Does anyone here own a Lenovo Thinkpad USB keyboard

[dante]

It looks like this:




In a nutshell GeekHack brother ezrahilyer is looking at the feasibility for reverse engineering the chips in order to make a USB converter.  So you will be able to use official Thinkpad keyboards on your computer!

However(!)

Here is a photo of the inside:




If someone in the community has one of these - can you take some photos of the chips.  Need clearer photo of the specs/model # on top of the chips.

Unfortunately I bought/sold mine a long time ago.  I was frustrated that I couldn't get it to feel like the real deal.

[E TwentyNine]

It has been done: http://hackaday.com/2014/04/30/using-a-thinkpad-keyboard-over-usb/

But those USB keyboards are essentially just real thinkpad keyboards dropped into an external shell.   The older ones might be harder to come by.

Is there an active thread on this?

[dante]

It has been done: http://hackaday.com/2014/04/30/using-a-thinkpad-keyboard-over-usb/

But those USB keyboards are essentially just real thinkpad keyboards dropped into an external shell.   The older ones might be harder to come by.

Is there an active thread on this?

It has been done - but the creator is no longer selling these kits.

[heedpantsnow]

I don't have the guts of mine anymore sorry

[ezrahilyer]

It has been done: http://hackaday.com/2014/04/30/using-a-thinkpad-keyboard-over-usb/

But those USB keyboards are essentially just real thinkpad keyboards dropped into an external shell.   The older ones might be harder to come by.

Is there an active thread on this?

It has been done - but the creator is no longer selling these kits.

I wanted to try this route to see if I could source that chip because its an all-in-one, but its probably not readily available, so I will probably have to make my own board and use a 32u4 on the same board as the decade counter, instead of doing the pcb that then interfaces with an arduino solution that the other guy did. At this point we are just trying to see if it would even be feasible.

Sometimes you check on some custom chip and find someone with a whole spool that were left over. Especially if its something not actively used anymore.
Worth a shot anyway.

[davkol]

Do you still want any pictures? I'm about to upload some.

[ezrahilyer]

Do you still want any pictures? I'm about to upload some.

Yes yes clear pictures showing the chip ID would be perfect.

[davkol]

I've been asked by a few more people. Anyway, here it is: http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/lenovo-thinkpad-usb-keyboard-with-trackpoint-aka-sk-8855-disassembly-t9556.html

[pkamb]

Here are high-resolution pics of this component, the SK8855_V0.6 812-00491-02A chip from a SK-8855 ThinkPad external keyboard with trackpoint.

I'd be very interested in a 3rd-party USB converter if anyone is able to produce that product.

https://imgur.com/a/Kptlasv