Switchable mode keyboards?

[nathanscribe]

I've had an old Cherry-made board for years, given to me by an ex-British Telecom engineer.  It spent a long time in the cupboard before being used as I had no idea how to connect it back then.  However, I found I could connect it to PS/2 just fine via an adapter and have been typing on it happily for the last three years or so.

It has a mode switch on the base, switchable between XT, AT and MF.  Anybody know anything about that?  I've read a little about XT and AT, but have not seen anything about MF.  Are these switchable boards common?

The keyboard has Cherry blacks topped with cream and grey double-shots (plus some splashes of purple and green), a 5-pin DIN connector and 102 keys and is dated 1989.  Pics after cleaning:

[didjamatic]

MF = Mainframe?

That is a seriously beautiful keyboard.  PCB mounted MX switches and thick vintage doubleshots, MmmmHmmm.

[zefrer]

Now look what you've done. Didja's all excited.

[keyb_gr]

MF = MFII keyboard functionality, particularly codeset 3 support.

Our beloved "standard" 101/102-key layout was termed "Multi-Function II" by IBM, remember?

For all intents and purposes, you can pretty much set it to MF and forget about it.

And yes, at least XT/AT switching was common in those days. It gradually disappeared in the following years.

[Rajagra]

"Multi-Function" might be a red herring in this case.

It might just mean auto switching between XT and AT modes, which was quite common.

I have a confession to make. One of my jobs was installing Compaq PC upgrades in BT offices around London, including that one. So I may be responsible for the binning of hundreds of those lovely keyboards. Boo, hiss!!

(Though it was the late 90s, so they were probably long gone by then.)

[keyb_gr]

My bets would still be on codeset 2 & 3 (host selectable) support in MF mode and codeset 2 only in "AT 02".

Anyway, these G80-1000 series boards have a nice sound and feel to them. They're kinda hollow under the PCB, so they sound far less "dead" than a G80-3000. Goes well with blacks IMO. These old blacks feel a bit less stiff, too. Very chocolate-y feel.

[nathanscribe]

Very chocolate-y feel.

That's a very good way to describe it.  I've not compared it to a modern black switch yet.

I use this in AT 02 mode; I remember trying each position and one didn't work for me, the other threw up weirdness - but it's three years ago I did that, and I knew nothing about any of this then - and not much more now - so some dabbling and research into what's going on is needed I think.  Something to do while it rains.