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Author Topic: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?  (Read 5696 times)

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Offline aptivaboy

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Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« on: Wed, 23 March 2016, 00:45:24 »
You know the one I'm talking about.  ;D ;D ;D More function keys than you can shake a stick at! The original equivalent of Unicomp's PC-122. I'm aware that they cannot be used as is due to their keys being mapped differently and modern PCs not being able to read them. But, is there a reasonable way to remap their keys and make one usable with a modern Windows system?

Many thank,

Robert 
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Offline Red October

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 23 March 2016, 01:56:33 »
More than a reasonable way, a turnkey solution.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Soarers-Converter-Adapter-for-IBM-Model-F-122-Keyboard-Remapping-Macros-NKR-/271644933588
His other auctions have the ones for the boards with Modular plugs and PS/2 connectors. 
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 23 March 2016, 08:27:47 »
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 23 March 2016, 12:19:03 »
Cool... There are a number of them on the Bay of Evil right now that look nice, including one pure white case - not the more standard off-white case. I may make one into a project.

One other thing - I'd be using it with an HP laptop. When I'm at home, I plug it into a standard keyboard for ease of typing. Were I to remap the keys, would that remap them integrally to the keyboard? I guess what I'm asking is, would the remapping apply no matter which PC it was plugged into, or only with the laptop?

Thanks,

Robert
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 23 March 2016, 18:37:06 »
I am not exactly sure about your question, but a Soarer's Converter intercepts the keyboard and sends codes on in a USB form that the computer can understand. As I recall, wcass gave an easy instruction in reply #560.

Remapping keys is reprogramming the key codes to be interpreted as whatever else you select, so that the computer sees the Teensy, not the keyboard. So yes, the keyboard/Teensy combo will appear the same no matter what computer that you plug it into.

Orihalcon's cables probably behave pretty much the same way, but I don't know for sure.
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 00:29:28 »
I ran across this on the Bay of Evil: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-RJ45-to-USB-Soarers-Converter-Model-M-Terminal-Keyboard-Remapping-Macros-/281476431381?hash=item41894d7e15:g:wwYAAOSwF1dUSZVm

I'm guessing this is what I need then, correct? I'm foreseeing some interesting macros for the extra function keys, he he he...
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 07:37:52 »
Yes, Orihalcon's cables are very clean and work well.
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:20:31 »
They'd also work for a Unicomp PC-122, I'm guessing? I may go that route (see other thread).

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=80741.0

Robert
« Last Edit: Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:27:44 by aptivaboy »
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Offline appleonama

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:22:16 »
Quote from: Red October on Wed, 23 March 2016, 01:56:33
More than a reasonable way, a turnkey solution.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Soarers-Converter-Adapter-for-IBM-Model-F-122-Keyboard-Remapping-Macros-NKR-/271644933588
His other auctions have the ones for the boards with Modular plugs and PS/2 connectors.

Interesting I didn't know about this but there must be a cheaper solution right?
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Offline Moistgun

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:43:00 »
Quote from: appleonama on Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:22:16
Quote from: Red October on Wed, 23 March 2016, 01:56:33
More than a reasonable way, a turnkey solution.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Soarers-Converter-Adapter-for-IBM-Model-F-122-Keyboard-Remapping-Macros-NKR-/271644933588
His other auctions have the ones for the boards with Modular plugs and PS/2 connectors.

Interesting I didn't know about this but there must be a cheaper solution right?

You can wire in a teensy 2.0 for half that price and use the code to convert it directly. Takes a bit more work.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 14:45:10 »
Quote from: Moistgun on Thu, 24 March 2016, 12:43:00

Interesting I didn't know about this but there must be a cheaper solution right?

You can wire in a teensy 2.0 for half that price and use the code to convert it directly. Takes a bit more work.

[/quote]

And you can buy a Chinese knock-off for $5, but each price jump makes it considerably easier to use.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 21:01:09 »
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Offline Snowdog993

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 24 March 2016, 22:35:03 »
Like this?

http://imgur.com/a/tIonH

I had mine done by Phpsphorglow.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #13 on: Sat, 26 March 2016, 05:07:28 »
Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 24 March 2016, 07:37:52
Yes, Orihalcon's cables are very clean and work well.


+1000

I use mine every week - works perfectly on a few Model Ms with my Mac.

Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 24 March 2016, 21:01:09
Quote from: aptivaboy on Wed, 23 March 2016, 12:19:03

There are a number of them on the Bay


Won't get much cheaper than this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-IBM-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-1395660-RJ45-Not-a-AT-/351681868817?hash=item51e1df7411:g:oQcAAOSwAuNW7fMc&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true


And looks like you won't get that one anyway - already sold ;)

Quote from: Snowdog993 on Thu, 24 March 2016, 22:35:03
Like this?

http://imgur.com/a/tIonH

I had mine done by Phpsphorglow.


I still like that keyboard, and not just because of the yellow underlay.

Ok, maybe because of the yellow underlay :p
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"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 Snowdog993

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #14 on: Sat, 26 March 2016, 08:01:50 »
Quote from: rowdy on Sat, 26 March 2016, 05:07:28
Quote from: Snowdog993 on Thu, 24 March 2016, 22:35:03
Like this?

http://imgur.com/a/tIonH

I had mine done by Phpsphorglow.


I still like that keyboard, and not just because of the yellow underlay.

Ok, maybe because of the yellow underlay :p

It's actually being used, and has been since the day I obtained it.  It's not sitting in a box at all.  That keyboard is very special.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Can an IBM terminal Model M keyboard be used today?
« Reply #15 on: Sun, 27 March 2016, 19:59:47 »
Quote from: Snowdog993 on Sat, 26 March 2016, 08:01:50
Quote from: rowdy on Sat, 26 March 2016, 05:07:28
Quote from: Snowdog993 on Thu, 24 March 2016, 22:35:03
Like this?

http://imgur.com/a/tIonH

I had mine done by Phpsphorglow.


I still like that keyboard, and not just because of the yellow underlay.

Ok, maybe because of the yellow underlay :p

It's actually being used, and has been since the day I obtained it.  It's not sitting in a box at all.  That keyboard is very special.


Good  to hear :)
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"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?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ
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