F104+SSK+122+62+77+50+Ergo orders now open! New Kishsaver+Industrial Model F Keyboards

[mbarszcz]

For any F122 owners who may stumble on this thread in the future, I had a chance to try pandrew's QMK firmware for the Model F out and it is amazing. It fixed all my key sensitivity problems that I've struggled with for years. Phantom presses, keys not registering, inconsistent performance with temperature and humidity changes, endless fiddling with threshold settings...all gone now thanks to the new firmware and the auto-calibration and debouncing routines.

[darkcruix]

Just to complete my previous response ... the first attempt on the F62 looks quite nice, still working on the alignment, but here you go:

IMG_4457.JPG (254.95 KiB) Viewed 14119 times

[darkcruix]

All of the "all in stock" single digit and early bird tooling supporter orders for keyboards and new Model F key sets have shipped out!
...

Spectacular

[clickclack]

Just to complete my previous response ... the first attempt on the F62 looks quite nice, still working on the alignment, but here you go:

Nice. Extra points for the use of the shift symbol for 'up'.

[darkcruix]

Just to complete my previous response ... the first attempt on the F62 looks quite nice, still working on the alignment, but here you go:

Nice. Extra points for the use of the shift symbol for 'up'.

I have it configured to be shift by press+hold. If it is single pressed it is an arrow_up. Double-pressed and held is an arrow-up that is held down (like scrolling up continuously). Full functionality in one key

keyboard.c.zip

(2.94 KiB) Downloaded 140 times

[Ellipse]

Gunsight1 - kindly see the "extra keys" product page for all the possible additional keys that can be ordered with the project.

mbarszcz - yes big thanks to pandrew for QMK Model F! I will note that the original controller with soarer's converter running on a Pro Micro has been completely reliable for my F122 over the past 7 or so years - never a single issue. Unless someone requires the additional features of QMK I strongly recommend keeping in place the original F122 controller unless it is somehow broken (is that common? Out of the many IBM keyboards in my former collection I don't recall a single failed original IBM controller).

[elcano]

@Gunsight1,

I had exactly the same dead keys that you listed on my keyboard when it arrived. I opened the keyboard expecting to find a soldering problem or short circuit, but was frustrated not to find anything evident. Therefore closed it again, just to find that the problem was gone. I have opened and closed the keyboard many times now and the issue never returned so I cannot explain it.

[Bjerrk]

Did you check that none of the solder contacts had pierced the tape? I can't tell for sure from the photo. I put an extra layer of tape on mine, just in case.

I have not checked that. Does it cause an issue if they do? Also what kind of tape is it?

Yes. You can just put a piece of somewhat sturdy tape over it. It doesn't really matter exactly what it is, as long as it isn't conductive, of course.

[darkcruix]

Did you check that none of the solder contacts had pierced the tape? I can't tell for sure from the photo. I put an extra layer of tape on mine, just in case.

I have not checked that. Does it cause an issue if they do? Also what kind of tape is it?

Yes. You can just put a piece of somewhat sturdy tape over it. It doesn't really matter exactly what it is, as long as it isn't conductive, of course.

The tape that is pre-applied is polyimide film tape that is often used in soldering as it is heat resistant and non-conductive. Example link below from Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B089PR ... UTF8&psc=1

[elcano]

I like the idea of a reset button.

https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/capt ... set-button

Pimoroni released a reset button for the Raspberry Pi Pivot board and I just realized that this would be a great idea for our keyboard controller.

Can anybody suggest the proper part that I should buy to solder to the reset pads in my controller? Or maybe I should solder cables and keep my pushbutton to the side of the board, to prevent the back panel from accidentally pressing on the reset button?

My motivation is that whenever I try to enable Dynamic Macros in QMK, my keyboard stops responding and my only option to replace the firmware has been this one. However, the pads are not too easy to reach without disassembling the controller. I want to get Dynamic Macros working, but I need an easier way out.

https://beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/adva ... mic_macros

[Ellipse]

Shipping update: For the printed key sets, tracking numbers have been sent out for all of the "all in stock" custom/low serials with the separate shipping option (keyboard shipped previously)! Total of 31 people's orders.

This coming week and next week the remaining "all in stock" custom/low serials that did not choose separate shipping (I'll be shipping keyboard+keys etc.) should go out. Total of ~82 keyboards. As noted before, these will go out in sequence of the date that someone's earliest keyboard was ordered.

Then the B stock orders should go out (there are still some B stock key sets remaining if anyone's interested in helping cover the dye sub cost overruns - see the "extra set of keys" store item for details).

