OK folks, who knows anything about Birch keyboards from Taiwan?

[berserkfan]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Birch-111-Keys-PS-2-POS-Mechanical-Programmable-Keyboard-Key-Switch-Keypad-caa-/200927097033?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs&hash=item2ec83030c9

For one, I am wondering what kind of mechanical switch these guys have.

For another, I wonder what they mean about programming 200 codes per key. Is it possible to program a mix of mouse and keyboard functions?

I am in the market for a programmable keyboard that can handle a mix of mouse and keyboard macros, and since I am not some genius programmer I like something reasonably user friendly. I don't have to type on that keyboard; I can use another keyboard to type.

[funkymeeba]

I have one of these, and it just arrived at my parents place earlier today. I can probably run over and pick it up tomorrow to snag some info for you.

Edit: For those of you wondering why it went to the parents place, they are close by, and I am moving apartments in June. Shipping on the item was estimated anywhere from May 20 to July 1. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know about it?

Hopefully this thing has decent software with it. It's much newer than my Tipro modules, so hopefully the controller hasn't already degraded to worthlessness at this point.

[berserkfan]

Yay! I love sharing info with other geekhackers!

Without knowing much about this keyboard, I actually don't know where to start asking questions, so to avoid sounding like I'm interrogating you, I'll wait for you to tell us all how you feel about using it!

I have one of these, and it just arrived at my parents place earlier today. I can probably run over and pick it up tomorrow to snag some info for you.

Edit: For those of you wondering why it went to the parents place, they are close by, and I am moving apartments in June. Shipping on the item was estimated anywhere from May 20 to July 1. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know about it?

Hopefully this thing has decent software with it. It's much newer than my Tipro modules, so hopefully the controller hasn't already degraded to worthlessness at this point.

[The_Beast]

Looks like a sweet board. I have one that's similar, but I can't get used to typing on a non-staggered layout

[laffindude]

I believe they are Cherry black switches. I'll see if I can pick up up.

[The_Beast]

I believe they are Cherry black switches. I'll see if I can pick up up.

The description say tactile so I would assume brown. But yes, typically, they have blacks

[CeeSA]

the item description:
"10 million operating life cycles"

that fits not to a Cherry MX switch.

[laffindude]

They have non-mechanical version. They didn't change life expectancy for mechanical version.

[funkymeeba]

Well, I think you guys will be pleased to see this...



What a pleasant surprise! There is a slightly less pleasant surprise, though. The included software is on a floppy disk.

[berserkfan]

 

Does that mean Birch is actually an ancient company from the 1990s?

I don't know what to say!!!

[funkymeeba]

I'm going to work more tonight on getting this thing programmed. Expect a status update later. The programming utility appears to be designed for DOS, so take note of that if you spring for one of these.

[SmallFry]

So... I don't have one yet... but FWIW, I have played with the programming utilities. They seem fairly straightforward.
I used VirtualBox, and installed FreeDOS to the emulated HDD. I then took the programming utilities and put them into an ISO with ImgBurn. This allows me to mount it in VirtualBox. Navigate to D: and run PKSET.EXE to program the thing. This also includes TEST.EXE which picks up what keystroke is what and DOWNLOAD.EXE which I PRESUME is to drop layouts onto the board. Attached is the ISO image that I mounted in VirtualBox, that includes the software. Everyone thank meeba for still having a floppy drive, and listen to the Meebcast on Monday!

[funkymeeba]

I think capitalizing the first letter of meeba counts as misspelling it.

I'm going to work tomorrow on actually programming the thing. I've got a basic QWERTY layout setup on the lower rows, we'll see how programming it under FreeDOS goes. It didn't seem to like XP too much.

[SmallFry]

I think capitalizing the first letter of meeba counts as misspelling it.

I'm going to work tomorrow on actually programming the thing. I've got a basic QWERTY layout setup on the lower rows, we'll see how programming it under FreeDOS goes. It didn't seem to like XP too much.

