help me to get an unknown vintage alps keyboard to work!
- doomsday_device
- Location: Germany
- Favorite switch: alps
hey guys,
i recently bought this unknown cream alps keyboard (maybe dampened creams, idk really) from tentator (huge thanks to you!!)
it blew me away. never had any keyboard with vintage alps. the prestine mint condition, the absolutely beautiful sound and crisp typing feel. i immediately fell in love.
(apple font on led cover?)
so heres the problem: i cant figure out how to get this thing to work. theres no brand, no useful serialnumbers. and the more i try to figure out what it is, the more weird it gets (atleast for me).
12V 150mA?
it has two ps2 inputs, one on each side. both of them with a keyboard symbol (i guess its that).
so my young innocent heart believed i could get it to work only by connecting it via the proper cable.
(tried both sides)
cable fits in perfectly - good thing! started my machine (i should mention its a modern windows pc, but with native ps2 input), keyboard starts to beep (it has some kind of inbuild speaker), lights flashing and that was it.
lights stuck in a weird order, beep is gone. no signals will be transmitted to my computer. it will do that on every reboot of the machine.
i figured maybe its the wrong protocol and i opened her up. maybe im lucky and i could find some kind of switch or jumper. nothing.
controller is a philips 80c51bh-3, tried to find some useful infos but turns out these things can process a lot of stuff so idk.
i dont have any ideas and as you can see im really a newbie in terms of this stuff.
if you have any ideas please let me know. thank you so much in advance.
i recently bought this unknown cream alps keyboard (maybe dampened creams, idk really) from tentator (huge thanks to you!!)
it blew me away. never had any keyboard with vintage alps. the prestine mint condition, the absolutely beautiful sound and crisp typing feel. i immediately fell in love.
(apple font on led cover?)
so heres the problem: i cant figure out how to get this thing to work. theres no brand, no useful serialnumbers. and the more i try to figure out what it is, the more weird it gets (atleast for me).
12V 150mA?
it has two ps2 inputs, one on each side. both of them with a keyboard symbol (i guess its that).
so my young innocent heart believed i could get it to work only by connecting it via the proper cable.
(tried both sides)
cable fits in perfectly - good thing! started my machine (i should mention its a modern windows pc, but with native ps2 input), keyboard starts to beep (it has some kind of inbuild speaker), lights flashing and that was it.
lights stuck in a weird order, beep is gone. no signals will be transmitted to my computer. it will do that on every reboot of the machine.
i figured maybe its the wrong protocol and i opened her up. maybe im lucky and i could find some kind of switch or jumper. nothing.
controller is a philips 80c51bh-3, tried to find some useful infos but turns out these things can process a lot of stuff so idk.
i dont have any ideas and as you can see im really a newbie in terms of this stuff.
if you have any ideas please let me know. thank you so much in advance.
-
- Location: UK
- Main keyboard: Filco ZERO green alps, Model F 122 Terminal
- Main mouse: Ducky Secret / Roller Mouse Pro 1
- Favorite switch: MX Mount Topre / Model F Buckling
- DT Pro Member: 0167
Many modern PCs dont have real PS/2 ports, they are just on the USB bus.
Try it through a known good PS/2 to USB converter. You need an active converter, search for " blue cube" PS/2 to USB or lindy also make some good ones.
This is the famous "blue cube" many do not bother with it anymore as they use expensive converters to reprogram etc but its an old workhorse and usually does the job on troublesome keyboards if they are in fact PS/2
Try it through a known good PS/2 to USB converter. You need an active converter, search for " blue cube" PS/2 to USB or lindy also make some good ones.
This is the famous "blue cube" many do not bother with it anymore as they use expensive converters to reprogram etc but its an old workhorse and usually does the job on troublesome keyboards if they are in fact PS/2
- doomsday_device
- Location: Germany
- Favorite switch: alps
i have a cheap ps2-usb converter but that didnt worked either. if theres really difference i will try another. thank you.
-
- Location: UK
- Main keyboard: Filco ZERO green alps, Model F 122 Terminal
- Main mouse: Ducky Secret / Roller Mouse Pro 1
- Favorite switch: MX Mount Topre / Model F Buckling
- DT Pro Member: 0167
is it an "active" converter?doomsday_device wrote: ↑11 Sep 2019, 18:50i have a cheap ps2-usb converter but that didnt worked either. if theres really difference i will try another. thank you.
Passive ones ( the little green or purple plugs that go on the end of the cable) wont work as they are just a passive pin adaptor .
- Myoth
- Location: Strasbourg
- Main keyboard: IDB60
- Main mouse: EC1-A
- Favorite switch: Cap BS
- DT Pro Member: -
The keyboard uses SKCM Ivory switches, SKCM Cream are not dampened.
The p/n is oddly similar to the ones present on the SGI Bigfoot series, as seen here : wiki/SGI_Bigfoot_series which is why I'll take a wild guess, and say that it uses the SGI protocol, which is why it doesn't work on your computer
The p/n is oddly similar to the ones present on the SGI Bigfoot series, as seen here : wiki/SGI_Bigfoot_series which is why I'll take a wild guess, and say that it uses the SGI protocol, which is why it doesn't work on your computer
- doomsday_device
- Location: Germany
- Favorite switch: alps
thats the info i needed i guess! pretty sure its one of them. any chance to adapt it easily?Myoth wrote: ↑11 Sep 2019, 18:59The keyboard uses SKCM Ivory switches, SKCM Cream are not dampened.
The p/n is oddly similar to the ones present on the SGI Bigfoot series, as seen here : wiki/SGI_Bigfoot_series which is why I'll take a wild guess, and say that it uses the SGI protocol, which is why it doesn't work on your computer
-
- Location: Ireland
- Main keyboard: GMMK TKL-Box White
- Main mouse: Model O
Too bad, i would of bought that ive got an older model also made in ireland. Their plant is an hour from where i live. Mine is Din But i use DIN->PS2->USB. Good luck with the board. I took my leaf springs out though and click modded them. Here is a picture of mine
-
- Location: America
- Main keyboard: It varies.
- Main mouse: MX Ergo
- Favorite switch: VINTAGE SHIT
- DT Pro Member: -
Okay, that's not a ps/2 keyboard.
See that SGI copyright? That means its an SGI protocol, which means…
You're screwed unless you can find the documentation on the protocol and program your own converter.
See that SGI copyright? That means its an SGI protocol, which means…
You're screwed unless you can find the documentation on the protocol and program your own converter.
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- Location: Ireland
- Main keyboard: GMMK TKL-Box White
- Main mouse: Model O
Too Bad its a really nice board wish i had saw it in time to buy it altought its not qwerty but ive caps from my board if i did get it.
- abrahamstechnology
- Location: United States
- Main keyboard: Laser with SMK Cherry mount
- Main mouse: Mitsumi ECM-S3902
- Favorite switch: Alps and Alps clones
- DT Pro Member: 0212
One of BlindAssassin's AT101 PCBs might work for this.
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- Location: San Francisco
- Main keyboard: Das Keyboard
- Main mouse: Logitech
- Favorite switch: MicroSwitch Hall Effect
- DT Pro Member: 0240
The SGI connector (unverified) is in kbdbabel: consistent in being a mini-DIN-6, needing 12V, and having a pass-through for the mouse (hence the two ports on the keyboard).
drakware sells a converter in the other direction, so the protocol is probably known (if it isn't just RS-232, say). See also here.
drakware sells a converter in the other direction, so the protocol is probably known (if it isn't just RS-232, say). See also here.