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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 05:45:44

Title: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 05:45:44
A guy just sent me a mail telling he's got 40 IBM P/N 1394316 AZERTY / 122 keys for IBM 5250 twinax infowindow 1 & 2 (34XX) with RJ-45 connectors and with axell RJ45-> Ps/2 adapters...

Are these BS model M keyboards ? May they work on a PC using such adapter ?

If so I'll try to buy the whole stock :)
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 05:55:41
Apparently (http://forum.wda-fr.org/viewtopic.php?t=2246&p=13686) clicky Model M.

No idea what that adapter is. If it is passive (just wiring), then no, since you need an active adapter for them to work on PC.

edit: looks (http://www.axel.com/usa2/prod_ax3-acc.html?mv2_pos=1) passive to me...

(http://www.axel.com/focus2/img/acc_rj45minidin.jpg)

So I think you'd need to build a converter using Teensy or Pro Micro etc.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 06:03:47
Seems it's not passive, as Axel terminals use standard ps/2 keyboards and mice :

AX3000 user manual (french) : [attachurl=1]

http://www.axel.com/fr2/prod_ax3-85.html?mv2_pos=1

I need to validate that and to know how much he wants for the stock^^
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 06:14:01
Thing is, the signals on the RJ45 are PS/2 signals. What's different between the 122-key IBMs and a 'regular' PS/2 keyboard is the scan code set and the mode it starts in by default. They could be handling those differences within the terminal (just as I handle them within my converter).
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 06:14:42
Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 05:55:41
Apparently (http://forum.wda-fr.org/viewtopic.php?t=2246&p=13686) clicky Model M.

No idea what that adapter is. If it is passive (just wiring), then no, since you need an active adapter for them to work on PC.

edit: looks (http://www.axel.com/usa2/prod_ax3-acc.html?mv2_pos=1) passive to me...

Show Image
(http://www.axel.com/focus2/img/acc_rj45minidin.jpg)


Well, I hope not, there is enough room in the RJ45 female connector box to hold some electronic, but as told in another answer, these terminals intend to be used for any OS server (Windows, linux...) so if this was passive adapter, their terminal PS/2 should have a kind of multi-protocol interface... I'll ask this company.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 06:18:01
There will be a PCB to hold the socket and attach the cable, but after that there's very little room in there.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 07:06:44
Quote from: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 06:18:01
There will be a PCB to hold the socket and attach the cable, but after that there's very little room in there.

I just called this company and got the answer, you are right, it's a passive adapter, IBM keyboard will electrically be compatible but not logical data, the MC they have behind their terminals PS/2 is able to use these IBM 122 keys KB but not a PC.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 07:30:59
Oh well. If the price is right, we have the tech to convert them :D

If you do get them, I'd like one of those adapters - I build converters with PS/2 and then use adapters, but the one I built for RJ45 seems a bit flaky.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 08:26:08
Well, the price is not so bad but this guy is a broker and wants to sell his stock, he told me he's leaving France in 10 days (is this true or tactic ?), so if any of you have 2000 euro to spend (50 euro/unit for 40 units)... I'll give you his mail. I don't have the mean to spend this amount, even if these keyboards may probably be sold 100 euro on ebay.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Soarer on Fri, 24 January 2014, 09:21:39
Once you consider shipping, potentially some damaged units in shipping, the quantity, and so on... that's really quite a bad price! It's very unlikely that anyone could sell 40 of those, one at a time, in ten days, even priced at €50 shipped!
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: kilogeek on Fri, 24 January 2014, 10:03:37
I'm pretty sure you are right, and unless being able to see items before any purchase, this offer is not so attractive.
But this same guy said me that he had an IBM model F to sell for cheap... I'm waiting his proposal^^

Anyway, in France, the only guys I trust in are the britons (like me) :p  The guy who sold me my awesome Bull ALPS keyboard is a briton, I got it for 10 euro + shipping and it's in excellent condition for a 1988 D.O.B. keyboard.
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Giorgio on Sun, 20 August 2017, 09:55:23
Did you purchase a unit? Was it actually buckling spring?
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Sun, 20 August 2017, 11:45:09
Quote from: Giorgio on Sun, 20 August 2017, 09:55:23
Did you purchase a unit? Was it actually buckling spring?

>3 years...

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Title: Re: IBM 122 keys 5250 Twinax terminal can be used with a PC ?
Post by: Giorgio on Sun, 20 August 2017, 15:08:44
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Sun, 20 August 2017, 11:45:09
Quote from: Giorgio on Sun, 20 August 2017, 09:55:23
Did you purchase a unit? Was it actually buckling spring?

>3 years...

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

It's buckled spring now.