Uh... whoops.

[danielh]

I would like to know if the number keys are re-programmable?

[berserkfan]

UGH! I should have known that there's no such thing as a free lunch! Relegendable keycaps + lovely white color + programmable + cherry blues = you need serious geek skill to handle this keyboard.
amazing as it sounds, but I do have a floppy drive. But I don't have the skills...

[therecorder]

UGH! I should have known that there's no such thing as a free lunch! Relegendable keycaps + lovely white color + programmable + cherry blues = you need serious geek skill to handle this keyboard.
amazing as it sounds, but I do have a floppy drive. But I don't have the skills...

In Reply #11 (above), SmallFry has an Attachment for a BIRCH.ISO

[REVENGE]

Expensive shipping, but nice board! Would be good for switch harvesting.

[The_Beast]

Expensive shipping, but nice board! Would be good for switch harvesting.

$0.40 a switch is decent for harvesting and that's if it sells at the $13 price it's at right now.

[REVENGE]

Expensive shipping, but nice board! Would be good for switch harvesting.

$0.40 a switch is decent for harvesting and that's if it sells at the $13 price it's at right now.

Make an offer on the larger lot and combine shipping.

[REVENGE]

Also, since they still apparently make the same exact board, you should email them for the Windows programming utility.

[funkymeeba]

I would like to know if the number keys are re-programmable?

Sure are!

[mbc]

Didn't read through the thread but wanted to mention that you can make it a split board out of this (2 pcbs)

[funkymeeba]

Here's the latest update I have, folks. You CAN get the download to operate correctly, but the version in SmallFry's ISO will only work in DOS/FreeDOS. You can run the TEST and PKSET apps in Windows, but the DOWNLOAD will not work (it yells about a hardware failure). I just got it to transfer a demo key map over to the board under FreeDOS 1.1. Get hype!

[SmallFry]

I've found some newer utilities, including the Windows Utility. I HAVE NOT tested these files yet, so they do not come with a guarantee like my previous ISO did.

[funkymeeba]

I just tried the Windows utility out. It can't read the older PKB-111M keyboard that I have, and that people are digging up. Good to note, though, on the off chance someone finds one of the newer keyboard models.

[SmallFry]

Does the DOS utility work on the older model? If not, then I will remove the zip from here, no use in hosting files that aren't useful.

[berserkfan]

Also, since they still apparently make the same exact board, you should email them for the Windows programming utility.

anyone succeeded in reaching them? I certainly didn't.

[SmallFry]

Also, since they still apparently make the same exact board, you should email them for the Windows programming utility.

anyone succeeded in reaching them? I certainly didn't.

I just linked the Windows programs above. I pulled it from their website.

[berserkfan]

well, as funkymeeba said, the windows utility doesn't work on the 111M. Which is exactly the same model going for pennies (to be exact, more than 1000 pennies) on ebay. That was what I was afraid of.

If the older birch can only work up to Vista (as they say in the ebay description), no wonder they are being forced to sell older birches ultra cheap.

Also, since they still apparently make the same exact board, you should email them for the Windows programming utility.

anyone succeeded in reaching them? I certainly didn't.

I just linked the Windows programs above. I pulled it from their website.

[funkymeeba]

well, as funkymeeba said, the windows utility doesn't work on the 111M. Which is exactly the same model going for pennies (to be exact, more than 1000 pennies) on ebay. That was what I was afraid of.

If the older birch can only work up to Vista (as they say in the ebay description), no wonder they are being forced to sell older birches ultra cheap.

Also, since they still apparently make the same exact board, you should email them for the Windows programming utility.

anyone succeeded in reaching them? I certainly didn't.

I just linked the Windows programs above. I pulled it from their website.

After you program it, it's just like any old PS/2 board. Works fine for me in 7.

[danielh]

When they say that you can program up to 200 characters per key, what does that mean?

