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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Pylon on Sat, 16 October 2010, 10:09:45

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 16 October 2010, 10:09:45

I just bought 2 model Ms at a yard sale for $1 each - a 1986 1390131 and a 1993 Lexmark branded 1398601. The problem is the guy only had one cable and it's a 5-din type. I'm too cheap to buy a cable or an adapter, so I'm probably going to build one myself.

Is it possible to make a homemade 5-din adapter? Thanks.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: WhiteRice on Sat, 16 October 2010, 10:15:15

It's certainly possible, do you have any old ps/2 connectors to splice?

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 16 October 2010, 10:16:32

Yeah, I could cut one off one of my rubber domes.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: WhiteRice on Sat, 16 October 2010, 10:24:48

It might be even simpler than I was suggesting...

Linky (http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-a-keyboard-from-Din-to-Mini-Din-without-an/step4/Remove-receptor-board-plug/)

ripster or kishy would probably most qualified to answer.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 16 October 2010, 10:30:50

I'm also probably going to sell the 1390131 and keep the Lexy. Both of the Model Ms don't feel as great as I expected, though better than my Quietkey. The force curve is WAY different.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: JohnElliott on Sat, 16 October 2010, 11:12:45

I've done it for Terminal M to PS/2. It's pretty straightforward:

1. Get hold of a lead with a PS/2 plug at one end. I bought mine from RS Components, but if you've got a scrap keyboard you could also cannibalise it from there.

2. Get hold of a 5-pin DIN socket. I bought mine from RS along with the cable.

3. Use a multimeter to work out which wire in the cable corresponds to which PS/2 pin.

4. And solder them to the appropriate pins in the DIN socket.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: keyb_gr on Sat, 16 October 2010, 11:37:25

Quote from: JohnElliott;234739

3. Use a multimeter to work out which wire in the cable corresponds to which PS/2 pin.

Or
3.' Ask teh interwebs for the respective connector pinouts (http://www.hardwarebook.info/DIN_to_Mini-DIN_Keyboard).

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: JohnElliott on Sat, 16 October 2010, 11:41:53

Quote from: keyb_gr;234749

Or
3.' Ask teh interwebs for the respective connector pinouts (http://www.hardwarebook.info/DIN_to_Mini-DIN_Keyboard).

You need to do that as well. The pinout will tell you which pin is +5v, which is Data and so on, and the multimeter tells you which wire at the other end of the cable is connected to that pin.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: keyb_gr on Sat, 16 October 2010, 12:33:07

Quote from: kishy;234756

Adapters are cheaper to buy...just do that.

ACK. Not worth the trouble.

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 16 October 2010, 12:38:57

I just committed a serious crime then...

Title: How to make a homemade 5-din -> PS/2 connector?
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 16 October 2010, 14:26:14

Alright, I'm typing on my Model M (the Lexmark in my sig) now. Thanks guys.

I basically hacked apart my SDL cable and more or less spliced a PS/2 cable from my KB-9970 onto it. I more or less guessed which cables went onto which, based partly on the colors. Thank God I didn't kill the controller or the PS/2 controller on the motherboard.

This is a really high force keyboard.