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Author Topic: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application  (Read 1741 times)

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Offline fohat.digs

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Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 17:59:22 »
So, nobody has stepped up to comment on this ultra-badass keyboard.

I got it at a salvage shop but have not been able to test it, probably because I lack software drivers. It responds with nice clean beeps when I press the keys, but Windows 7 will not see it. I have connected it via PS/2 and also with the big AT plug (on the assumption that it needs a separate power source) but no dice.

Software drivers have always turned up after a trivial internet search in the past, but these seem to be closely-held and proprietary.

Does anybody know how to get anywhere with this? I want to test it, at the minimum, and/or likely sell it, because it is certainly a valuable and all-but-indestructible piece of industrial hardware.

Anyone who wants or needs a truly hard-core keyboard should take this off my hands.
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline E TwentyNine

  • Posts: 884
    • Some of My Keyboards
Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:20:31 »
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Daily driver: SSK or Tenkeyless IBM AT
1984 Model M Industrial Prototype ⌨ 1992 Black Oval Industrial SSK ⌨ 1982 5251 Beam Spring ⌨ 89 Key "SSK" ⌨ M13 triplets

Offline dorkvader

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Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:25:21 »
When presented with a mysterious PS/2 device I hook it up to a soarer PS/2 to USB converter and run HID_listen to see what it's getting.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:41:19 »
Quote from: dorkvader on Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:25:21
When presented with a mysterious PS/2 device I hook it up to a soarer PS/2 to USB converter and run HID_listen to see what it's getting.

Nada.

Quote from: E TwentyNine on Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:20:31
You found this user guide?  http://www.bematechus.com/web/Documents/KB3000_UM.pdf

Yes, it popped up immediately. It refers to the driver, but does not actually give it to you ......
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline E TwentyNine

  • Posts: 884
    • Some of My Keyboards
Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:48:26 »
How about the PS/2 link on this page?  http://www.bematechus.com/kb3/

Link: http://www.logiccontrols.com/web/Utils/LKUtility.zip

The readme in there says it's the driver.
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Daily driver: SSK or Tenkeyless IBM AT
1984 Model M Industrial Prototype ⌨ 1992 Black Oval Industrial SSK ⌨ 1982 5251 Beam Spring ⌨ 89 Key "SSK" ⌨ M13 triplets

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 19:07:43 »
Quote from: E TwentyNine on Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:48:26
How about the PS/2 link on this page?  http://www.bematechus.com/kb3/

Link: http://www.logiccontrols.com/web/Utils/LKUtility.zip

The readme in there says it's the driver.

Sorry, but no, been there, done that, multiple tries.

It is the installer for the driver, but not the actual driver.
Logged
"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline dorkvader

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  • Location: Boston area
  • all about the "hack" in "geekhack"
Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 19:40:31 »
I suspect the PS/2 port is disabled somehow. Have you tried a USB / serial adapter (or an old machine with a serial port)?
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Offline E TwentyNine

  • Posts: 884
    • Some of My Keyboards
Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 19:57:15 »
Quote from: dorkvader on Wed, 20 August 2014, 19:40:31
I suspect the PS/2 port is disabled somehow. Have you tried a USB / serial adapter (or an old machine with a serial port)?

The way I read the users guide is the PS/2 port is an input for another keyboard, and you have to use an adapter from J2 to connect to your computer:

Quote
Connecting the KB3000 to a PS/2 computer:

1. Use the supplied interface cable. Plug in the 6-pin DIN connector of the interfacecable into J2 of the KB3000.
2. Connect the 5 pin DIN connector of the interface cable into the 5 pin DIN of the AT-to-PS/2 adapter.
3. Plug the PS/2 connector of the adapter into the computer’s key board port.
4. Connect the PS/2 keyboard into J1 of the KB3000.

NOTE 1: J5 and J6 are not used in this configuration.
NOTE 2: The AT-to-PS/2 adapter is not supplied but can be ordered from the manufacturer.

The steps for connecting to an AT port are essentially just 1 and 2 of the above, but plugging into a computer instead of an AT->PS/2 adapter.
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Daily driver: SSK or Tenkeyless IBM AT
1984 Model M Industrial Prototype ⌨ 1992 Black Oval Industrial SSK ⌨ 1982 5251 Beam Spring ⌨ 89 Key "SSK" ⌨ M13 triplets

Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
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  • Posts: 6533
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
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Re: Metal Domes and Commercial / Industrial Application
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 20 August 2014, 20:22:26 »
Quote from: dorkvader on Wed, 20 August 2014, 18:25:21
When presented with a mysterious PS/2 device I hook it up to a soarer PS/2 to USB converter and run HID_listen to see what it's getting.

I will try some of this.

Connecting a straight-through male-male PS/2 cable from keyboard to computer powers the keyboard at least enough to make the switches beep, even with nothing else connected.
Logged
"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30
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