6 Pin DIN Connector?

[Wannabe]

I recently received a BTC-5100C from eBay. The seller image clearly shows an adapter in the image, however one was not included in my package, and now I have a keyboard with a connector I'm not sure what to do with.

The keyboard appears to have a full sized, 6 pin DIN connector.


I can find almost nothing on this connector, especially as a keyboard cable.  All my searches keep pointing me to 5 pin DIN to 6 Pin MINI DIN (aka PS/2). Does anybody have any experience with this type of connector? Are there any adapters available? Can I replace the cable with a normal PS/2 cable?

[dorkvader]

it's a 270 degree 6-pin DIN, which is a standard size, though uncommon for KB use. I think they were used as audio in the past maybe. You can get connectors on mouser, etc. I prefer amphenol ones but they are expensive

All that is easy. The difficult part is that you'll have to open it up and figure out which pin is which and (more importantly) if it's even PS/2 at all.

[Wannabe]

I found this manual for the keyboard, which has pinouts for a 5 pin DIN connector and 6 pin miniature DIN variants of the keyboard, but no normal sized 6 pin DIN. Guess I'll need to break out the multimeter and start probing.

[y11971alex]

You're suffering from the same problem I have.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=85833.0

[Wannabe]

You're suffering from the same problem I have.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=85833.0

Well we definitely bought from the same person. I was definitely under the impression that it came with an adapter based on the product image. All the documentation I can find on this keyboard says it should either be a DIN5 or a PS/2 cable, including the original manual from BTC site....not this DIN6 garbage. I can find no info on a DIN6 version of this keyboard, except for one old GH thread about someone asking the same question. I have the tools necessary to probe/oscilloscope out the board at work, but I will probably need to acquire a DIN5 or PS/2 cable, and the tools are only available on weekends.

[hking0036]

I know this is sort of a basic conclusion, but have you tried sending the seller a message on eBay? Chances are if they have the adapter in the picture then they might know.

[Wannabe]

I know this is sort of a basic conclusion, but have you tried sending the seller a message on eBay? Chances are if they have the adapter in the picture then they might know.

Yes I contacted the seller and am still waiting on a response, but am not holding my breath...especially if there were multiple orders to this seller where the buyer was under the impression an adapter came with it and it wasn't included.

[hking0036]

I know this is sort of a basic conclusion, but have you tried sending the seller a message on eBay? Chances are if they have the adapter in the picture then they might know.

Yes I contacted the seller and am still waiting on a response, but am not holding my breath...especially if there were multiple orders to this seller where the buyer was under the impression an adapter came with it and it wasn't included.

Well, even if they don't give it to you if you can get some info out then it's a net positive. Still pretty tacky to include that in the picture and not send it with, how much does an adapter cost at the end of the day anyways. fingers crossed for you over here.

[Fictiouz]

You should be able to convert it if you find out what scan codes it's using. It is not uncommon for a 6Pin DIN to have 1-2 unconnected pins. If all 6 are being used this may pose a problem if there isn't an extra ground or something weird as majority of converters are based on a 4 pin configuration.

YAY... Wish I could have some fun investigating this!

[Wannabe]

You should be able to convert it if you find out what scan codes it's using. It is not uncommon for a 6Pin DIN to have 1-2 unconnected pins. If all 6 are being used this may pose a problem if there isn't an extra ground or something weird as majority of converters are based on a 4 pin configuration.

YAY... Wish I could have some fun investigating this!

A quick look in the inside of the board makes me think it's not using all 6 pins, so I have hope. It looks like 4 wires from the connector are going to the board and one ground wire straight to the foil. All the documentation I can find on this board says it is AT/PS2, so I'm hoping I can work something up after probing.