geekhack
geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: didjamatic on Sun, 17 January 2010, 16:29:18
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Vintage IBM Personal Computer AT Clicky W/Keypatch AT (http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-IBM-Personal-Computer-AT-Clicky-W-Keypatch-AT_W0QQitemZ370320925842QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item5638d8e492#ht_4301wt_939)
(http://thmb.inkfrog.com/thumbn/zemkollc/P1020042.JPG=450)
(http://thmb.inkfrog.com/thumbn/zemkollc/P1020044.JPG=450)
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I noticed that. It's on my watch list, but I probably won't go for it. Meh.
Was the keypatch sold by IBM? does it use the same capacitive bucklers as the F?
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Better question...what is the Keypatch?
looks like it adds some of the extended keyboard functionality to the F. home, end, pgup, pgdn, and dedicated directional keys apparently. Those are the only ones you need anyway!
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The real question, boys and girls, is whether a parallel port supports NKRO.
[ducks behind sandbags]
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Lol, not VERY vintage. Even brand new quad-core motherboards still have a serial port header (for the most part).
Parallel ports...well, I can tell ya my Athlon64 system has one. Not sure exactly when they stopped being standard equipment, probably not long after that though (circa 2006?)
That does however mean this keypatch thing is not nearly as useful as it initially seemed.
My motherboard has a header for db25, but didn't come with anything to attach to it! lol phasing things out is a very gradual process it seems.
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I'll let you know. AT Model F + vintage goody for $56 shipped? Methinks I be a winner today. Back together after many many years. Time to grab some AT/PS2 adapters...
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good catch.......well done
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Hmmm... my main computer (i7) doesn't have one, but then again, I just dumped about 5 computers this year... bringing me from "way too many" down to exactly "I don't know how many."
And even so, I bet FTDI makes something to help me and my soldering iron out...
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Whoa, I'm glad he took such lousy pictures, otherwise this would have cost me a lot more.
This isn't quite what was discussed here or in the old 80s article.
The keypatch is some kind of MX keycap compatible switch with a foam covered PCB that connects inline (really inline- the keypatch cable is routed through the Model F's coil) terminating in a splitter into which the Model F is plugged. Took some quick pics, links when I can, maybe in its own thread? Don't have an AT/PS2 adapter to test at the moment. One other suprise, but that can wait for the pics.
This is actually very useful.
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Never mind, guess what I just found... brb, plugging in.
EDIT: Oh hell, these AT/PS2 (or at least 5/6 din) adapters are borked, the keyboard's not working, the writeup will have to wait.
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Yeah I know, it's not my first model F, just my first since the 90s :-)
Also, my M13's keyboard uses the PS/2 port, but it was not happy hotswapping to this.
Turns out I was right to suspect the "AT/PS2 adapters;" the multimeter confirmed that the pinout was wrong. Fortunately, there was a local repair shop that had a spare adapter and I was able to literally sprint a few block over to grab it.
Right now, it's working via usb (with only one of my adapters), but the keypatch isn't - yet it's getting enough power to light up the Lock status lights (on the patch). I'm about to try it in some other PS/2 boxes, including a KVM switch. One sec.
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Ok, so it won't work on my i7's PS/2 port, nor on the KVM. I broke out the Dolch/Airlink luggable (the one with the Blue Cherry keyboard) which I put OpenBSD on, figuring that the tolerances would be better. I was right, now it works just fine. Pics to follow.
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Continued over at:
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?p=154470