Frequent faulty key-registering (XT with orihalcon converter)

[Bucake]

welcome!


so i have some old keyboard with green SKCL Alps here (i think it's a zenith 100-1886).
the keyboard's XT, but i'm using it with a soarer's converter (cable made by orihalcon)
thing is.. the key-registration frequently acts a bit weird.
the two things that keep happening are:
- a key does not register when i press it
- a key continues to register (despite it's already been released)

i've tested each key individually, and they all work just fine.
this issue seems to be true for every single key on the keyboard.
it also doesn't seem to matter if i'm typing fast, or very slowly. as if the KB sometimes stops communicating with my PC for a second.
i am not experiencing these issues with my IBM Model F XT.

where should i start looking?
could the keyboard be having trouble with the converter?

[Tactile]

You might have a look at this...

http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-xp-tips/prevent-windows-from-powering-off-usb-device/

[Bucake]

thanks for the suggestion, good thought.
unfortunately i already had power saving for USB off.

I still have no clue :/
real shame would hate to throw out the KB

[Bucake]

this issue is still bothering me, as the keyboard is unusable in its current state..

using hid_listen.exe:
autodetect seems to work, as it correctly sets keycode 1 (XT/PC):


so, when any one of those 'interrupts' happen, this is what hid_listen.exe actually picks up:


now.. i have no clue what to make of this.
on the picture, you see me holding Q. whenever one of those interrupts happens, hid_listen picks up R06 R06 R06 R06 R06 R05.
however, for example the 1 key always spits out R06 R06 R05 on an interrupt, and the 3 key would spit out R06 R06 R06 R05..

it always ends with R05, but how many 'R06's gets spit out differs per key, apparently.
so.. what the hell is this R06 R05 thing?

does this look like the keyboard is faulty, or like the converter is having some trouble?
i fear it might be the keyboard, but i don't have a system with an XT port, so i don't know how to test if the keyboard or the converter is the problem here.
i noticed there is a ton of dust between the PCB and plate. could that be the cause of something like this..?
i also noticed that if it happens with a key that has an LED (caps lock and num lock), the light will actually go on or off, when it sends that weird string. (for example i press caps lock and the light goes on, but hid_listen picks up that weird string, and my PC does not actually turn caps lock on..)


any insight would be very welcome : )

[chyros]

1) does the beeper get stuck when a key keeps registering?

2) do you have an AT  board to test the converter with or a PS/2 one with a PS/2 to AT adapter?

3) did you upload any protocols to the converter I are you using it as it arrived?

4) try to test for continuity with a multimeter when you press a button and see if thecontinuity persists when you let go.

[Bucake]

1) does the beeper get stuck when a key keeps registering?
2) do you have an AT  board to test the converter with or a PS/2 one with a PS/2 to AT adapter?
3) did you upload any protocols to the converter I are you using it as it arrived?
4) try to test for continuity with a multimeter when you press a button and see if thecontinuity persists when you let go.

1) it does not.
2) unfortunately i do not have an AT board, or a PS/2 to AT adapter..
3) i've left it untouched.
4) i don't have a multi-meter. (i wanted to get one, but i just don't have a clue which of the million different ones i should get.)

i've messaged orihalcon on ebay, who i purchased the soarer's converter from (i presume he's okay with me quoting his reply):
"Could be that the newest Soarer's converter firmware isn't recognizing the output correctly. This is what my LYNK rebranded M's were like. They were XT, but non-standard spacing. Up until this point, I believed that those were the only ones that weren't sensed correctly. Version 1.03 of Soarer's Converter firmware might detect it correctly in that case."
he referred me to his thread about the issue: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=62168.0

unfortunately i don't have the tools or knowledge to make a converter myself, so i can't really test this.
i guess i'll just stash the board, i'm not gonna get anywhere with this.


thanks for the response chyros, much appreciated : )

[chyros]

Well... Feck. I can't think of much else to do then tbh Oo . Without proper equipment to test it it's hard to say more about it :/ .

[SamirD]

If you can somehow connect this to ps2, that would help determine if it's a usb issue.  I've had my M with the trackpad do funny things like that once in a while and now that I know more about how the converters work, I'm suspecting it could have been a power issue.