Anyone know about Access-IS POS keyboards? Or POS keyboards in general?

[berserkfan]

I'm hoping to get some Access-IS POS keyboards for a layout-related project.

I want these keyboards to be easily programmable, on teensy or otherwise. These have to send unique scancodes so that anything not moddable on teensy (such as mouse functions or shortcuts to websites) can be done using autohotkey.

I would like them to be Cherry MX of course! PCB mounting is preferred for easy switch changing but not necessary.

Can anyone give me information on these models?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Access-IS-Point-of-sale-Keyboard-P-N-AKEOCTI294-2-cleaned-tested-VG-condition-/301101350597?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110674567655?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151239917119?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251457615455?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Please don't hesitate to pour cold water on me by telling me all the negative stuff. I have very little technical knowledge, so I am not able to circumvent technical difficulties easily unlike most geekhackers.

[hoggy]

If you were patient, you should be able to get a 90 key access for a good chunk less.  That one has been on ebay for a long time.

Access keyboards are plate mounted cherry blacks.  They are programmable, but download their software first to make sure that you have the right template there before buying a board.  Very well built - I have a small collection of these boards.  If it's ps/2, then you will need a 32bit computer with a ps/2 socket on the motherboard, and admin access.  You will also need a generous helping of patience when playing with the programming software.  NKRO if PS/2.  5KRO with a blue cube adapter. 

[berserkfan]

If you were patient, you should be able to get a 90 key access for a good chunk less.  That one has been on ebay for a long time.

Access keyboards are plate mounted cherry blacks.  They are programmable, but download their software first to make sure that you have the right template there before buying a board.  Very well built - I have a small collection of these boards.  If it's ps/2, then you will need a 32bit computer with a ps/2 socket on the motherboard, and admin access.  You will also need a generous helping of patience when playing with the programming software.  NKRO if PS/2.  5KRO with a blue cube adapter.

Thanks for your advice, Hoggy. When you tell me to download software first, does that mean you want me to make sure my computer can run the software? EG I am running 64bit Win7, which it seems most of these Access keyboards sold secondhand (being older) can't be programmed on it?

Any way to use Soarer converter for these things? I am expecting to use a teensy, but I don't know how to do wiring.

If you have any advice at all for buying POS Cherry MX boards, please sound off! It seems you have bought and used a number. They don't need to be programmable if you can tell me how to use a teensy with them.

BTW, are you called a Manx since you are from the Isle of Man? Some British person told me that the folks there are called Manx for men and Minx for women, but I suspect he was pulling my leg. Also heard that you guys have your own legal system and Parliament and language, but not sure how much is BS-sing from a mainland Englishman who admitted he'd never been to the Isle.

[berserkfan]

oh... just checked out Wikipedia, and am confused as heck. You guys are not part of the United Queendom or the EU, and you are not part of the British Commonwealth, but you are British citizens and subject to the Crown. You're like a Gaelic colony with its own parliament and you're not entitled to move to the EU and you have a different passport.

 

Very confusing for such a tiny island with 84,000 people.

[hoggy]

Thanks for your advice, Hoggy. When you tell me to download software first, does that mean you want me to make sure my computer can run the software? EG I am running 64bit Win7, which it seems most of these Access keyboards sold secondhand (being older) can't be programmed on it?

Sadly, yes.  You need something a bit older

Any way to use Soarer converter for these things? I am expecting to use a teensy, but I don't know how to do wiring.

You should be fine, but I'll take a board into work tomorrow to try it out for you.

If you have any advice at all for buying POS Cherry MX boards, please sound off! It seems you have bought and used a number. They don't need to be programmable if you can tell me how to use a teensy with them.

If you can get a pc that works with them, then Access is a pretty good bet.  Tipro seems to be well regarded on DeskThority.  Easier to program, but doesn't have the NKRO.

A few Digipos keyboards are rebranded tipro ones.

I think Preh are rubber domes.

Plenty of POS boards have detachable cables - if you don't see the cable in the picture, ask about it before buying one.  I believe it's fairly easy to change a standard cable for tipro.

When you open a box with a POS board in it - wear gloves.

BTW, are you called a Manx since you are from the Isle of Man? Some British person told me that the folks there are called Manx for men and Minx for women, but I suspect he was pulling my leg. Also heard that you guys have your own legal system and Parliament and language, but not sure how much is BS-sing from a mainland Englishman who admitted he'd never been to the Isle.

Yeah, it's complicated.  I was born in England, but now have a Manx driving licence and passport.  We also have our own money - just different notes and coins - which no-one takes in the UK.  Using the word 'mainland' here will get you a filthy look.  I've been here a while, so I've graduated from being a come-over to a stop-over.  Crime is very low here, I know a few people who leave their keys in their car and some don't even lock their house when they leave. 


Edit - Soarer's converter is quite easy to make, but maybe someone could knock one up for you...

