thread.
is this what you are looking for?

Waiting for new device:.....
Listening:


TMK:e473e8ce/LUFA


USB configured.

Keyboard start.
I316 wFF A1320
ERR:17 ISR:0000 X1821
PRT:11 ISR:7E90 rFA W1822 rAA W2058 R2559
ID:FFFD(AT_Z150) S2559 L2559

User avatar
hasu

25 Jan 2021, 05:01

Yes, that is exactly what I asked.
It seems that the keyboard fails to receive command from converter.

Updated firmware for debug. Try this and show debug outputs when you have time.
https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tre ... usb/binary

Lekrafter

25 Jan 2021, 18:44

Just tried the updated firmware, still doesn't work but hid_listen reacts like before to keypresses,

Here's the output though;

Waiting for new device:..............
Listening:


TMK:05dc12ae/LUFA


USB configured.

Keyboard start.
I350 wFF A1388
ERR:11 ISR:0000 X1889
ERR:F0 ISR:FFE0
PRT:23 ISR:0000 !FF! rFF W1890
PRT:11 ISR:7E90 rFA W1891 rAA W2123 R2123
ID:FFFD(AT_Z150) S2123 L2123

User avatar
hasu

26 Jan 2021, 01:44

Thanks for your patience, Lekrafter.
I want to add support for Zenith Z-150 AT to my converter but it requires many trial-and-error process.


Hmm, the log shows new errors 'ERR:11' and 'ERR:F0' this time, which seems to be caused by
You can get 'ERR:11' again with another test?

To reproduce consistent result as possible, please connect the keyboard with the converter first and then plug into USB port.

Lekrafter

26 Jan 2021, 08:09

Hey I'm more then happy to help with anything, I'll try that in the morning.

Lekrafter

31 Jan 2021, 21:43

hasu wrote:
26 Jan 2021, 01:44
Thanks for your patience, Lekrafter.
I want to add support for Zenith Z-150 AT to my converter but it requires many trial-and-error process.


Hmm, the log shows new errors 'ERR:11' and 'ERR:F0' this time, which seems to be caused by
You can get 'ERR:11' again with another test?

To reproduce consistent result as possible, please connect the keyboard with the converter first and then plug into USB port.
Hey so sorry I basically forgot about it for a couple days lol, but here you go, hope this helps!

https://youtu.be/w0WAVNaGPXg

Lekrafter

31 Jan 2021, 21:50

And in this one I disconnected and reconnected it in the usb port instead of the DIN5 connector

https://youtu.be/OlPPRv8LBx8

User avatar
Chyros

01 Feb 2021, 10:36

My AT Z-150 works only over native PS/2, converters don't work.

Lekrafter

01 Feb 2021, 18:19

Chyros wrote:
01 Feb 2021, 10:36
My AT Z-150 works only over native PS/2, converters don't work.
Yea well that keyboard was for a trade with a friend and his motherboard's PS/2 port works fine with it, but I don't have a PS/2 port on my mobo and I still got a couple of AT Z150s I want to use so I'd like to get things figured out.

User avatar
hasu

02 Feb 2021, 07:40

Lekrafter, Thanks for the test.

In the first video:
'ERR:17'(and 'ERR:20') still occurs but it can be recovered with the latest firmware.
The converter works with the keyboard probably.

In second one(Repluging at USB connector case):
No error found. The converter should work as well.

The converter seems to start up as expected in both cases.

1) Can you type keys with the latest firmware now? Post debug log if you have any problem on typing.

2) And check if the converter works when pressing CapsLock(and NumLock). Can you post debug log for this test?


In general you better connect a keyboard with the converter before plugging into USB port. Otherwise, the converter can fail to initialize keyboard sometimes, but not so often.


BTW, please just 'copy and paste' debug log text if possible. It would be preferable to video recording, text is easier to make reference in post.

User avatar
hasu

06 Feb 2021, 06:29

Updated firmware with fix for Z-150.

https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tre ... usb/binary

Feedback and hid_listen debug log is still required to improve its support.

Thanks

User avatar
pr0ximity

07 Feb 2021, 03:58

Didn't realize there was ongoing work on the Z-150 AT, next time I have access to my office I'll have to pick mine up and get a Soarer's for it. Mine works pretty well with a simple DIN -> PS/2 -> USB, except that F7 doesn't register and I'd like some on-board (or on-adapter) remapping.

Lekrafter

09 Feb 2021, 04:30

hasu wrote:
06 Feb 2021, 06:29
Updated firmware with fix for Z-150.

https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tre ... usb/binary

Feedback and hid_listen debug log is still required to improve its support.

Thanks
Tried the new firmware out, first time;

Listening:


TMK:b4a30776/LUFA


USB configured.

Keyboard start.
I360
PRT:11 ISR:6A90 rAA AA429 wF2 R956
ID:FFFF(XT) S956 L956

second time;

Listening:


TMK:b4a30776/LUFA


USB configured.

Keyboard start.
I287
PRT:11 ISR:6A90 rAA AA421 wF2 R948
ID:FFFF(XT) S948 L948

User avatar
hasu

09 Feb 2021, 07:40

Thanks for your patience.

That firmware version(b4a30776) seems to have regression on keyboard protocol recognition. (The keyboard is recognized as a XT keyboard instead of AT.)
Power-on test result(rAA) from the keyboard is received but
'Read keyboard ID' command(wF2) fails and the keyboard doesn't reply for some reason.

Can you try this firmware and share debug outputs?
And check if:
1) Typing a key registers on computer?
2) LED indicators of CapsLock and NumLock works when the keys are pressed?

https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tre ... usb/binary

Lekrafter

10 Feb 2021, 04:11

I just did, the lock lights do not turn on except in the "booting" of the keyboard, and I typed hello after, here's the output;

Device disconnected.
Waiting for new device:..
Listening:


TMK:f8ce50eb/LUFA


USB configured.

Keyboard start.

PRT:11 ISR:6A90 I301
PRT:11 ISR:0000 rAA AA302 R803
ID:FFFD(AT_Z150) S803 L803 r33 rF0 r33 r24 rF0 r24 r4B rF0 r4B r4B rF0 r4B r44 rF0 r44

Lekrafter

10 Feb 2021, 04:11

but the keyboard still doesn't write characters...

User avatar
hasu

10 Feb 2021, 06:44

I found a bug and updated firmware again.

https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard/tre ... usb/binary

Could you test this when you have time?

Lekrafter

12 Feb 2021, 02:59

I'm currently typing this on an AT Z150!!! It works thanks you very much hasu, although sometimes it writes double characters

Lekrafter

12 Feb 2021, 02:59

I'm currently typing this on an AT Z150!!! It works thanks you very much hasu, although sometimes it writes double characters

User avatar
TNT

12 Feb 2021, 04:06

Lekrafter wrote:
12 Feb 2021, 02:59
I'm currently typing this on an AT Z150!!! It works thanks you very much hasu, although sometimes it writes double characters
Good job getting it to work!
That could just be an issue with the switches. There are some threads here how to fix Alps that jitter.

User avatar
hasu

12 Feb 2021, 04:33

Great!

Can you confirm that LED indicators works when pressing Lock keys?
Also 'F7' key works? (Monoprice converter fails at F7 for no reason.)

I still like to check debug output to know that it works as expected.
Posting debug log with pressing those keys would be appreciated.

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