Trying to salvage a Cherry G80-1501HAD

[imnewhere]

Hi geekhack!

Some time ago I came across a Cherry G80-1501HAD in a very poor condition. It was pretty cheap, though, so I decided to give it a try. Thought it may have survived if it's a Cherry.
Unfortunately the board came in a shape way worse than expected. The obvious yellowing and some dust/dirt on surface is one thing, but the insides... wow, that was unholy. I still didn't manage to get everything off.

Here's what I come with - the board doesn't work any way I connect it to my PC, whether it's through a DIN-PS/2 adapter, or DIN-PS/2 adapter attached to a USB-PS/2 adapter. Some LEDs do blink on the keyboard (the Num Lock usually stays on - I can't turn it off, so there's definitely something wrong) and it inputs random gibberish.

So here's my question - is it a compatibility problem (as in the keyboard's XT for some weird reason and it sends the wrong codes), a hardware problem (I mean it's still pretty dusty) or a combination or both? Could rinsing the keyboard in rubbing alcohol make it work again? I looked for some signs of damage, but didn't find any obvious ones at a first glance. It'd kinda feel bad to have to throw out this many vintage black MX's

Gory shots below, beware!
https://imgur.com/a/XkHJI29

[Tactile]

You probably know this but if you're using a real PS/2 port be sure to power down the computer before (un)plugging PS/2.

The operating system controls numlock. If the board isn't communicating with the OS it can't send the signal requesting numlock be turned off/on. So no control of numlock would be expected behavior.

[Delirious]

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.20141002.5.3a7955629AT0wh&scm=1007.10009.70205.100200300000001&id=565823984744&pvid=8a27da10-089a-4e5e-8414-7f64ca3bcd7a

[Maledicted]

Hi geekhack!

Some time ago I came across a Cherry G80-1501HAD in a very poor condition. It was pretty cheap, though, so I decided to give it a try. Thought it may have survived if it's a Cherry.
Unfortunately the board came in a shape way worse than expected. The obvious yellowing and some dust/dirt on surface is one thing, but the insides... wow, that was unholy. I still didn't manage to get everything off.

Here's what I come with - the board doesn't work any way I connect it to my PC, whether it's through a DIN-PS/2 adapter, or DIN-PS/2 adapter attached to a USB-PS/2 adapter. Some LEDs do blink on the keyboard (the Num Lock usually stays on - I can't turn it off, so there's definitely something wrong) and it inputs random gibberish.

So here's my question - is it a compatibility problem (as in the keyboard's XT for some weird reason and it sends the wrong codes), a hardware problem (I mean it's still pretty dusty) or a combination or both? Could rinsing the keyboard in rubbing alcohol make it work again? I looked for some signs of damage, but didn't find any obvious ones at a first glance. It'd kinda feel bad to have to throw out this many vintage black MX's

Gory shots below, beware!
https://imgur.com/a/XkHJI29

Tactile may have your solution.

I don't know anything about these boards specifically, but I work as a computer technician in a public school district, so I use a lot of 91% Isopropyl, hope, prayers, and occasional last-ditch voodoo rituals to try to save laptops that are water damaged without wasting more time than the system is worth (obvious/simple trace repair, etc). Corrosion can be a major problem, and I would not doubt that there's plenty of rust beneath all of the crud you haven't removed. You can practically bath PCBs in Isopropyl and they won't mind at all so long as you give them time to dry. Even in the tightest nooks and crannies, 24 hours seems to do the job for me with 91%. Just make sure you drain/blow as much of it out as you can.

Have you tried a toothbrush with isopropyl?

[imnewhere]

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.20141002.5.3a7955629AT0wh&scm=1007.10009.70205.100200300000001&id=565823984744&pvid=8a27da10-089a-4e5e-8414-7f64ca3bcd7a

What's that? A modern replacement board for G80? Neat.
I don't know if I'm skilled enough to solder switches to that one, though. Besides, G80-1501 has a non-standard shell with a SmartCard reader; that'd obviously go to waste, so I'd consider it a last resort. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, though.

You probably know this but if you're using a real PS/2 port be sure to power down the computer before (un)plugging PS/2.

The operating system controls numlock. If the board isn't communicating with the OS it can't send the signal requesting numlock be turned off/on. So no control of numlock would be expected behavior.

I just tested the board again. While the computer was booting, all LEDs came up, then all of them blinked twice, then only Num Lock remained. Could not turn it off, though. Caps Lock doesn't respond either.
Tried changing the keyboard modes (Mode 1/Mode 2) and none worked either.

Hi geekhack!

Some time ago I came across a Cherry G80-1501HAD in a very poor condition. It was pretty cheap, though, so I decided to give it a try. Thought it may have survived if it's a Cherry.
Unfortunately the board came in a shape way worse than expected. The obvious yellowing and some dust/dirt on surface is one thing, but the insides... wow, that was unholy. I still didn't manage to get everything off.

Here's what I come with - the board doesn't work any way I connect it to my PC, whether it's through a DIN-PS/2 adapter, or DIN-PS/2 adapter attached to a USB-PS/2 adapter. Some LEDs do blink on the keyboard (the Num Lock usually stays on - I can't turn it off, so there's definitely something wrong) and it inputs random gibberish.

So here's my question - is it a compatibility problem (as in the keyboard's XT for some weird reason and it sends the wrong codes), a hardware problem (I mean it's still pretty dusty) or a combination or both? Could rinsing the keyboard in rubbing alcohol make it work again? I looked for some signs of damage, but didn't find any obvious ones at a first glance. It'd kinda feel bad to have to throw out this many vintage black MX's

Gory shots below, beware!
https://imgur.com/a/XkHJI29

Tactile may have your solution.

