Did this newbie just screw up? Bought a IBM 1390876 terminal to use on Win7.

[hmm...]

I just realized that you can't get something like a simple PS/2 to USB adapter.

Not only are there none if any DIM 5C to PS/2 converters, but apparently it doesn't even work if plugged in.

Not so helpful (http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/ibm_1390876.html)

[metalliqaz]

Is this a job for the Soarer-verter?

[Hellmark]

Yup, you need soarer's converter.

[hmm...]

I don't seem to understand any of this.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=17458.0

[fohat.digs]

I don't seem to understand any of this.

You buy a little circuit board for $20 and connect 4 wires.

Maybe that is oversimplifying it a bit, but that is really it in a nutshell. You get a nice USB connection and can remap the keys easily.

[fohat.digs]

I was not trying to offend by being flip. It was supposed to be a joke.

Soarer's Converter will solve your problem easily. You will need to run 4 wires into a Teensy 2.0 http://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy.html and you will have a mini-USB connection from that.

If you mount the Teensy internally, you will probably want to come directly off the controller PCB to the Teensy with your 4 wires.

If you build the Teensy into an outboard adapter box, then you can get the proper female socket and use the native cable on your keyboard. In that case, you can collect a variety of plugs and sockets and use one converter with different keyboards.

Either way, the Teensy does all the work. The wiring diagrams shows you what connects to what for the various plug types.

If you post the specifics of your plug types, etc, we can steer you in the right direction.

[hmm...]

It uses the pin layout shown in my first link

http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/ibm_1390876.html

So do I have to cut the cable, solder the wires onto a Teensy, and program it to get it to work?

That seems very complicated.

[Hellmark]

You don't have to cut the cable.

You can do one of three things.

A: Build an external box, with a female plug for your keyboard cable. You plug your keyboard into that box, and then a USB cable into the other end and that goes to the computer.
B: You internally mount the teensy, so take the keyboard apart, remove the cable (no need to cut, shouldn't be soldered on), solder 4 wires to the points on the processor to the teensy, and mount things so that you can have a USB cable plugged in to the teensy.
C: Do as you say and splice the teensy into your existing cable. This is not the recommended method, as it can be a bit janky.

Once you do one of those three things, you make sure that soarer's firmware gets uploaded onto the teensy. That's pretty much as simple as downloading the firmware, plugging in to the teensy via USB, and upload it with a software tool made for the teensy.

This really isn't complicated. This is pretty much on board with stuff you'd do in the "My First Electronics" Kits you see marketed for kids at Radio Shack and such. Soarer has nice instructions, links for the firmware, etc in a post here.

If you do need help, people here are willing to offer aid.

[berserkfan]

go to the Making Things Together and look for the pinned thread Soarer Converter with NKRO or some similar title. There is a ton of resources for you.

I have a similar terminal and I can assure you, it is AWESOME. Yes, all you need are:
1) buy a teensy 2.0 from pjrc.com
2) 4 wires that you can swipe from an old telephone cable
3) a soldering kit
4) a mini-USB to USB cable, since the teensy uses mini-usb output

You will wind up with a programmable and plug and play terminal keyboard. Costs are under $40.

[dante]

I'm surprised someone hasn't started selling external boxes for terminal boards.  I'm sure the sellers of those boards would love to include them for ease of sale

[Hellmark]

Most people who are interested in using them also happen to have the skills needed to make their own.

[kishy]

I've had a couple requests to build converters...maybe 5 since I made that one for trievalot's 1387033 a year or two ago. I encourage people to try on their own...as far as electronics projects go, this really is a great one for beginners because the assembly required is basic, the parts are relatively inexpensive and easily obtained, and the use you get out of the resulting product is disproportionately extensive relative to the work put into it.

As a general statement, there's something inherently geeky about the whole business of using a keyboard for a dumb terminal on a current computer. Come to think of it, there hasn't been a single day that I haven't used one (first a 1386887, then a 1387033, currently a 6110345) since a converter became available, and even before that, I did semi-regularly use the 1386887 on PS/2 directly with that old driver hack (many thanks to John Elliott whose page was linked further up, dfj, Soarer and others who contributed along the way).

So, no, OP, you haven't screwed up...but you will if you don't follow through now that you have one

[fohat.digs]

I encourage people to try on their own...as far as electronics projects go, this really is a great one for beginners because the assembly required is basic, the parts are relatively inexpensive and easily obtained, and the use you get out of the resulting product is disproportionately extensive relative to the work put into it.

I concur wholeheartedly.

To go through the entire process of building one of these for someone else, I would have to ask $50-60 and still not be very happy about it. That would be $30-35 for parts and shipping (Teensy, project box, socket, misc wires, USB cable, solder, screws), the better part of an hour's work (tedious, fussy stuff like drilling holes in boxes and screwing in tiny screws), testing, packing it up, driving to the PO, postage ......

Nothing about it is actually "difficult" or "expensive" but it all adds up to something that consumes a lot more time and energy than you would imagine. And people who will not work with their hands rarely appreciate the effort of people who do.

But like Kishy says, once you actually build it, you can use it all over the place.

[0100010]

Maybe a better question for the Making Stuff Together forum - but would it be concievable to build a single external converter that could accept multiple inputs?  Terminal, XT, ADB - all to USB.  Not sure if you would need to reload the code on the teensy for every change, or if it could store all of them.

[h2gofast]

When you finish it, you'll realize how easy it was.  Google is your friend.  The teensy solution made possible by Soarer's work is stable.   I don't use one at work, but it's my daily driver at home. 

Model F's excluded, most terminal keyboard buyers aren't big spenders.  I don't think anyone's turned it into a business because it's really not worth the hassle to order parts, solder and ship and guarantee the workmanship at a reasonable price someone would be willing to pay.      Especially when it's so easy to make one, no calculus involved, just instructions.   

Model M terminal keyboards feel the same as Model M PS/2 and the Model F's feel better.   I think we should elect Soarer to be the Patron Saint of Buckling Springs.  Just think of all that Model F goodness we now get to have.   

[dante]

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50126.0

[dante]

I picked up a terminal board from fohat.digs!  I look forward to building the converter box