Terminal only had a parallel keyboard, and a B/W monitor. All video and keyboard interface was via S-100 card called Flashwriter, with all power signals passed via a DB-25 connector.
The keyboard in the Vector 3 is a capacitive keyboard made by Keytronics These keyboards have a great feel, but unfortunately, the foam pad present in each key deteriorates over time and virtually all keyboards of this type and vintage do not work properly (if at all). A good source for replacement pads is a Sun "Type 4" keyboard. Even though the Sun keyboards are just ten or so years newer than the Vector keyboard, they use a different type of foam that doesn't break down so quickly. Search the internet for "Sun keyboard" followed by "320-1018". This is a French Canadian version of the keyboard and is the most readily available and least expensive version. In addition to replacing the foam pads, I gently sanded the key "capacitors" on the bare PCB with a very fine grit sandpaper (600) and then wiped the board clean. Based on past experience, this step reduces the likelihood that some of the key positions may still not work. (photo courtesy of sol20.org)
Hi,
Did you see this?
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=799QuoteTerminal only had a parallel keyboard, and a B/W monitor. All video and keyboard interface was via S-100 card called Flashwriter, with all power signals passed via a DB-25 connector.
Or this?
https://deramp.com/vector_graphic.htmlQuoteThe keyboard in the Vector 3 is a capacitive keyboard made by Keytronics These keyboards have a great feel, but unfortunately, the foam pad present in each key deteriorates over time and virtually all keyboards of this type and vintage do not work properly (if at all). A good source for replacement pads is a Sun "Type 4" keyboard. Even though the Sun keyboards are just ten or so years newer than the Vector keyboard, they use a different type of foam that doesn't break down so quickly. Search the internet for "Sun keyboard" followed by "320-1018". This is a French Canadian version of the keyboard and is the most readily available and least expensive version. In addition to replacing the foam pads, I gently sanded the key "capacitors" on the bare PCB with a very fine grit sandpaper (600) and then wiped the board clean. Based on past experience, this step reduces the likelihood that some of the key positions may still not work. (photo courtesy of sol20.org)
With 4(?) wires to connect the keyboard I'd guess serial communications.
My first guess would be 1200 baud, but in those days the choices were anywhere between 110 and no more than 9600 baud.
The large chip above F7, F8, and F9 has got to be the microcontroller. (8048 was a common type back then, but I can't read the numbers). 40 pins.
The keyboard is almost certainly done as a matrix. Possibly extended with a shift register (below Z5 on the PCB.)
If you can give us the numbers printed on the chips that may help. Certainly it will tell you the required voltages needed. (Probably 5V)
To re-purpose it to modern (as opposed to restore for old) I would:
- Pull the 40 pin chip out
- Test for continuity between every 2 pins. If you find any ignore them in the next steps
- Press a key. Inserting a coin between 2 keycaps can hold it down
- Test for continuity between every 2 pins. When you find some write it down.
- Repeat for all keys
A pattern will emerge. That's your matrix.
Program a ProMicro to match the matrix, wire it to a 40-pin header, and insert into the old microcontroller socket.
Power and communicate with the ProMicro.
Success. (Well, I could have missed a few steps.)
Hi,
Did you see this?
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=799QuoteTerminal only had a parallel keyboard, and a B/W monitor. All video and keyboard interface was via S-100 card called Flashwriter, with all power signals passed via a DB-25 connector.
Or this?
https://deramp.com/vector_graphic.htmlQuoteThe keyboard in the Vector 3 is a capacitive keyboard made by Keytronics These keyboards have a great feel, but unfortunately, the foam pad present in each key deteriorates over time and virtually all keyboards of this type and vintage do not work properly (if at all). A good source for replacement pads is a Sun "Type 4" keyboard. Even though the Sun keyboards are just ten or so years newer than the Vector keyboard, they use a different type of foam that doesn't break down so quickly. Search the internet for "Sun keyboard" followed by "320-1018". This is a French Canadian version of the keyboard and is the most readily available and least expensive version. In addition to replacing the foam pads, I gently sanded the key "capacitors" on the bare PCB with a very fine grit sandpaper (600) and then wiped the board clean. Based on past experience, this step reduces the likelihood that some of the key positions may still not work. (photo courtesy of sol20.org)
With 4(?) wires to connect the keyboard I'd guess serial communications.
My first guess would be 1200 baud, but in those days the choices were anywhere between 110 and no more than 9600 baud.
The large chip above F7, F8, and F9 has got to be the microcontroller. (8048 was a common type back then, but I can't read the numbers). 40 pins.
The keyboard is almost certainly done as a matrix. Possibly extended with a shift register (below Z5 on the PCB.)
If you can give us the numbers printed on the chips that may help. Certainly it will tell you the required voltages needed. (Probably 5V)
To re-purpose it to modern (as opposed to restore for old) I would:
- Pull the 40 pin chip out
- Test for continuity between every 2 pins. If you find any ignore them in the next steps
- Press a key. Inserting a coin between 2 keycaps can hold it down
- Test for continuity between every 2 pins. When you find some write it down.
- Repeat for all keys
A pattern will emerge. That's your matrix.
Program a ProMicro to match the matrix, wire it to a 40-pin header, and insert into the old microcontroller socket.
Power and communicate with the ProMicro.
Success. (Well, I could have missed a few steps.)
This plan has succeeded (see video, below) and I'm able to type all the previously dead keys on the bare board. I'm waiting on new F&F from Texelec so that's next.
One of the challenges I'm facing is how to deal with chords that are not supported by this keyboard, e.g., ctrl+shift+3. The board generates more or less pure ASCII and so there's no corresponding ASCII character for such a chord. I'm guessing I'll have to do something clever in the code to interpret certain sequences of keystrokes and return the interpreted keystroke/chord. (I'm already doing this somewhat, to map the Vector Graphic function keys and arrow keys to the proper keycodes.)
How stable does it work after that?
Surprised to see someone else messing with this keyboard; very few people have Vector 4 hardware. Seems we've followed parallel tracks and done similar things (like benefiting from Texelec) in the same time frame. Although I was also interested in replacing the keyboard with a modern one when using the Vector 4. Fiddling with the foam pads wouldn't have been quite so painful if there were fewer screws and if the disintegrated foam didn't produce such a dust...
Seems you've gotten to a good spot, including making yourself a schematic and all. Even though you've figured out most of this yourself already, you might still be interested in https://archive.org/details/7200-0001-vector-4-technical-information-sep-82 (https://archive.org/details/7200-0001-vector-4-technical-information-sep-82)
The keyboard communicates using normal 5V serial at 300 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits, no parity (page 102/107; II 5-11/II 5-16). Page 123 (II 6-4) shows the codes sent to the computer for all key presses. Note that some of them are greater than 0x7F. Page 222 (VI A-19) has a schematic.
I wrote up some parts as I went at https://ejona.ersoft.org/archive/2021/09/25/vector-4-keyboard-adapter/ . Probably not too interesting given the point you're at.