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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Tarzan on Thu, 26 September 2013, 08:06:51
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Posting this write-up here in case anyone else runs across these kits. As noted in the title, despite the look of the key switches and keycaps, these are not MX-compatible. :(
Looking good so far, nice mix of custom cap legends and colors... Keyboard emulator? Looks like most of a full keyboard to me.
[attachimg=1]
Pretty simple PCB, I think these units were used in a college classroom
[attachimg=2]
Cham-Bana! When these were copyrighted/made, I was going to college a few miles away, and even dated a sorority girl from there. (Delta Delta Delta. Huh, the things that linger in one's memory...)
[attachimg=3]
Medium thick caps, all one profile - almost flat. Switches are flat with a cross-shaped stem...
[attachimg=4]
But NOT MX-compatible. Stems are thicker than Cherry MX, the caps won't fit Cherry switches, nor will Cherry keycaps fit these switches.
[attachimg=5]
Pretty simple switch mechanism (more pics later once I desolder one...), uses a flat spring to hold the stem up.
[attachimg=6]
Old Intel chip
[attachimg=7]
And there you have it. A board full of incompatible switches, not useful for very much except soldering practice. Kind of nice aluminum cases, could be used for a project box (on the large side...). I may try to dremel out the stems on a few of these, do Ripster's keycap mod, if I run out of other projects. :rolleyes:
[attachimg=8]
[attachimg=9]
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Too bad those key caps are not compatible they look pretty cool!
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Cool ****
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Those keycaps were what motivated me to buy them, I may try modding the red/green ones, they have interesting legends. Just pad-printed (I think), not double-shot or anything.
Very industrial, in keeping with their intended use.
http://web.vtc.edu/elm/projects/2003-2004/Rhino/Important%20Documents/Manual/Manual.html
Too bad those key caps are not compatible they look pretty cool!
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Whoa. That's sweet. What do you think it was used to control or was hooked up to Greystroke?
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Looks like a line of bench-top robotic assembly/manufacturing systems.
Company seems to be focused on the educational market, teaching students how to program and use robotics systems.
http://rhinorobotics.com/ (http://rhinorobotics.com/)
[attachimg=1]
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Huge-Lot-of-Rhino-Robotic-Arms-Conveyors-XR-Series-Experimental-Robot-/141059112536 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Huge-Lot-of-Rhino-Robotic-Arms-Conveyors-XR-Series-Experimental-Robot-/141059112536)
Whoa. That's sweet. What do you think it was used to control or was hooked up to Greystroke?
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Um, let's get a groupbuy on THOSE. Those look like a ton of fun!
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Just like the CHERRY M8 Switch
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Um, let's get a groupbuy on THOSE. Those look like a ton of fun!
Any of the guys with MakerBots should be looking at these, sounds like the next logical step. ;D
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Depending upon the difference in size between the two modding them to fit on MX could be very ... interesting.
I'd be interested to see a side-by-side with an MX and one of these stems.
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I was monitoring those! good to see you got one. I actually emailed rhino robotics about them, but they didn't have much to say. I can post the details later if anyone is interested.
Thanks for the excellent pictures and post.
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Just like the CHERRY M8 Switch
It's not, but your having written that was useful, as I just found this page while looking for good M8 photos.
Those switches ..... how truly odd. Those are Apple hairpin spring (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Apple_hairpin_spring) switches, but they're not Apple branded!
Apple apparently used those in the Apple IIc from April 1984 to August 1986:
http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/convert-apple-iic-to-usb-t7256.html#p144313
Someone appears to have removed the Apple logo from the mould and produced another run of switches with another logo. Notice how the "G" logos are all hand-carved into the mould?
This is an Apple-patented switch, filed in 1984, granted in 1985, and lapsed in 1997, making this switch seem a bit suspect, if the OEM was selling these without Apple's knowledge. I can't see Apple permitting their logo to be badly removed from a patented product! They could be clones, but who would want to clone such a terrible switch?