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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ekeppel on Wed, 04 October 2017, 09:02:16
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I have never seen caps like this before. Maybe from a custom CNC setup?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182807037830
[attach=1]
Edit: Wonder if those are IBM-made caps or does Unicomp do custom side-printed sets as well?
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I remember this board, or one like it. Was going for a decent price a year or two back, maybe $60 + ship? Want to say it's something CATIA/CAD related but cannot be sure.
I think the person who got the last one was a GH/DT member.
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Darn, I didn't see this one. This ones seen some use for sure.
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Very cool find!
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Apparently Clicky Keyboards sold one of these years ago.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060110140342/http://www.clickykeyboards.com:80/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/9523/subcatid/0/id/149599
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The clickykeyboards site states that they one they sold was a one-of-a-kind. To better document both boards, I've copied the data here:
part# 1391401
serial# 3702060
date 13-DEC-88 (17 years old)
IBM logo black logo on white background
cable removable, coiled cable, ps/2 connector (NEW, extra long cable in original package)
key caps removable (two piece, key stem + key cap)
key switches clicky = buckling spring
part# 1391401
fru# 1392090
serial# 7734787 (id#)
date 25-JAN-1993
plt# L1-CW Model M
IBM logo blue logo on beige background
cable removable, coiled cable, ps/2 connector with built-in ferrite on ps2-end
key caps unknown
key switches clicky = buckling spring (assumption from the part number)
I'm sure after another few years, someone will find this thread and add to the information here. It might take another decade or so, but I'm pretty confident we'll get to know the history behind this variant someday. :cool:
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I've seen at least one more of this board, if not two, on ebay.
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I've seen at least one more of this board, if not two, on ebay.
Any of the listings say what the board was made for?
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I've seen at least one more of this board, if not two, on ebay.
Not quite unique then, as there's more than one of them.
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I found another one, again. I wasn't looking for this keyboard, just stumbled upon it looking at random Model M's.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/6rkhgs/model_m_still_used_at_my_work/
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I've seen at least one more of this board, if not two, on ebay.
Any of the listings say what the board was made for?
I believe it was an IBM CATIA setup, or something else CAD related.
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I found another one, again. I wasn't looking for this keyboard, just stumbled upon it looking at random Model M's.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/6rkhgs/model_m_still_used_at_my_work/
In that thread the OP says it's for a machine shop machine. I've asked if he can take a pic of the machine it controls and how those special keys are used when using the machine. Will be cool to know!
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Thanks for messaging the OP. I was going to ask some questions but had not gotten to it.
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Thanks for messaging the OP. I was going to ask some questions but had not gotten to it.
I didn't message him directly, so he may not have seen it. :(
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Well I've gone and done it. I've just acquired one of these illusive beasts I struck out to find nearly 3 years ago. The seller wanted a lot for it and I got them down on the price but it was still expensive. These key caps were just too cool.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
[attachimg=5]
[attachimg=6]
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I think this might have been used on a CMM or some other kind of Measurement machine.
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How hard were you able to haggle?
The unique colors and the front printed alphas makes it both unique and completely usable, I love it.
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I didn't even notice those front-face alphas until you posted the higher res pictures--nice! This is a gem of a board. :)
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I think this might have been used on a CMM or some other kind of Measurement machine.
It seems there is new information which sheds light on this mystery and it took less than a decade even. I asked the Reddit user /u/tortelett about this keyboard and they confirmed that this was hooked up to an old CMM machine but they no longer work for the company that had the machine and unfortunately was not able to take the keyboard.
So what the heck is a CMM? - A coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is a device that measures the geometry of physical objects by sensing discrete points on the surface of the object with a probe. CMM Programmers use coordinate measuring machines to measure the physical characteristics of an object, such as the object's dimensions. To do this, CMM programmers must create inspection programs which are written in the CMM programming language.
[attach=1]
Old-school setup:
[attachimg=3]
Specialized CMM programming keyboard with similar legends and symbols!
[attachimg=2]
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Very cool! That's a nice PS/2 Model 55 from what I can tell in that pic along with the IBM Proprinter XL which also came with our 30-286. :) What's surprising is the keyboard with that setup doesn't have the special keycaps, lol.
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Very cool! That's a nice PS/2 Model 55 from what I can tell in that pic along with the IBM Proprinter XL which also came with our 30-286. :) What's surprising is the keyboard with that setup doesn't have the special keycaps, lol.
Yeah that's unfortunate they didn't have the special keycaps. At least it's a Model M. So we at least know the special keycaps are CMM specific but not the specific machine or software used.