Found this absolute unit of a keyboard in a dumpster outside an old abandoned factory. And i need help identifying it!

Figzyy

18 Apr 2019, 14:58

Image

More pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/FGFdHtV

Copy & paste comment from the reddit post that lead me here:

I assume its for some sort of terminal. On the note on the side theres no serial or anything, it says "replacement part", some gibberish, and then its dated at the bottom. 3.5.90(european way of writing a date. The correct way :^) )

Any questions? I'd be happy to answer!

Edit: Some words. Also, there is no serial number or anything on the keyboard..

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whiffysole

06 Aug 2019, 07:04

What kind of switches and keycaps? I'm betting those caps are lovely

andrewjoy

06 Aug 2019, 11:10

That looks nice , needs a good clean up and the caps need a retrobrite !

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SneakyRobb
THINK

06 Aug 2019, 18:55

Hi,

Not entirely sure. But that connector is interesting and might lead us to the answer with some looking!

It is a CANNON DD 115339-4 50 pin connector mostly (?) used with audio equipment.

https://www.stepp-upsteppersllc.com/ind ... ts_id=9025

Red_October

06 Aug 2019, 20:37

SneakyRobb wrote:
06 Aug 2019, 18:55
Hi,

Not entirely sure. But that connector is interesting and might lead us to the answer with some looking!

It is a CANNON DD 115339-4 50 pin connector mostly (?) used with audio equipment.

https://www.stepp-upsteppersllc.com/ind ... ts_id=9025
DD50 is actually the "First Alternative" for SCSI (there are nothing but alternatives, oddly enough) but it's rarely used for that. I don't think this keyboard is SCSI, I've never heard of that before. I've seen some pictures of old Perkin-Elmer equipment that used unusually large D-sub connectors for the keyboard, DC37 I think it was.

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kps

06 Aug 2019, 21:19

Can you post photos clear enough to read the function key labels?

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SneakyRobb
THINK

06 Aug 2019, 21:53

Red_October wrote:
06 Aug 2019, 20:37
SneakyRobb wrote:
06 Aug 2019, 18:55
Hi,

Not entirely sure. But that connector is interesting and might lead us to the answer with some looking!

It is a CANNON DD 115339-4 50 pin connector mostly (?) used with audio equipment.

https://www.stepp-upsteppersllc.com/ind ... ts_id=9025
DD50 is actually the "First Alternative" for SCSI (there are nothing but alternatives, oddly enough) but it's rarely used for that. I don't think this keyboard is SCSI, I've never heard of that before. I've seen some pictures of old Perkin-Elmer equipment that used unusually large D-sub connectors for the keyboard, DC37 I think it was.
Hi that is interesting. So the cable then is not necessarily the best to use.

I found this

Teleram computer that has keycaps that are very similar.

https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.p ... abubble/81
https://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.p ... 1002-4.jpg

Notice the ^~ key for instance. Seems to have the exact same legends.


The only other keyboards I can find these on the wiki are Hi-tek series key switches.

As well a Perkin-Elmer keyboard like you mentioned has the same *: key - Also Hi-Tek

wiki/File:PerkinElmer3700kb-top_view.jpg

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kps

07 Aug 2019, 17:42

SneakyRobb wrote:
06 Aug 2019, 21:53
Notice the ^~ key for instance. Seems to have the exact same legends.
That's just bit-paired ASCII. All it tells you is that the keyboard is later than 1967.

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