cable question - model f at

[anowt]

so i had this ibm model f in the garage for years and it was missing a few things.--one minor, one major..it doesn't have a numpad 0 key so I got a keycap from a model m. but more importantly it was missing the cable. so I read about what the din5 cable was, found a cheap rubber dome and parted it out for the din5 cable. it connected to the pcb but it didn't have a stray grounding wire, instead all the wires were tinned to the header. so I'm wondering if I do a soarer's mod with a teensy 2.0, would that take care of the ground or am I in deep s**t?? I learned that the white wire is the ground in the din5 cable sleeve.

ccheers

[E TwentyNine]

If you're replacing the cable, grab a PS/2 cable and set it up with that. 

Was the cable cut?   Internal connector still there?    Here's a thread discussing related issues: http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/model-f-questions-t7005.html

[orihalcon]

I'm not sure if the grounding wire really matters.  It seems like most keyboards bridge the negative voltage to the shield ground.  I don't think most people that use a Soarer's converter don't bother hooking up the shield ground at all, and since the circuit board combines them, I'm not sure if there is even a need to hook up a separate shield ground.  Would be good to get more opinions on whether a separate shield ground wire is necessary or not.

[JPG]

All the model F I converted only use the 4 wire from the cable, they don't have the ground thing near the screw of the original DIN cable.

If you use a Soarer, all you need is to get a cable for the Teensy/pro-micro (I use pro-micro cause I am cheap) and some wire (like male-female DuPont) You solder the wire to the teensy/pro-micro, plug the femal part on the good pin where the cable was (look at pictures or if it's an XT you can test it with the test pads). Then you plug the cable from the teensy/controller to the keyboard with USB. For sure you need to load the code on the controller (better do it before you solder it all).

So it should be pretty easy as long as you manage to load the code on the teensy/pro-micro, solder it correctly and plug it on the right pins.

In fact it's super easy BUT the first time you do it you will find it not so easy because you will be unsure at each step. And once you will have done it once you will realise how easy it is in fact. Just got to take the time/courage to do it and it should work very good!