« previous next »
Pages:  [1]     Go Down

Author Topic: IBM Model M Modifications  (Read 4814 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Galixy5

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 5
IBM Model M Modifications
« on: Wed, 15 April 2015, 15:23:33 »
I am fairly new to the forum but have been lurking for quite some time and really enjoy what I have seen so far.


I work for a company that use to use an IBM AS400 and now uses and IBM I-series 7.  Needless to say I have a surplus of dumb terminals and of course the beloved Model M.

Mostly the terminal version with the RJ-45 connection.

I have successfully modded one ps2 model m with the ps2 to usb converter soldered in the PCB and when I saw it working....I was hooked and wanted to do more.

I have read through quite a few awesome threads regarding modding the model m and can see there are several ways of doing it.

My question is can I pull parts from various hardware to sort of build my own usb or wireless controller for the model m?  Can controllers from other keyboards be flashed and reprogrammed?

Since I have lots of spare equipment I would like to do this project just spare parts if possible.  Plus, I like the challenge of a Frankenstein project.

Any and all suggestions/help are appreciated!!!


Being the network admin for this company I have A LOT of old hardware and spare parts from various vendors.  Lots of ps2, usb, and wireless keyboards, old pc's, old routers and switches, phones, old motherboards,  etc...

I also have access to things like an EEPROM chip burner with access to thousands of EEPROM chips.

The model m I am currently working on is a model 1394167.



« Last Edit: Wed, 15 April 2015, 15:44:25 by Galixy5 »
Logged

Offline CPTBadAss

  • Woke up like this
  • Posts: 14365
    • Tactile Zine
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 15 April 2015, 15:27:07 »
Logged

Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6471
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 15 April 2015, 17:00:48 »
Quote from: Galixy5 on Wed, 15 April 2015, 15:23:33

Needless to say I have a surplus of dumb terminals and of course the beloved Model M.


Orihalcon sells a direct plug-and-play USB cable for these that makes it very clean and dead easy.

It would make people happy if you sold some of your excess at reasonable prices to Geekhackers.
Logged
“Citizens United violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president.
So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over.”
- Jimmy Carter 2015

Offline rowdy

  • HHKB Hapster
  • * Erudite Elder
  • Posts: 21175
  • Location: melbourne.vic.au
  • Missed another sale.
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 15 April 2015, 17:45:45 »
You've joined a while ago, but first post!  Welcome to Geekhack!

Link to orihalcon's cables: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=64670.0

I have one of his SDL to USB cables - works perfectly :)

And I guess you're in the US, which would make shipping costs to Australia silly in case you did decide to sell anything.
Logged
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Galixy5

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 5
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 15 April 2015, 20:25:58 »
Here are the models I currently have:










Logged

Offline berserkfan

  • Posts: 2135
  • Location: Not CONUS Not CONUS Not CONUS Not CONUS
  • changing diapers is more fun than model f assembly
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 16 April 2015, 01:29:22 »
Hmmm... most are produced in Greennock. Wonder what Fohat has to say about that.
Logged
Most of the modding can be done on your own once you break through the psychological barriers.

Offline Galixy5

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 5
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 16 April 2015, 16:56:36 »
I pulled the boards out of two of these today.

They look pretty different. One has DIP switches...





Logged

Offline Galixy5

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 5
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 17 April 2015, 09:07:22 »
I had a thought today on this.....

I work a lot with barcode scanners and have programed several different types over the years.....since a PC see's a barcode scanner as a keyboard and scanners are fully programmable, in that you can program them for different types of keyboards i.e. "Keyboard Wedge for IBM Terminals 31xx,32xx, 34xx, 37xx make only keyboard".

97615-0


Could components from a scanner be used to modify the model m's PCB?

Since you guys are the pro's here...I thought I'd ask.

« Last Edit: Fri, 17 April 2015, 09:36:49 by Galixy5 »
Logged

Offline Galixy5

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 5
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 17 April 2015, 17:22:31 »
Ok....I have pulled all the boards out and they all look pretty much the same.  One is obviously longer and has dip switches and some have jumpers on one end and some do not.


 



Here is a pic of the keyboards from the front.



I know one is missing the spacebar....i have a spare.



So I have some decisions to make.  I need what approach you guys would take to mod these to USB.  I really like the ease of orihalcon's cables, but $40 per adapter is way more than I want to spend.

I'm not sure if I'll mod all of them, guess it all depends on how the first mod goes.

I've seen where someone created a new board, but it looks like they sold them all and didn't plan on making anymore.

I just need some guidance on the best route to take.  I'm pretty tech savvy and can solder.

I'd like to save one of them to maybe attempt a wireless mod and would like suggestions on that as well...I have read thru lots of threads on wireless mods but they were fairly old.  Didn't know if there were any updated info on this.  I have 4 or 5 different wireless keyboards lying around I could part out.

Thanks again for all the help!!!
« Last Edit: Fri, 17 April 2015, 17:24:18 by Galixy5 »
Logged

Offline fohat.digs

  • * Elevated Elder
  • Posts: 6471
  • Location: 35°55'N, 83°53'W
  • weird funny old guy
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 17 April 2015, 17:56:43 »
The one with the square badge looks like it might be a first-generation (with large legs).

If so, it is more desirable and the case top shell can very easily modded to fit a 122-key Model F, which is a big bonus.

The Teensy/USB conversion is pretty simple and having a USB cable coming straight out of the case would make for a desirable item to use or sell.
Logged
“Citizens United violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system. Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president.
So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over.”
- Jimmy Carter 2015

Offline Snowdog993

  • Grace Under Pressure
  • Posts: 1587
  • Location: Over There! (Pointing)
  • Justifiably Clueless.
Re: IBM Model M Modifications
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 17 April 2015, 19:26:10 »
Why not just get the Colossus controller from Phosphorglow?  That is already ready to go.
http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/universal-model-m-controller-t9820.html
http://deskthority.net/resources/image/19918

« Last Edit: Fri, 17 April 2015, 20:04:20 by Snowdog993 »
Logged
Pages:  [1]     Go Up
« previous next »