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Author Topic: Selectric Keyboard  (Read 1893 times)

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Offline y11971alex

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Selectric Keyboard
« on: Tue, 23 August 2016, 19:34:39 »
I bought a Selectric that I want to convert to a usable computer keyboard for a leisure project.



I think I'll start by sticking magnetic reed switches close to these latches that are apparently magnetized for some reason.  Each key on the typewriter displaces a distinct number of latches, which is digital information that could be decoded by reading signals from the reed switches.
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Keyboards owned: IBM Selectric | 3278 | 3101 | 5251 | Model F XT | AT | 122 (6110344) | Model M 1390120 | 1390131 | 1391472 | 1392464 (DisplayWriter SSK) | 1395100 (SSK) | Honeywell RD IBM 09F4230 | Leading Edge DC-2014 (Blue Alps) | Chicony 5891 (Monterey Blue) | E&E-101 (KPT Blue) | BTC 5100 | 5100C | 5369 | DEC VT100 (Hi-tek Linear) | Burroughs TP109 (Hall) | Realforce 87 (55g)

Keyboards wanted: IBM Model F 104 (Unsaver) | Model M 1391401

Offline zzxx6400

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Re: Selectric Keyboard
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 25 August 2016, 19:50:47 »
Had the same idea for a while; never got around to actually do it.
I don't think the latch interposers are designed to be magnetic; the soviets swapped in magnetic ones so that their bug would work:
http://www.cryptomuseum.com/covert/bugs/selectric/
Some kind of switch to detect interposer motion is probably needed.

Also, the interposers only move when the typeball moves; that means you will need extra stuff to detect tab, space, enter, shift, and backspace keys.
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