IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

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ohaimark
Kingpin

17 Sep 2017, 18:54

Datanetics DC-50 switches, maybe? Look at the Datanetics entry in the wiki.

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JP!

17 Sep 2017, 20:02

So I am working with a seller who has a bunch of vintage gear including keyboards. I have not seen one like this before. It is a Texas Instruments keyboard. Sorry about the potato pictures. Does anyone else know more about this and what kind of switches it has?
TI1.jpg
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TI2.jpg
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Myoth

17 Sep 2017, 20:30

JP! wrote: So I am working with a seller who has a bunch of vintage gear including keyboards. I have not seen one like this before. It is a Texas Instruments keyboard. Sorry about the potato pictures. Does anyone else know more about this and what kind of switches it has?
TI1.jpg
TI2.jpg
Brown Alps ;)

IKSLM

17 Sep 2017, 20:35

These don't really look like alps

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JP!

17 Sep 2017, 20:35

The profile doesn't seem to match up though. The seller says they look red, the photo it looks brown.
switches.jpg
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Myoth

17 Sep 2017, 20:38

IKSLM wrote: These don't really look like alps
I was obviously joking, I'm sure they are not Alps, I was poking at the fact that they are exactly like Alps but square rather than rectangular.

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 22:17

Myoth wrote:
IKSLM wrote: These don't really look like alps
I was obviously joking, I'm sure they are not Alps, I was poking at the fact that they are exactly like Alps but square rather than rectangular.
:o :lol:

Yeah, just a "bit" different!

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JP!

17 Sep 2017, 22:22

Should I shoot an offer out for this keyboard?

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Daniel Beardsmore

17 Sep 2017, 22:23

You know when you have a dream, and the details of things get strangely distorted …

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 22:30

JP! wrote: Should I shoot an offer out for this keyboard?
Your call but I`d keep that offer "low ball" unless the seller has more & better pictures.
Daniel Beardsmore wrote: You know when you have a dream, and the details of things get strangely distorted …
That is very true. One could argue that strange keyboard looks like something out of a "bad dream". ;) :lol: Too bad we dont know and it may actually be quite interesting.

What is your take on that switch then Daniel?

Engicoder

17 Sep 2017, 22:34

Looks like it might be some sort of slider over dome type switch.

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 22:37

Engicoder wrote: Looks like it might be some sort of slider over dome type switch.
Right. While we are at it have a look at the keyboard for the Texas Instruments Professional Computer, not the same but similair:
tipc-keyboard.jpg
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Ins ... l_Computer

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Daniel Beardsmore

17 Sep 2017, 22:38

It's a very strange switch, especially the shapes in the plate/case to either side of it.

Obviously I'm in favour of any course of action (space and funds permitting!) that results in more knowledge.

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JP!

17 Sep 2017, 22:42

seebart wrote:
Engicoder wrote: Looks like it might be some sort of slider over dome type switch.
Right. While we are at it have a look at the keyboard for the Texas Instruments Professional Computer, not the same but similair:
tipc-keyboard.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Ins ... l_Computer
I think you might be on to something.

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 22:54

Daniel Beardsmore wrote: It's a very strange switch, especially the shapes in the plate/case to either side of it.
No doubt. To make things even more fun here`s this which suposedly is the TI Explorer II Lisp machine keyboard posted on flickr here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/two_pi_r/ ... 1/sizes/o/
Spoiler:
264672521_1a4d3eea27_o.jpg
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JP! wrote: I think you might be on to something.
Nah Im still sceptical. These old obscure keyboards can play tricks on us... :P

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Nuum

17 Sep 2017, 22:57

seebart wrote:
Engicoder wrote: Looks like it might be some sort of slider over dome type switch.
Right. While we are at it have a look at the keyboard for the Texas Instruments Professional Computer, not the same but similair:
tipc-keyboard.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Ins ... l_Computer
Those peculiar bars on the F an J keycaps remind me of something, I've seen them before. Which switches does this thing have?

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Daniel Beardsmore

17 Sep 2017, 23:02

Nuum wrote: Those peculiar bars on the F an J keycaps remind me of something, I've seen them before.
Funnily enough, I saw them in earlier today, and it's tactile brown Alps:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=76021.150

Bottom of the page, in another TI keyboard. The photos are all gone, except for the one posted to the forum.

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JP!