After that, assuming there are a minimal number of low serial upgrades of "all in stock" orders if someone wants to get one of the remaining key sets in the first batch, there should be a number of key sets remaining so that the earliest non-custom/low serial key sets can start going out, both those shipping with keyboards as well as just the keys shipping, if the separate shipping option was chosen.

A reminder for those wondering why some sets can ship before others: I am first shipping orders that are 100% in stock for what someone ordered. To keep things simple I am not doing any "split split" shipping, where some printed keys ship and other printed keys ship later. To maximize the number of sets completed before CNY, the factory printed only one group of keys in the few days remaining before Chinese New Year break. When they return in a few weeks, sublimation of all the various key sets and colors will ramp up at some point, though not right away upon returning. Not to worry, it won't make much difference in the wait times because it looks like every single key set ordered will be able to be completed in about two months of production time (they estimate production capacity of about 180 jigs' worth of key sets per day, with each jig being a full key set and a couple extra sets).

On an unrelated note, below is a report of the number of keyboards each person has ordered, as of a few days ago. For privacy reasons I have hidden the numbers for a number of those who have purchased more than 5 keyboards. It is interesting that quite a few people have ordered 3, 4, 5, and more than 5 keyboards. Some people have told me they purchased the keyboards specifically to keep new in box and to sell down the line, or to resell an "in stock" keyboard locally in another country, in their company's online store.

# KB's-----# People ordering that quantity of keyboard
>5----------#
5------------3
4------------15
3------------27
2------------222
1------------2107

[hanxor]

Hi folks - just joined the family with my F62!

I've read the manual and still can't understand how I can switch over to QMK. I've gotten access to beta QMK and downloaded the layout files - but feel like I'm missing steps to fully switch over to QMK.

Is anyone capable of a dumb down version of the process for this noobie?

Thanks in advance!

[photometer]

If you recently got your F62, you will have QMK firmware preinstalled on it.
Here are my steps to flash the QMK firmware, when I build a new custom version.
I use 2 tools - util.exe and qmk_toolbox.exe

1. Run util.exe
on the title bar it says - Util for whatsit running QMK firmware.
2. Press enter bootloader
3. This will move the keyboard in bootloader mode.
4. Run qmk_toolbox.exe
5. Se the MCU to atmega32u2 and load the hex file.
6. press the flash button

[elcano]

I didn't know about util.exe. I enter bootloader by pressing Left_Shift+Right_Shift+B.

If you have qmk_toolbox.exe running already it will recognize when the keyboard enters bootloader mode, and enable the Flash button.

[Ellipse]

I am trying to determine the "official" naming of the keys especially for the terminal / symbol keys, most of which are being made available to get through the below link.

Not sure if IBM had a reference document on this or if there is another source. Any ideas?

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/product ... d-keycaps/

hanxor the keyboards that have gone out since last summer have all been preloaded with QMK, so you would not need to do anything with the firmware unless you want to modify the default layout noted on the product pages. The process of switching to QMK is the same as loading a new layout - with QMK you have to flash the firmware new each time you want to update the layout, or each time you switch from another firmware to QMK.

[hanxor]

If you recently got your F62, you will have QMK firmware preinstalled on it.
Here are my steps to flash the QMK firmware, when I build a new custom version.
I use 2 tools - util.exe and qmk_toolbox.exe

1. Run util.exe
on the title bar it says - Util for whatsit running QMK firmware.
2. Press enter bootloader
3. This will move the keyboard in bootloader mode.
4. Run qmk_toolbox.exe
5. Se the MCU to atmega32u2 and load the hex file.
6. press the flash button

I'm sorry - I didn't mention that I purchased it from a local fellow 2nd hand!

Serial #: 415 Birthdate: 1/04/2020

[hanxor]

https://ibb.co/xzgwjQG

This is where I'm at - "state" seems to indicate whenever I type anything.

Is this where I would enter "Bootloader" mode under "tools"?

I've downloaded QMK_Toolbox-master and am not sure where the .EXE file you've mention lives.
https://ibb.co/mvNYHnx

[depletedvespene]

I am trying to determine the "official" naming of the keys especially for the terminal / symbol keys, most of which are being made available to get through the below link.

Not sure if IBM had a reference document on this or if there is another source. Any ideas?

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/product ... d-keycaps/

Unicode uses the name "broken bar" to refer to the "¦" character, to avoid confusion with the (proper) vertical bar ("|") — I would suggest naming those keys "backslash/broken bar" and "forward slash".

[Razerban]

https://ibb.co/xzgwjQG

This is where I'm at - "state" seems to indicate whenever I type anything.

Is this where I would enter "Bootloader" mode under "tools"?