I don't know anything about these boards specifically, but I work as a computer technician in a public school district, so I use a lot of 91% Isopropyl, hope, prayers, and occasional last-ditch voodoo rituals to try to save laptops that are water damaged without wasting more time than the system is worth (obvious/simple trace repair, etc). Corrosion can be a major problem, and I would not doubt that there's plenty of rust beneath all of the crud you haven't removed. You can practically bath PCBs in Isopropyl and they won't mind at all so long as you give them time to dry. Even in the tightest nooks and crannies, 24 hours seems to do the job for me with 91%. Just make sure you drain/blow as much of it out as you can.

Have you tried a toothbrush with isopropyl?

The rubbing alcohol I mentioned and isopropyl are the same thing. Didn't rinse the whole board yet, I think I don't have enough isopropyl to do that. Gotta resupply 
I think I managed to find one rusty resistor. Apart from that one all the connections, resistors, capacitors etc. look fine (but dirty, obviously). Won't isopropyl damage the switches, though?

[Maledicted]

The rubbing alcohol I mentioned and isopropyl are the same thing. Didn't rinse the whole board yet, I think I don't have enough isopropyl to do that. Gotta resupply 
I think I managed to find one rusty resistor. Apart from that one all the connections, resistors, capacitors etc. look fine (but dirty, obviously). Won't isopropyl damage the switches, though?

I know they're the same thing, it is important that it is 91% though, and you seemed a little hesitant to use the stuff. The bathing thing was mostly a joke. I have seen that on Youtube before, and I have literally poured the stuff into cheap laptop keyboards that can't be disassembled (plastic rivets like the model M), but I don't think there's much need on a keyboard where the switches can be removed and the pcb can be separated from the plate (if there is one). That one rusty resistor might even have done it. I have had laptop motherboards that I cleaned enough to look brand new after liquid damage, and even though they looked brand new (no visibly toasted surface components) when I was done, some of them wouldn't regain full functionality. I wouldn't even try to power the thing until I had gone over the entire board with a lot of isopropyl and a toothbrush until it was spotless.

I'm no expert on what does and does not damage switches, but I wouldn't think that isopropyl would hurt Cherry switches. I use isopropyl on almost any surface, even diluted to clean lcd screens, although a little more time and some dish soap would be better for that. They're not lubed from the factory anyway, are they? Since removing lube is what I would be most worried about, that and trying to make sure I could work the isopropyl that remained out of the switch housings. If you've ever seen The 8-bit Guy's Youtube channel, the guy uses denatured alcohol to clean just about everything.

Soldering switches is a piece of cake, some of the easiest soldering you'll do. You'd do fine with a hardware store Weller. Desoldering though, not so fun without an electronic vacuum pump.

[imnewhere]

The rubbing alcohol I mentioned and isopropyl are the same thing. Didn't rinse the whole board yet, I think I don't have enough isopropyl to do that. Gotta resupply 
I think I managed to find one rusty resistor. Apart from that one all the connections, resistors, capacitors etc. look fine (but dirty, obviously). Won't isopropyl damage the switches, though?

I know they're the same thing, it is important that it is 91% though, and you seemed a little hesitant to use the stuff. The bathing thing was mostly a joke. I have seen that on Youtube before, and I have literally poured the stuff into cheap laptop keyboards that can't be disassembled (plastic rivets like the model M), but I don't think there's much need on a keyboard where the switches can be removed and the pcb can be separated from the plate (if there is one). That one rusty resistor might even have done it. I have had laptop motherboards that I cleaned enough to look brand new after liquid damage, and even though they looked brand new (no visibly toasted surface components) when I was done, some of them wouldn't regain full functionality. I wouldn't even try to power the thing until I had gone over the entire board with a lot of isopropyl and a toothbrush until it was spotless.

I'm no expert on what does and does not damage switches, but I wouldn't think that isopropyl would hurt Cherry switches. I use isopropyl on almost any surface, even diluted to clean lcd screens, although a little more time and some dish soap would be better for that. They're not lubed from the factory anyway, are they? Since removing lube is what I would be most worried about, that and trying to make sure I could work the isopropyl that remained out of the switch housings. If you've ever seen The 8-bit Guy's Youtube channel, the guy uses denatured alcohol to clean just about everything.

Soldering switches is a piece of cake, some of the easiest soldering you'll do. You'd do fine with a hardware store Weller. Desoldering though, not so fun without an electronic vacuum pump.

I have cleaned several PCBs and made them work again by rinsing them in isopropyl alcohol; it's the switches I've been worried about. I don't know enough about them to be able to tell if they're lubed or not. OTOH they probably can be relubed anyway, so it shouldn't be a big problem.
I'll try removing all gunk there is with the isopropyl alcohol (a toothbrush is a nice idea, why didn't I think about it?) and maybe replacing that one resistor. Who knows, maybe it'll do the trick? Thanks for the tips!

[Maledicted]

I have cleaned several PCBs and made them work again by rinsing them in isopropyl alcohol; it's the switches I've been worried about. I don't know enough about them to be able to tell if they're lubed or not. OTOH they probably can be relubed anyway, so it shouldn't be a big problem.
I'll try removing all gunk there is with the isopropyl alcohol (a toothbrush is a nice idea, why didn't I think about it?) and maybe replacing that one resistor. Who knows, maybe it'll do the trick? Thanks for the tips!

You're very welcome, and goodluck. Toothbrushes are great for cleaning flux up after soldering too.