Recycling center find

rich1051414 · 01 Oct 2017, 04:20

So I came across this at the recycling center, but I am not sure if I will be able to get something functioning out of it or not. It has 2 RJ45(ethernet) cables in the back as well as 4 dip switches, and I can't seem to find any manuals or anything for this. Anyone know what's going on?

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PS: Yes, those are double shot DSA caps with LED windows. The numbers, however, are pad printed.

Polecat · 01 Oct 2017, 04:30

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=73986.0

rich1051414 · 01 Oct 2017, 04:34

Thank you. This will get me a head start. This thing will be a wet dream if I can get it functioning as a programmable.

clickityClackity · 01 Oct 2017, 07:00

Beautiful find! I wouldn't be surprised if it was compatible with one of their software suites... Maybe that's what the DIP Switches are for? I have a Genovation ControlPad CP24 and (if I remember correctly) the software connects with the board, pulls the layout and allows full editing via the UI, then push's it back to the board. There is a switch on mine that switches between KeyPad and USB. The connection on my Control Pad is RJ45 as well, but there is only one connection.

Either way, those keycaps are gorgeous!!! Nice find!

clickityClackity · 01 Oct 2017, 07:04

Not original caps, but thought I'd send some pics.

rich1051414 · 01 Oct 2017, 09:26

I hate it, but I won't be able to use the 2u keycaps on anything unless I deal with the double weight of using two switches. The 3u is stupid stiff. I may take the springs out of the redundant switches and force it to act like stabilizing rods and see how that goes, after I get it working that is.

Yes I had hopes there was an easy way to get it to hook up to the PC, and I had hopes in the dip switches, but the only one that has autopsied the keypad I could find completely ignored them. I will update if I find out more, for posterity.

consolation · 02 Oct 2017, 02:49

replace the PCB with a teensy and put 30g springs in 2u switches?

rich1051414 · 02 Oct 2017, 07:23

consolation wrote: replace the PCB with a teensy and put 30g springs in 2u switches?

I don't have any, but that is a solution as well. Do they make 20g springs for the 3u? I think blacks are on the heavy side for a linear anyway.

kbdfr · 02 Oct 2017, 09:03

rich1051414 wrote: I hate it, but I won't be able to use the 2u keycaps on anything unless I deal with the double weight of using two switches. The 3u is stupid stiff. I may take the springs out of the redundant switches and force it to act like stabilizing rods and see how that goes […]

That's exactly how Tipro deal with 2u keys on their customized boards, and also with the Enter key on their staggered boards: they just leave out the spring out of one of the switches.
Works perfectly, no difference to an "authentic" stabilizer.

rich1051414 · 02 Oct 2017, 16:31

Three of the dip switches seem to run to the Atmel chip, which has no USB communication ability afaik, and the 4th switch runs to an unpopulated socket. If USB was an option for this board, the chip to do it was not installed in this board. Bummer. I'll just use a pro micro and process the matrix directly. I don't know what I will do about the LED's yet, they have their own drivers and what looks like digital decoders for every column. It will probably take a clock with a single data line with addressed LED's like addressable LED strips. That will remain a mystery for now.

I also managed to get the RJ45 working and communicating to the PC over USB, but in serial mode. I rewired an RJ45 to Serial to USB cord from a printer I have, thanks to the info from the autopsy over at geekhack. Not functional as a keyboard at all in this mode. It would be far easier to just use the matrix directly than to decode the serial on the teensy. It could be done though, and an external adapter would be clean and keep the thing original, but honestly, I can't be bothered.

kbdfr wrote:
rich1051414 wrote: I hate it, but I won't be able to use the 2u keycaps on anything unless I deal with the double weight of using two switches. The 3u is stupid stiff. I may take the springs out of the redundant switches and force it to act like stabilizing rods and see how that goes […]
That's exactly how Tipro deal with 2u keys on their customized boards, and also with the Enter key on their staggered boards: they just leave out the spring out of one of the switches.
Works perfectly, no difference to an "authentic" stabilizer.

That is good to hear. I would of been very frustrated if I had to desolder them again because the switch rails had too much play and were binding. The switches are plate mounted. Should be fun.

Speaking about the plate, the plate on this thing is unnecessarily thick zinc plated steel. A very deep thunk on bottoming out. I thought the caps were PBT at first because of the texture and the sound, but alas, it was the plate tricking me. They are ABS.

The only thing I dislike about this keypad is the thickness of the case. The funny part is the inside is 80% air. It'll be 99% air once the teensy goes in xD

I think this pad was used for keycode entry on security doors, as that makes sense for the protocol it is using, and it has wall mounting hooks in the back, plus, it looks the part.

Daniel Beardsmore · 02 Oct 2017, 22:01

And you can't ask Genovation?