I would love to have a key that when pressed enters "Cheers, [return, return]" and another key that enters "Regards, [return, return]" -- is this possible? Or is it that all of the characters are pressed simultaneously when the programmed key is pressed?

[SmallFry]

Meeba will have to poke in about that. I've not got a board to play with.

[funkymeeba]

It should be possible. I'll give it a shot later.

[berserkfan]

funkymeeba (I dare not capitalize your name) 

you said it is no dif from any PS2 board in Windows7 once you program it. But how difficult is that programming? Keep in mind that not everyone is a True Adult Geek, there are some Infant Geeks here such as me who can barely run chkdsk or ipconfig.

[funkymeeba]

If you can Google FreeDOS and boot it up, you can probably run the programmer. It's really quite simple. I'd even say it's easier than programming a Tipro board (even with a working controller!). If you've got a crapped up spare box sitting around, it's pretty simple to load FreeDOS on. Doesn't need much space at all, you just have to get the files on there somehow. In my case, I burned SF's ISO to CD and threw that in, then copied everything to C drive.

[esoomenona]

Is that so, meeba? Well maybe you can answer one more question for me: why are you so funky?

[funkymeeba]

It's the lights.

[berserkfan]

Let this baby geek try to understand you.

The Birch board requires Freedos (or DOS) to program. But the programming instructions are stored onboard. So after programming it, I can take the board, plug it into a Windows7 computer, and it becomes like a normal keyboard from there. I don’t need to be able to try running Freedos on a Windows7 computer at risk of screwing something up, right?

The only problem would be when I want to change something, right? I will have to dig up my other computer again, run Freedos, and do the changes?

btw I contacted these folks and they are darn stubborn. They won't sell me 2 keyboards at the same time. Which means no cheap $13 second keyboard to rip apart for parts. Also you won't be allowed to do group orders, so everyone will have to pay that damn expensive $33 shipping himself.

dunno if it is a real language barrier, or if they are really that user unfriendly. If the second applies, no wonder Birch hasn't made a name for itself.

[laffindude]

dunno if it is a real language barrier, or if they are really that user unfriendly. If the second applies, no wonder Birch hasn't made a name for itself.

Consumer sale for POS boards is minuscule. These manufacturers don't like dealing with small quantities.

[funkymeeba]

Let this baby geek try to understand you.

The Birch board requires Freedos (or DOS) to program. But the programming instructions are stored onboard. So after programming it, I can take the board, plug it into a Windows7 computer, and it becomes like a normal keyboard from there. I don’t need to be able to try running Freedos on a Windows7 computer at risk of screwing something up, right?

The only problem would be when I want to change something, right? I will have to dig up my other computer again, run Freedos, and do the changes?

This sounds about right to me. At least, for this particular generation of the Birch keyboard.

[berserkfan]

That's the bizarre part. They won't let you buy more than one! Almost everyone who does business lets you buy more than 1!

dunno if it is a real language barrier, or if they are really that user unfriendly. If the second applies, no wonder Birch hasn't made a name for itself.

Consumer sale for POS boards is minuscule. These manufacturers don't like dealing with small quantities.

[SmallFry]

Boo, I'd love to pickup a few. One for parts, one for programming, and one to try and modify to a split board, almost like an Ergo"Fry" of sorts.

[zitrusgelb]

I know it's now a few years ago that you talked about that, but I got the problem with this keyboard, that even in DOS I can't program the PKB-111 and you are the only one that ever talked about that keyboard. Or to be more specific I can't upload it to the keyboard and that on FreeDOS 1.1. It always says 'Hardware error.fe'

[typo]

I just saw this. You  resurrected this of all threads? Makes me sad. Look what a good kid he was.  Unfortunately that has occurred 500 times since then here in rural Wisconsin. It is  analogous to gang violence in the cities. Sad.
As for Birch, I think it is overpriced for blacks, antiquated. It is more money because it is industrial, like TG3. I know we like o be l33t and not get a Ciorsair but I of al people might say save your money before you end up looking for a USB 3.5" drive!