geekhack Projects > Making Stuff Together!
IBM Model F 5291 Terminal (bigfoot) Keyboard
xavierblak:
I fear this may be a bit of a lost cause but it's worth a shot. I recently acquired a handful of vintage keyboards. They're a little dirty and all the cords have been removed by someone looking for some scrap copper.
One of those keyboards was what I assumed to just be a Model F XT/AT board. But while cleaning it I opened it up and noticed it had too many wires to just be connected to a din connector. After a little searching it looks like I have a IBM 5291 Keyboard.
Anyone ever seen an adapter for one of these keyboards? Anyone have info on the pinout/protocol used to connect this to whatever terminal it was originally connected too?
Edit:
Just adding a link to some nice pics of the this model keyboard. Still googling for a protocol or pin out.
--- Quote from: Soarer on Mon, 04 November 2013, 06:57:42 ---Controller firmware is now up, and handles this keyboard :D
--- End quote ---
berserkfan:
Soarer told me his converter can't be used to convert this kind of Model F, but I'm really hoping someone on geekhack manages to do it in a reasonably easy fashion and posts his results. I really love the legs on this keyboard.
Soarer:
It has no CPU! The 'protocol' as such is driving the mux and capacitive sense chips directly. I've got proof-of-concept code working pretty well, but it needs more work.
In essence, to read a key...
* set the key code onto the D lines
* set strobe low
* delay for a microsecond or two
* read the output
* set strobe high
On the plus side, it uses the older 4-channel capsense chip which seems to be far easier to drive than the 8-channel version with its variable sensitivty setting. I've been scanning the matrix at 1000Hz :D
0100010:
Got any pics of the controller board - if it has one?
Wondering if it is like the 104 key Unsaver F's, where swapping in a 122 key F control board works to make it compatible.
xavierblak:
--- Quote from: Soarer on Tue, 24 September 2013, 16:48:44 ---Show Image
It has no CPU! The 'protocol' as such is driving the mux and capacitive sense chips directly. I've got proof-of-concept code working pretty well, but it needs more work.
In essence, to read a key...
* set the key code onto the D lines
* set strobe low
* read the output
* set strobe high
On the plus side, it uses the older 4-channel capsense chip which seems to be far easier to drive than the 8-channel version with its variable sensitivty setting. I've been scanning the matrix at 1000Hz :D
--- End quote ---
Hmm I think I follow. So I'm picking the key I want to know the status of with the D lines and then setting strobe low to get the state on the out pin? Cool, thanks for the info. Any chance you have the pinout from the pcb? I don't have the 15 pin connector anymore since my cable was removed before I bought it.
--- Quote from: 0100010 on Tue, 24 September 2013, 21:22:44 ---Got any pics of the controller board - if it has one?
--- End quote ---
I didn't but I just took some.
It's hard to say for sure unless I take the keyboard section apart but the pcb seems to continue down below the keys and is actually what registers the key contacts in place of the typical flexible membrane.
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