17 Sep 2017, 23:03

There is even a question mark written on top of the keyboard :)

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 23:07

JP! wrote: There is even a question mark written on top of the keyboard :)
Could be. Could also be the number two.
Daniel Beardsmore wrote:
Nuum wrote: Those peculiar bars on the F an J keycaps remind me of something, I've seen them before.
Funnily enough, I saw them in earlier today, and it's tactile brown Alps:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=76021.150

Bottom of the page, in another TI keyboard. The photos are all gone, except for the one posted to the forum.
Strange.
Nuum wrote:
seebart wrote:
Engicoder wrote: Looks like it might be some sort of slider over dome type switch.
Right. While we are at it have a look at the keyboard for the Texas Instruments Professional Computer, not the same but similair:
tipc-keyboard.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Ins ... l_Computer
Those peculiar bars on the F an J keycaps remind me of something, I've seen them before. Which switches does this thing have?
I have those bars on an decision data computer keyboard of mine!

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Daniel Beardsmore

17 Sep 2017, 23:15

The only Decision Data keyboard on the wiki is [wiki]Decision Data 8010[/wiki] and it doesn't have those "bars". The name Decision Data rings a bell, and not because of the keyboard on the wiki (that I don't recall seeing before).

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//gainsborough
ALPSの日常

17 Sep 2017, 23:17

Gentleman.... it has been found...

Long ago, the object that should not have been forgotten was lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the coffee square alps passed out of all knowledge...

Until, when chance came, the square coffee alps ensared a new bearer. The ring-I-mean-coffee square alps came to the texas instruments board...

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JP!

17 Sep 2017, 23:18

Alright, I think I will have to buy this keyboard now :)

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 23:26

Daniel Beardsmore wrote: The only Decision Data keyboard on the wiki is [wiki]Decision Data 8010[/wiki] and it doesn't have those "bars". The name Decision Data rings a bell, and not because of the keyboard on the wiki (that I don't recall seeing before).
You know better than most here Daniel that there are many keyboards we do not have present in our wiki:
IMGP6835.JPG
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IMGP6836.JPG
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Daniel Beardsmore

17 Sep 2017, 23:43

And what switches does that have?

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seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

17 Sep 2017, 23:45

Daniel Beardsmore wrote: And what switches does that have?
Its a rubber dome. A pretty strange one. I never looked at it in detail though.

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flowerlandfilms

17 Sep 2017, 23:55

Myoth wrote:
IKSLM wrote: These don't really look like alps
I was obviously joking, I'm sure they are not Alps, I was poking at the fact that they are exactly like Alps but square rather than rectangular.
...LOL, Fat Alps...

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depletedvespene

18 Sep 2017, 03:13

IKSLM wrote: These don't really look like alps
Brown Guadalupes, then? (they're supposed to be Texan, or not?)

thegoldenmandenis

18 Sep 2017, 21:53

Does anyone know what kind of switch this might be? I initially thought Fujitsu Peerless, but I now doubt that because the design looks quite different. There doesn't appear to be a rubber dome, and instead there is a plastic lever that seems to depress into the bottom side of the key switch housing. The housing is also clipped into the board on the left and right, but when I unclip it there seems to be something at the bottom of the switch holding it in place, and I don't want to apply any more pressure to pull it out because I'm afraid of breaking it.

To add even further confusion, I've got another outwardly similar looking Victor branded keyboard that uses a third type of switch. That one has switch housings that clip in at the top and bottom of the switch and can be unclipped to reveal that it's a Fujitsu leaf spring design.

Photos of the keyboard:
IMG_20170918_194025.jpg
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IMG_20170918_194044.jpg
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IMG_20170918_200729.jpg
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User avatar
seebart
Offtopicthority Instigator

18 Sep 2017, 22:05

That keyboard in your last picture is a Victor branded Fujitsu FKB4700 for sure.
thegoldenmandenis wrote: That one has switch housings that clip in at the top and bottom of the switch and can be unclipped to reveal that it's a Fujitsu leaf spring design.
How do you know that? Hmm...take it apart completely then please. Just saying its an unknown Fujitsu leaf spring design is no good! :|

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Daniel Beardsmore

18 Sep 2017, 22:34

seebart wrote: That keyboard in your last picture is a Victor branded Fujitsu FKB4700 for sure.
My 1993 FKB4700 (the one shown on the wiki — one day I'll upload the rest of the photos of it) contains an indication of three models that share that case: 1000, 4700 and 2931.

Top case, with options of 1000, 4700, 2931 and X:
IMGO4709.jpg
IMGO4709.jpg (163.91 KiB) Viewed 13105 times
Bottom case, with options of 4700, 2931 and X:
IMGO4750.jpg
IMGO4750.jpg (96.45 KiB) Viewed 13105 times
I assume this mystery keyboard is one of those other models. That spring-over-prong design is "always" used with membranes, but it seems that someone's found a way to make it work with a PCB.

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