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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Phaedrus2129 on Sat, 17 April 2010, 14:13:16
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A friend of mine in Toronto dug up an old Diasonic medical mechanical keyboard with MX black and gray switches, apparently. It has a non-standard connector, not PS/2 or AT or XT, he says it has about fifty wires. It also has a bunch of strange keys like "VCR MENU", "ICONS", "SPLR", "COLOR" and "UPDATE SCREEN".
Model # is 500-00937-01A
He's gonna upload some pics when he gets the chance.
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Sounds like something for a video editing rig. Would be interesting to see how it interfaces...
Toronto's not too far from here, but too far to rob him of it.
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The model # brings up results for an ultrasound machine? :S
He's in Oshawa. He might sell it to you. ;)
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Linear switches? I'll pass lol, but thanks.
Ultrasound...seems feasible.
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(2:09:02 PM) Dave: Oh yeah, speaking of keyboards.
(2:09:17 PM) Dave: I found an old medical keyboard that uses Cherry MX black and grey switches.
(2:09:23 PM) Phae: Huh!
(2:09:31 PM) Dave: It's also got levers on it.
(2:09:35 PM) Phae: What's the brand and model #?
(2:09:44 PM) Dave: And button s that say things like "VCR MENU" "ICONS"
(2:09:48 PM) Dave: Diasonics.
(2:09:55 PM) Phae: Gotta get some pics up :)
(2:10:01 PM) Phae: Want to take a look at that...
(2:10:02 PM) Dave: Model number is 500-00937-01A
(2:10:26 PM) Dave: And it's got "dplr" and "color" and "update screen" buttons.
(2:10:30 PM) Dave: So this thing's probably pretty old.
(2:10:36 PM) Phae: Yeah
(2:10:39 PM) Dave: It doesn't have a PS2 or USB port.
(2:10:43 PM) Dave: Instead it's got about fifty or so wires.
(2:10:45 PM) Phae: AT or XT?
(2:10:56 PM) Phae: Oh wow, don't know what to make of that
(2:11:04 PM) Phae: Definitely get some pics, and put it up on geekhack.org
(2:11:13 PM) Dave: I will, when my camera is working again.
'
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More info
(3:23:51 PM) Dave: I don't like the greys and blacks.
(3:24:01 PM) Phae: Need to get pics up
(3:24:19 PM) Dave: Yeah. They don't offer any feedback, I just feel them bottom out.
(3:40:20 PM) Dave: They don't make the same sounds my Das does.
(3:40:31 PM) Phae: No, they wouldn't
(3:40:35 PM) Phae: The black is a non-clicky switch
(3:40:41 PM) Dave: Yeah. The grey feels similar.
(3:40:47 PM) Phae: Is it linear or tactile?
(3:41:03 PM) Dave: linear.
(3:41:12 PM) Phae: You sure it isn't subtly tactile
(3:41:54 PM) Phae: Is it gray like this, or darker?
(3:41:54 PM) Phae: http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/096/f/e/Compaq_p8_by_Phaedrus2401.jpg
(3:42:11 PM) Dave: Hang on.
(3:42:34 PM) Dave: **** where did it go...
(3:59:52 PM) Phae: Any luck?
(4:00:06 PM) Dave: No I can't remember where I put it.
(4:00:13 PM) Phae: :(
(4:00:19 PM) Phae: It'll turn up
(4:00:19 PM) Dave: ****, I hope the maid didn't throw it out...
(4:00:23 PM) Phae: Oh ****
(4:00:26 PM) Phae: That would
(4:00:29 PM) Phae: Quick, go check the dumpster
(4:01:57 PM) Dave: Oh here it is... on top of the amp.
(4:02:07 PM) Dave: Yeah they're linear, non-tactical.
(4:02:38 PM) Phae: Hm
(4:02:47 PM) Phae: What do they look like? Dark gray or light gray?
(4:03:18 PM) Dave: Light gray.
(4:03:54 PM) Dave: It's wierd. Some of the keys on this use greys, others use blacks.
(4:04:08 PM) Dave: The letter and number keys use blacks, but some others use greys.
