Is it possible to use old mechanical keyboards on modern pc?

[IceDiceRice]

I just found 6 old mechanical keyboards in the house shed. Some of them has PS/2 and PC/AT cable. Today i just try to use it on my PC with PC/AT to PS/2 adapter and there is no input but the power indicator is on. The same thing also happen with the PS/2 one. I also have try it on my mom and dad older PC but it still does the same thing. Is this mean the keyboard is broken or its just not compatible with modern PC? It would be cool if i could use these keyboard on my pc. Also here's a pic

[yui]

so there was 2 version of the old DIN 5 connector on IBM, the XT and AT, PS/2 is a revision on the AT that was fairly compatible, AT is a revision of XT that was mostly incompatible, so i would guess that your boards are either XT or dead or that your converter do not even support AT or the higher current some of those old boards needs (i had the problem on model Ms on some adapters, one of them really looks to be XT (the one with the side F-keys) though and maybe the others are as well. a soarer's or TMK converter should help you if you have a teensy or pro-micro lying around.

[Findecanor]

More possibilities:
* You would have hot-swapped the keyboard in a PS/2 plug. Don't do that! It could destroy something in the keyboard or in the PC. PS/2 and AT keyboards were permanently attached. The only safe way to hotswap PS/2 is to use a USB-to-PS/2 adaptor and hot-swap that in the USB plug.

or:
* The keyboard is a model that requires more current than the PS/2 port is willing to provide. Although this is quite rare, and often the case with really old keyboards.

or:
* The PS/2 port isn't enabled, and needs to be enabled in BIOS.

A "Soarer's converter" is a converter (or "active adaptor") between XT and PS/2 developed by the user Soarer. https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=17458.0
You could build one, and there have been ready-made ones to buy on eBay and wherever.

The keyboard with vertical columns of F-keys is the one most likely to talk the XT protocol.
I've got an Acer that looks the same that works without problems.

[funkmon]

More possibilities:
* You would have hot-swapped the keyboard in a PS/2 plug. Don't do that! It could destroy something in the keyboard or in the PC. PS/2 and AT keyboards were permanently attached. The only safe way to hotswap PS/2 is to use a USB-to-PS/2 adaptor and hot-swap that in the USB plug.

I'm guessing that one. It's so weird how infrequently we try the old "did you turn it off and on again?" when troubleshooting sometimes! We totally space on step number 1!

[jamster]

Logo on the nearest board, is that an old Acer?

Others have already given much better advice than I could. Just thought it worth mentioning that my old Model M board goes through two converters- some DIN->PS/2 converter, which is then plugged into a PS/2->USB converter. And that not all PS/2 to USB converters work, you have to look around a bit for one known to work with old keyboards.

https://www.clickykeyboards.com/product/ps2-to-usb-adapter-converter-for-keyboards-short-usb-cable/

From the sounds of it, the Soarer converter is probably better.

[tp4tissue]

Yes, but it's harder to find older Ergodoxi these days. Old is OK , but it MUST BE an ERGODOX

[cheater]

The main question is whether you'd want to, as those keyboards don't look like they are going to be very nice to type on. Old doesn't necessarily mean good. But if you have something that you absolutely like, then by all means go for it. Otherwise there are modern keyboards that you'd be better off spending your money on - instead of converters.