Where is this keyboard from?

HaaTa · 21 Nov 2011, 23:51

A little bit easier than my last one (maybe), because I'll give a bit more background this time.

I've managed to acquire a Hall Effect keyboard (and have a working NKRO USB converter, that can even toggle the LEDs). This keyboard has virtually no branding, other than the Honeywell circuitry inside.
Honeywell didn't help me when I asked them (unlike with the Bud Keypad).

However, over the past couple of days, I've found some neat information about the keyboard that points in an interesting direction.
The connector was destroyed when I got it, but is a type of RS-232 like.
And unfortunately was missing 2 keycaps when I got it.

Patent for this exact keyboard shell, and layout (including the point where the cable comes out of the keyboard and rubber stoppers) http://bitsavers.org/pdf/convergent/pat ... _Oct80.pdf
That patent is registered by Convergent Technologies (makers of CTOS)
Convergent Technologies was later an OEM for Burroughs (P20 Line):
- More information on what's in the P20 line can be found here: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/computer/system/unisys/ctos/
- The P20 line was similar, but not quite the same (oo the one below is Cortron)
- The cord can be seen from here http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/big/ ... rkstation/
- This brochure shows a keyboard very similar, but not quite the same (Burroughs styling) http://bitsavers.org/pdf/convergent/man ... _Jun82.pdf
Notice the LEDs, and Layout, this all points to the keyboard being used for CTOS (Convergent Technologies OS)
Now, Burroughs was the largest OEM for Convergent (not the only, if someone can answer who the others were, that would help!)
Unisys (which was formed from a merger of Sperry and Burroughs in 1986) bought Convergent Technologies in 1988 (and was almost bought out by 3COM in 1986)
From some more reading it looks like Bull was another OEM target for Convergent, but I haven't looked into that connection yet.

I can provide more images of the keyboard if that helps.

HaaTa · 21 Nov 2011, 23:57

Oh, and this is a great starting point.

http://bitsavers.org/pdf/

And, Honeywell could also have a play in this, but to a lesser extent.

HaaTa · 22 Nov 2011, 23:28

No biters? >40 views, and nothing?

I can add more pics if that's all I need to do

kps · 22 Nov 2011, 23:44

More pics?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathteacherguy/3251520099
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathteacherguy/3251631829
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathteacherguy/3252343218
and possibly others in the set.

kps · 22 Nov 2011, 23:49

webwit · 23 Nov 2011, 00:00

Very interesting. How does it feel? My guess is plain linear

HaaTa · 23 Nov 2011, 03:20

Awesome! Thanks again kps. You wouldn't know which Burroughs machine my optical keyboard is from, would you?

It's definitely not for CTOS, and probably for MCP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCP_(Burro ... e_Systems)), as I recognize the LED names.

Webwit: Yeah, linear

Probably just like your Symbolics.

kps · 23 Nov 2011, 04:52

HaaTa wrote:You wouldn't know which Burroughs machine my optical keyboard is from, would you?

No idea. I agree it's from the Burroughs lineage, rather than Convergent or Sperry, but I don't know much about their systems. Does it have a date on it (or date codes on the ICs)? I'd guess mid-80s. The closest in appearance I can see is this from here, but it doesn't identify the terminals.

Edit: my fractionally more educated guess is that it's from a Burroughs ET-1100 or ET-1200 terminal, but I can't find a picture of one.

HaaTa · 23 Nov 2011, 06:38

Ooo, that looks really close, if not exactly.
I'm trying to figure out the protocol of this thing, and it's not being very nice...I have a little bit more circuit tracing to do, and if that doesn't help, I'll be turning to my ROM dump.

How about some more pics then?

HaaTa · 23 Nov 2011, 08:32

Found some more info on the picture you found kps. So it's part of the A-Series then?

http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/node/31005

The dates from bitsavers would match around the time I think the keyboard was produced (mid-late '80s).
http://bitsavers.org/pdf/burroughs/A-Series/

(Interesting wikipedia article on Burroughs computers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burroughs_large_systems)

kps · 23 Nov 2011, 16:53

HaaTa wrote:So it's part of the A-Series then?

I doubt it was specific to the A-series, but it looks like it was specific to Burroughs mainframes, not a simple full-duplex ASCII terminal.

I think it has to be from an ET-1100 / ET-1200 terminal. It's not from an earlier (Burroughs TD830, MT983) or later (Unisys T27) terminal, which all have identified pictures online. I would guess that "BETKB" stands for "Burroughs Ergonomic Terminal Keyboard".

There's a paper, Design aspects of the Burroughs ET 1100 ergonomic workstation, whose abstract matches up with the description and date (lots of '85 and '86 date codes in your photos). Unfortunately this is in one of the few tech journals that my employer doesn't subscribe to, and I'm not about to pay $40 for the second page of the article to see whether it describes the keyboard in any detail.

MightyFrame · 26 Mar 2017, 08:34

Hi! I just acquired a Convergent Workstation which should accept the keyboard that you feature here.

I'm wondering, do you still have it? If you do, I have some questions where you probably could be of great help to me.

What I'm really interested to know is, did you or could you do any logic analyzer captures on the signal outputs for each key? If I can't get ahold of a keyboard like this, I'm hoping to emulate it, if you could provide that data.

For reference, here's what I acquired and am working on restoring now, sans keyboard:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182457215658

Thanks, I'd love to hear from you.

-AJ

HaaTa wrote: ↑A little bit easier than my last one (maybe), because I'll give a bit more background this time.

I've managed to acquire a Hall Effect keyboard (and have a working NKRO USB converter, that can even toggle the LEDs). This keyboard has virtually no branding, other than the Honeywell circuitry inside.
Honeywell didn't help me when I asked them (unlike with the Bud Keypad).

However, over the past couple of days, I've found some neat information about the keyboard that points in an interesting direction.
The connector was destroyed when I got it, but is a type of RS-232 like.
And unfortunately was missing 2 keycaps when I got it.

Patent for this exact keyboard shell, and layout (including the point where the cable comes out of the keyboard and rubber stoppers) http://bitsavers.org/pdf/convergent/pat ... _Oct80.pdf

That patent is registered by Convergent Technologies (makers of CTOS)

Convergent Technologies was later an OEM for Burroughs (P20 Line):

More information on what's in the P20 line can be found here: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/computer/system/unisys/ctos/

The P20 line was similar, but not quite the same (oo the one below is Cortron)

The cord can be seen from here http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/big/ ... rkstation/

This brochure shows a keyboard very similar, but not quite the same (Burroughs styling) http://bitsavers.org/pdf/convergent/man ... _Jun82.pdf

Notice the LEDs, and Layout, this all points to the keyboard being used for CTOS (Convergent Technologies OS)

Now, Burroughs was the largest OEM for Convergent (not the only, if someone can answer who the others were, that would help!)

Unisys (which was formed from a merger of Sperry and Burroughs in 1986) bought Convergent Technologies in 1988 (and was almost bought out by 3COM in 1986)

From some more reading it looks like Bull was another OEM target for Convergent, but I haven't looked into that connection yet.
I can provide more images of the keyboard if that helps.