(4:04:20 PM) Phae: Any difference in pressure?
(4:05:08 PM) Phae: Do the switches have the Cherry logo? You'll probably need a flashlight to see clearly
(4:05:16 PM) Dave: Greys are stiffer.
(4:05:22 PM) Dave: Yes, they have the cherry logo.
(4:05:26 PM) Dave: I can see it quite clearly.
(4:05:35 PM) Phae: Huh!
(4:05:44 PM) Dave: Yes, the greys are definitely stiffer.
(4:06:01 PM) Phae: Are the grays under keys like spacebar, enter, function keys?
(4:06:21 PM) Dave: Nope, the grey one is used for another key, but the keycap is gone.
(4:06:31 PM) Phae: About the keycaps
(4:06:39 PM) Phae: Are they pad printed, dyesub, double shot, lasered?
(4:07:04 PM) Dave: Painted on.
(4:07:18 PM) Phae: So pad print
(4:07:19 PM) Phae: Hm
(4:07:21 PM) Dave: No.
(4:07:23 PM) Dave: Painted on.
(4:07:41 PM) Phae: They mean the same thing, unless you're saying hand-painted
(4:08:00 PM) Phae: Pad printing is either paint or decal or reverse decal
(4:08:13 PM) Dave: they look like they've been sprayed.
(4:08:20 PM) Phae: Hmm
(4:08:25 PM) Phae: Get your camera fixed or borrow one :D
(4:08:27 PM) Dave: Not decals.
(4:08:31 PM) Phae: What's the layout like?
(4:08:40 PM) Phae: Taking the Model M as standard (because it is)
(4:08:48 PM) Dave: Not standard.
(4:09:02 PM) Dave: There's no CTRL, ALT, or Winkey.
(4:09:26 PM) Dave: The places they would be in have sockets but I don't think they would be there.
(4:09:31 PM) Dave: In the other place they would be,
(4:09:39 PM) Dave: there's SCAN ORIENT --- and the rest is worn off,
(4:09:44 PM) Dave: the next button says ARROW
(4:09:48 PM) Dave: after that TEXT MENU
(4:09:50 PM) Dave: and then TEXT.
(4:10:18 PM) Dave: Where print screen, scroll lock and pause break would be there's
(4:10:30 PM) Dave: CALIP 1 | CALIP 2 | CALIP TYPE | ENTER
(4:10:54 PM) Phae: What about the function keys? Are they up top, or on the left?
(4:10:59 PM) Dave: They're missing.
(4:11:03 PM) Dave: Where they would be is
(4:11:30 PM) Dave: BEGIN EXAM | PAT TYPE | ICONS | CONFIG MENU | VCR MENU | EXT VIDEO | RECORD LEFT | PREV MENU | XFER DATA FIELD | SPLIT SCREEN
(4:11:44 PM) Dave: There are spaces for F-keys,
(4:11:47 PM) Dave: but the F-keys are missing.
(4:11:53 PM) Dave: They're gone and the switches for them have been removed.
(4:11:55 PM) Phae: Are the switches there?
(4:11:57 PM) Phae: Huh
(4:11:57 PM) Dave: No.
(4:12:04 PM) Phae: The model # you gave brought up an ultrasound machine
(4:12:08 PM) Phae: Was it hooked up to anything?
(4:12:13 PM) Dave: I know where it was from.
(4:12:21 PM) Dave: No, it was just trash.
(4:12:25 PM) Dave: That's where I found it.
(4:12:41 PM) Dave: I think the most I can do is probably take it apart and take the keyswitches.
(4:12:49 PM) Phae: What's on the label? Did you run the UL?
(4:12:59 PM) Dave: The places where the MX switches would be soldered on are unbroken
(4:13:05 PM) Dave: meaning that it had no F-keys to begin with.
(4:13:26 PM) Dave: There's no UL number.
(4:13:40 PM) Phae: Curiouser and curiouser. And I presume no date of manufactuer either
(4:13:51 PM) Dave: Nope.
(4:14:28 PM) Phae: Gotta get pictures, I really want to see what it looks like. You should set up a Geekhack.org account and put the dissection up on there