deskthority

Hello keyboard experts,

I can`t find out anything really about this Hewlett-Packard keyboard I bought last year. The board looks new, I paid about 10 Euros for it. I can`t test it due to the connector, it has a smaller variation SDL type connector. I would also be interested to know what kind of switch I am looking at here? There is nothing in the wiki on this board. I hope the pictures are good enough.

Thank you for your help.

The exposed switches look like rubber domes to me, but I am far from the best at identifying these around here. Strange cable though. A clear photograph of its connector would be useful.

is the last picture clear enough?

I've seen these board before. The detachable cable seems to use the same SDL connector as IBM'm model M. What's the connector on the other side? PS/2 ?

this is what the back looks like. Yes it is a SDL, but smaller than the IBM one. The cable is not detachable and there is another SDL port.

Ah, that's HP-HIL.

HIL is complicated, like ADB or USB, not simple like PS/2. Bitsavers has a copy of the manual describing it, but HP used a pair of custom driver ICs for the physical layer, so building a modern converter would be more than a weekend project without one.

A PS/2 version of the keyboard also exists. Mine is HP C1405B, but that may differ for other layouts.

It is a rubber dome.

kps, thank you for your insight.