I've downloaded QMK_Toolbox-master and am not sure where the .EXE file you've mention lives.
https://ibb.co/mvNYHnx

The QMK Toolbox is available in the releases page: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_toolbox/releases
You can find the executable files / installers in the 'Assets' section.

Also, please read the 'Known issues' section, it might include some workarounds to known problems reported by users.

[elcano]

@hanxor,

You said that you got the layout files (.json). You know that you have to convert that into a .hex file that you will load into the keyboard, right? Are you clear on how to do that?

There are two methods. There's the simple one, using a website, and a more elaborate one, using a QMK compilation environment to generate the .hex file locally. I only know how to do this second one, so I'd have to defer to others to explain you the simple process.

[hanxor]

If you recently got your F62, you will have QMK firmware preinstalled on it.
Here are my steps to flash the QMK firmware, when I build a new custom version.
I use 2 tools - util.exe and qmk_toolbox.exe

1. Run util.exe
on the title bar it says - Util for whatsit running QMK firmware.
2. Press enter bootloader
3. This will move the keyboard in bootloader mode.
4. Run qmk_toolbox.exe
5. Se the MCU to atmega32u2 and load the hex file.
6. press the flash button

Hi all! Thank you so much for the guidance! I'm now fully running on QMK and just set up my arrow keys on the right side ALT and CTRL! Thanks so much!!

[AlpsComeback]

While on the topic of QMK, I thought I'd throw in that I added a macro that opens up the QMK MSYS and the keymap.c file that I use, and it makes it so easy to edit my keymap within a few minutes.

[hiram]

Just found out about the New Model F last night! I'm looking at the ultra compact F77, but I can't seem to find pictures of the gray version. Does anyone have pictures of the gray ulta compact F77 they could share?

[Ellipse]

Photos of many of the variations are in this periodically updated imgur album - check towards the bottom for a few photos of the regular gray compact F77: https://imgur.com/a/gw8FOl0

[DrivenKeys]

I am trying to determine the "official" naming of the keys especially for the terminal / symbol keys, most of which are being made available to get through the below link.

Not sure if IBM had a reference document on this or if there is another source. Any ideas?

https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/product ... d-keycaps/

While deciding which ones to adopt, I spent a couple evenings with Google, trying to figure out the right search phrases. Some of the symbols appear to be in unicode or special character databases.

Here's the database I scoured and found several matches:
https://www.utf8icons.com/subsets/misce ... hnical/100

It's where I learned that the double up arrow is called Fast Cursor Up, which I chose to repurpose for Caps Lock:
https://www.utf8icons.com/character/112 ... arrowheads

Overall, the database is quite large, and I'm not sure how many of these terminal characters can be found, or if this is the place to find all of them. I may have bookmarked more of them, and will continue to look.

[DrivenKeys]

Oh! I almost forgot: Those keys look absolutely incredible! Plus, my beige F77 arrived, and I can't believe how much better it looks in person. The paint layers give it a perfectly balanced semi-gloss that would be very difficult to properly represent in photos. I had thought my dark gray F77 would be my favorite, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the beige turned out.

[Ellipse]

Shipping update - all of the "all in stock" single digit and custom/low serial 2016 orders that can ship out, have shipped out, including one ordered by Lazy Game Reviews! Next up is 2017. As always please do email me if your address has changed.

We are about 1-2 weeks away from the arrival of the second container ship! It is currently at sea.

[Bjerrk]

Shipping update - all of the "all in stock" single digit and custom/low serial 2016 orders that can ship out, have shipped out, including one ordered by Lazy Game Reviews! Next up is 2017. As always please do email me if your address has changed.

We are about 1-2 weeks away from the arrival of the second container ship! It is currently at sea.

I really hope LGR does a video on it - would almost be crazy not to One could certainly imagine a resulting surge in demand.

[Gunsight1]

So, this is interesting @Ellipse, I have not touched the F77 in a few days as I was getting tools and supplies together to solder the pins and fix the dead collumns. Today I opened it up to take some pics of the controller to get confirmation of what I needed to fix and then put it all back together and plugged it in to test it again, and low and behold, IT ALL WORKS NOW I donno how, I cannot think of what kicked it back in but I am typing this on the board now and all is working perfectly, maybe something got seated back into place when I unplugged the USB cable from the controller and peeked at the other side of the board? Donno, but I am typing this to you on the keyboard and all is functional, so gonna see how long this lasts before I start soldering things

Now to figure out switch the right hand cluster to a different option that the number keys...hmm

[F6Z]

Are the Unicomp New Model M keys compatible with the keyboards?