How do people find these things.
in Australia, there are certain days in a year where company could throw rubissh near the kerb of the street for council rubbish collection. I just need to lurk around big tech companies. I found 1 model M + XT/AT computer /w monitor and this one. For FREE!
Dat Enter key
Hah, a "Rub Out" key ;D These caps look like they would benefit from a Retr0Bright (http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/) treatment.
Hah, a "Rub Out" key ;D These caps look like they would benefit from a Retr0Bright (http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/) treatment.
I know, wondering what kind of app this kb is for, lol
I don't have much of a clue either, though at the same time there really isn't all that much information floating around the web apart from an old ebay listing for a similar Cherry G80 series board. The last four digits were not the same as yours plus the seller did not mention any information on what sort of connector that keyboard would have used. That ebay listing is here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHERRY-G80-0531-Tastatur-Keyboard-Top-Raritat-Ohne-Gehause-und-Kabel-/281076859334
I also found Cherry filing patent with the label on the PCB. According to the patents, it was filed around early 90s. Of course these information may not be all that useful but I thought it might still be worthy to point it out: http://www.google.com/patents/DE8710488U1
Also looking at the photo of where the cable was chopped off I guess it would have used something kind of like a 5 pin connector. Which would have been DIN sort of connector. The PS/2 had 6 pins and USB would probably have had 5 pin (with the last one being ground, most likely). Again only very roughly guessing that it might just work if it was mated to a DIN 5 pin sort of socket. There are a couple of variations around that era (when Cherry filed patent) but I am sort of willing to guess that it might just be a regular 5 pin and not those fancy 270 degrees IBM connectors.
There might be some information that you can scour for with the characters, etc printed on the chip of the PCB. They might give you hints as to what sort of connection it would have had.
I actually have one of the terminals these keyboards connect to complete and working.
The keyboard actually connects to the VT using a 6P6C connector - basically a phone plug.
I *think* (and this is just a guess, mostly) that the keyboard *may* talk over serial. It's certainly a complex beast, considering it has a full-out microcontroller (INS8039) and a UV-EPROM for firmware in it.
As an aside, that video is mine.
I may be able to stick a logic analyser on it over this weekend, if I have some free time.
---
Posted from a bugmenot throwaway account.
I suspect that's a 5V regulator on the left with the heatsink, which would mean that the terminal supplied the keyboard with more than 5V (probably 12V). What's the part number on it?
There's some protocol info in the 1982 Cherrry catalogue (http://deskthority.net/wiki/File:Catalogue_1982.pdf), but not detailed and may well not apply to this particular module.
Latest (readable) datecode on the chips is 8523 = mid-1985.
Even if you work out the protocol, it may not send release events for most keys. If that's the case, conversion would have limitations, particularly for modifier keys (something like sticky-keys would have to be used).
A sure-fire way to get it working would be to remove the CPU (and any other parts that might interfere, like the regulator) and replace it with a Teensy or similar - there's multiple firmwares you could choose from these days :D
Or you could venture into programming 8039 assembly and make a new EPROM to plug in >:D
I think the best solution for me now is to throw away all and replace with a Teensy.
I think the best solution for me now is to throw away all and replace with a Teensy.
I'll second that ! :thumb:
I think the best solution for me now is to throw away all and replace with a Teensy.
Hahahha that name so american. Contains german switches.
I'm very interested in this keycap (below)Show Image(http://i.imm.io/1ljaE.png)
Is that the "block" cap with the window? what's the red stuff? the window looks clear from the top.
I don't have much of a clue either, though at the same time there really isn't all that much information floating around the web apart from an old ebay listing for a similar Cherry G80 series board. The last four digits were not the same as yours plus the seller did not mention any information on what sort of connector that keyboard would have used. That ebay listing is here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHERRY-G80-0531-Tastatur-Keyboard-Top-Raritat-Ohne-Gehause-und-Kabel-/281076859334That is a Commodore PC-5 keyboard. At that time, each keycap layout had a different article number.