[berserkfan]

Thanks for your advice, Hoggy. When you tell me to download software first, does that mean you want me to make sure my computer can run the software? EG I am running 64bit Win7, which it seems most of these Access keyboards sold secondhand (being older) can't be programmed on it?

Sadly, yes.  You need something a bit older


If you can get a pc that works with them, then Access is a pretty good bet.  Tipro seems to be well regarded on DeskThority.  Easier to program, but doesn't have the NKRO.

Edit - Soarer's converter is quite easy to make, but maybe someone could knock one up for you...

I've soldered teensies before for my Model Fs. Is it possible that even if an Access is an older version that cannot be directly programmed on on my computer, it is possible to wire up the matrices to locations on the teensy and from there program using Soarer's code? And if so, how do I write that code?

I'm just making blind stabs in the dark here. I've never done any of these things. But I find the Access an ideal keyboard for my layout experiments, based on its 9x15.

May I ask if you have any recommended price in mind for these keyboards? That seller will take offers, and I have nothing to lose by making an offer. Since shipping to SIngapore is 50 pounds (!), I have everything to lose if I make too high an offer, or if I don't determine if I can do my teensy modding and programming of that POS to begin with!

BTW what do you call a male and a female Manx lslander?

[hoggy]

Sorry to disappoint, but it's just manx.  Can't believe I forgot the TT Races...

I've got a few photos of the inside of an access somewhere that I took a few years ago...



I don't know if they help...


Try £40 - it's about £100 less than what they cost new - and you can only get them new in batches of 10.

I took in a board to try with Soarer's converter - but it was dead - I've had this happen before, the board probably just needs to be reprogrammed.  I suspect I might have disconnected it while the pc was on (yes, I should know better).

[berserkfan]

HAHA
I don’t know enough about keyboards to know what to do just by looking at the photos.
But if you can kill the kb just by unplugging it, and if you can’t make it work with a Soarer until you get an WinXP, it doesn’t bode well for me.

BTW, what do you call something related to the Isle of Manx? Manxist? Manxian?

[IvanIvanovich]

Most (all?) models of Access-IS have the controller on other PCB from the switch matrix, as you can see in hoggy photo, attach to each other with the ribbon cable. If you wanted to, you could cut the ribbon off the controller pcb and attach it to correct pins on a teensy to make it usb and able to use with TMK firmware or whatever. It would probably be much easier to do than many other keyboard since tracing it's matrix is probably more simple to follow on a straight rows and columns.
Also on straight rows and columns model, it is possible to push down the plate to get access to open the switch for customing without desolder/solder. I did so on the one I had, and I know a few other did so as well. I occasionally regret letting mine go, but I still hope to find one of smaller one like a 7x5 someday since I would much rather have a smaller pad for certain thing than a huge board.

[berserkfan]

awesome, Ivan! Trust you to know about such things! Sadly there are not many Access keyboards now... so I'll have to wait and wait until something more reasonably priced comes up.

BTW Ivan, I can see the part about wiring the ribbon cable to the teensy. But what about the 2 other sets of wires in the photo? Presumably one is power supply and one can be safely disconnected as it's for the card swipe. How do I supply power to the keyboard from the teensy USB cable?

Do you think offering the seller 30 pounds is fair? That's $50USD, which makes it $150USD to buy and ship 2 to Singapore. As a buyer I have to be concerned about total costs but also the practical problem that not all sellers are willing to ship abroad. I'm not going to bet that I can buy these keyboards for 5 pounds in somebody's Lancashire garage sale.

[IvanIvanovich]

Well if you replace the controller with a teensy or something then it would be powered over usb via that. There are models that don't have any magstripe or additional serial or whatever ports on them which is what I guess the other wires in hoggy photo is for. I'm not sure if any of the available community firmware support those things... so you probably would ignore that parts, or may be best to get models without them so you don't have to worry about it. For example the Access-IS I had didn't


I'm not sure what you want it for... but there are some other option you can look for like this hengyu... and there are some other I have come across but I can't remember who make them at the moment. Some of them have odd layout like this other one I had...

[berserkfan]

Ivan

Thanks for your recommendation. The Hengyu looks quite good, and they have a 128 key board which at 16 columns x8rows is closest to my needs. Basically would like to create a keyboard layout that involves me moving my hands the least. Right now I prefer to find a 6x15 or larger. 15 columns are roughly the size of what you can type with a bit of stretching for the pinkies and quite close to what a normal keyboard would offer.

I have also been propagating my view that space bars are a waste of space. We almost always hit the same places on a space bar. Why not shrink the bar down to 1x? The thumbs can then do other things, such as trigger new layers. That’s why I want a POS – they have all 1x1 keys!

By the way, if anyone wants to know, their English website is easier to navigate than the Chinese one. They don’t even give information in Chinese.

Trying this name or related names gives me nothing but an army of unrelated results. If anyone knows how to search on Taobao, please tell me!
恒宇128键可编程键盘

[lonedruid]

wow so arcane. me so newb