Pics of my new boards (IBM SS, Ortek MKB-84, NMB Space Invader)

[MissileMike]

I went to a medical supply place and got these three boards for ~100$

First up, the Model M Mini.  It was a terminal board, but I had an extra 1391401 controller that swapped in beautifully.  The board is absolutely mint!  Check out the caps, are these strange ones?








Next up is the Ortek MKB-84.  Also in terrific shape- uses simplified white alps from what I can tell.  It feels great to type on.




Last a space invader nmb board: RT8756C+.  Great switch, similar to cherry blues:

[CeeSA]

the Ortek MKB-84 looks superb! congrats

[WhiteRice]

Nice haul! Looks like you got  a NIB M SSK anyway

[MissileMike]

Thanks.  Yep, if it was ever used, it sure wasn't used much.

Mods can you move this to the pics forum please?  Sorry I posted this in the wrong place.

[elservo]

Glossy keys normal for the minis?  Great pics!

[itlnstln]

Just the sides.  The tops are matte...

[jpc]

Wait what? You can use a 1391401 controller in an SSK?

Are the membranes really that similar?

I'll need to photograph some SSK membranes next time I have one of them opened up, and compare against 1391401 membranes....

[itlnstln]

I don't think it needs to be all that similar, it just depends how they routed the traces.  That said, I think there are some SSK key combos (like Num Lock) that might need a specific controller to handle them.

[MissileMike]

It works... The membrane cable on the left fits perfectly, and then the one on the right just needs to be flush to the left side.

[jpc]

It works... The membrane cable on the left fits perfectly, and then the one on the right just needs to be flush to the left side.

That's awesome! Does every key work?
Could you post a pic and maybe include the P/N of the controller you used?

This could make terminal minis valuable. If they're valuable, they'll come out of the woodwork and onto ebay...

"YOU get an SSK!
YOU get an SSK!
EVERYBODY gets an SSK!"

[MissileMike]

Every key works, but I didn't test the alternate numpad.  How do I enable that on an m spacesaver?

That's awesome! Does every key work?
Could you post a pic and maybe include the P/N of the controller you used?

This could make terminal minis valuable. If they're valuable, they'll come out of the woodwork and onto ebay...

"YOU get an SSK!
YOU get an SSK!
EVERYBODY gets an SSK!"

[jpc]

The alternate numpad doesn't appear to be built into hardware, AFAICT. It's a driver thing.

[jpc]

Here's a data point. I compared membranes from a 1987 1391401 and a 1996 71G4644.

They have compatible trace patterns.

(That is not to say that these membranes are interchangeable. The 71G4644 is rubber dome, and its contacts are directly below the centers of the keys. On the buckling spring board, the contacts are offset maybe 2mm from center.)

But, from the controller's point of view, they look identical.

Next step is to compare this to a mini's trace pattern.

[MissileMike]

Yes, seems that way.  That part does not work, but I confirmed with aquakeytest that every key does work.  Will post pics soon.  Need to find time to re-open it up.

[TexasFlood]

Those keyboards are terrible.  I volunteer to take them off of your hands so you don't have to bear the pain of dealing with them.  :wink:

Honestly, very nice, congrats.  I was going to say "throw them on the stack" but you might actually want to keep these on the desk, at least for a while.

[MissileMike]

I used the space invader board all day today- those are under-rated switches around here.

It looks like someone had the ortek before me, there is a thread about it from last year.
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=6025

[jpc]

Holy smoke, I'm typing this on an SSK (a 1391472 born on 9/11/87) using the controller out of a junked 71G4644 from 1996.

Just like MissileMike said, I left-adjusted the smaller membrane tab. And voila, the best Model M works with the controller from the worst Model M.

The 71G4644 has the same membrane pattern as a 1391401 from 1987. So it seems likely that many SSKs can work with many full-size Model M controllers.

[EverythingIBM]

Just the sides.  The tops are matte...

Show Image

I didn't know Shawn Stanford had a brother. =p

The brat prince of DOS... or something.

[jpc]

Amazing. Every terminal SSK can be made to work. Every non-responsive SSK can be made to work.

Pics.





The controller in the background is the original controller from this 1391472 SSK which works but its SDL connector is loose like a kid's tooth. One tug on the cable could uproot the connector and a few PCB traces too. (That controller is another gem from ebay. I didn't know Model Ms could be in such bad shape until I bought some "nice shape" examples on ebay.) What a relief to have an alternate controller!   :^D

The 71G4644 controller is mechanically compatible with the original. It's the same width, right about 2". It has the connector at the same location; and the two holes below the connector are the same size and location. The 71G4644 controller uses a plastic "guillotine" to hold the non-removable cord in place, and (to my surprise) this is perfectly compatible with the SSK's case.

Interchangeable parts FTMFW!

[MissileMike]

The 52G controller also works, btw.  I tried both.  Kishy said he suspected his was this way already, and there was actually a thread a while back saying a controller swap would work.  That's why I bought it in the first place.

Anyway, the one caveat is that the shift-scrolllock numpad will not work using a full-size m controller.  (But who really cares)

[jpc]

I'm thrilled at how interchangeable these controllers are. I could have sworn I remembered a thread in which top geekhack minds ruled out swapping a full size controller into an SSK. Can't find it now though. Maybe I dreamt it.

I do dream about geekhack now. Yeah it's bad.

Thanks MissileMike. This is a great new development!