Acer KB-101a Clone (Multitech) Connection Problems

[twin_rotor]

I tried 3 different pre-made PS/2 to USB adapters that all did not work. I was only able to use soarer's firmware on a teensy 2, to allow USB connectivity.

My  keyboard did work fine on native PS/2 and AT ports. It's hard to say if you will have similar results. If you look at my project thread  on this forum, you'll see that my keyboard and the Acer KB-101AS are at bit different under the hood. All the examples of "AS" models do not have the same ROM configuration as my Multitech, although they share the same PCB.

Your issues do sound the same as what I was dealing with. There is a gentleman here that pre-builds teensy adapters and I would check chyros' IBM battleship videos; he shows which adapters he uses.

[twin_rotor]

Here Is a link to hasu'a prebuilt adapters

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=14618.0

If you want to build it yourself, both hasu and soarer's projects are fairly simple to assemble. I like hasu's module, as it it on a custom PCB, ready to go out of the box. I built my own as he only offers PS/2 input. I plan on making another stand alone adapter wired with a 180 degree 5 pin DIN.

[kultra]

Thanks for your answers.

I looked at the adapters you suggested, but I have no guarantee that they'll work, also they are expensive. Soon I'll pay more for adapters than for the keyboard. The Startech adapters are not active, I tested another keyboard and it resets (the LEDs are blinking and no input is registered) from time to time, more often when I type fast.

Looking at the chyros clip with cruiser keyboard I remembered that we had at least one keyboard like that where I work, but it was recycled, at that time I had no idea it was a good keyboard.

For the moment I'll clean the keyboard, use it for a while on the computer where I have a PS/2 port, if I like it maybe I'll buy one of the adapters you suggested.

[twin_rotor]

That is why I suggested the AT mega based solution I used.

I paid $15 for the PJRC ATmega32u(teensy 2), the PS/2 female plug I have literally have hundreds of, and I stole some pins from my "parts box" to make it an easy solder job. That's the same price as any of the cheap active adapters that are supposed to work, but like you, I had no luck with any of them.

I have a $6 Chinese mega32u coming in the mail, but who knows what it will be like. I have a project thread for this keyboard, so I'll probably report results there, as the rest of my hardware is in the same slow boat. Even if I use the "real deal", I'll be out $19 with the teensy in a box, with a 180 degree DIN socket and a female USB Type B flush mount.

The ATmega worked out of the box with the first and last "firmware" soarer released. The adapters chryos uses are pricey ($30-40 USD), but he has yet to have a problem with them.