Identify this!

User avatar
Kurk

24 Mar 2012, 09:55

I've found this keyboard and I have no idea what it is. There's no brand or manufacturer on it. The only indications are the letters "A.D.I." and a serial number on the circuit board. It connects via a 4 pin Western plug to a computer (or whatever). Three types of key switches can be found: black stems under the single unit keys, brown ones under the two-unit keys and the space bar, and there's an actual locking switch for caps lock. As far as I can tell the black and the brown switches require the same actuation force. The stems are bent upwards slightly and compensate the slope of the mounting plate. BTW, they are slightly larger than Cherry MX stems so MX caps won't fit.
Time has yellowed the grey, thick double shot keys. You can put these caps on modern day Cherry MX switches but they cannot be used because the key mounts are too thick and won't slide into the switch housing. There are also some plastic supports in the way.

So... any idea what it is?

Here are the pictures, sorry for the dirt and the bad lighting:

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The mounting plate with some caps removed. The switch stem of the num pad enter is broken:
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Black switches:
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The locking switch under caps lock:
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A brown switch (right shift):
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The dark side of the caps:
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rodtang

24 Mar 2012, 11:23

HaaTa wrote:Looks like vintage SMK switches (Linear):

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User avatar
Gilgam

24 Mar 2012, 11:23

Kurrk wrote: Time has yellowed the grey, thick double shot keys. You can put these caps on modern day Cherry MX switches but they cannot be used because the key mounts are too thick and won't slide into the switch housing. There are also some plastic supports in the way.
I don't know the keyboard, but i like the bicolor look. And you can mod the keys with a lancet (or a xacto knife) to make them fit in the modern cherry switches. I've done that several time and it works fine.

rodtang

24 Mar 2012, 11:35

According to Mrinterface they don't fit at all.
Mrinterface wrote:Nice sphericals for in the switch try bag.....
Sphericals_ibm_terminal.jpg
Sphericals_ibm_terminal_2.jpg
And no, those caps don't fit an MX stem ( I tried :shock: )

User avatar
dirge

24 Mar 2012, 12:37

Look very similar to the commadore 16 keys I have.

User avatar
Gilgam

24 Mar 2012, 22:18

rodtang wrote:According to Mrinterface they don't fit at all.
Mrinterface wrote:Nice sphericals for in the switch try bag.....
The attachment Sphericals_ibm_terminal.jpg is no longer available
The attachment Sphericals_ibm_terminal_2.jpg is no longer available
And no, those caps don't fit an MX stem ( I tried :shock: )
There must be different keycaps so (and if i remember well there is), because mine work fine :

The killer
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here they are :-).

rodtang

24 Mar 2012, 22:35

Gilgam wrote: here they are :-).
I'm pretty sure the caps you have there are M7 caps.

User avatar
Gilgam

24 Mar 2012, 22:57

You must be right, i don't know :-) Thanks
So they are different from Kurrk ?

rodtang

24 Mar 2012, 23:05

Gilgam wrote:You must be right, i don't know :-) Thanks
So they are different from Kurrk ?
I'm pretty sure, they look more like these, there is some more info here.

I don't really know either. :roll:

User avatar
Kurk

25 Mar 2012, 12:09

rodtang, these vintage SMK switches indeed look like the ones in my keyboard. I could desolder one of the switches to check for the SMK logo but I'm in a lazy mood. BTW, which thread are these pictures from? I also see the same key caps in the backgound.
Gilgam, my caps are definitively different from yours. The stem mounts are more massive and there are additional plastic supports. It won't be easy to get them to work with MX switches.
Here's a pic with a Cherry MX (black) stem fitted to one of the caps. Notice how the stem mount is much bigger than the Cherry slider.

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A Cherry MX stem fitted to one of the caps.

rodtang

25 Mar 2012, 13:09


User avatar
kps

25 Mar 2012, 17:27

Kurrk wrote:It connects via a 4 pin Western plug to a computer (or whatever).
I'd say it almost certainly belongs to a terminal, since there is a LOCAL key, probably serial (BREAK) and ASCII (\| and `~ pairs). I don't recognize the name ADI at all, though.

User avatar
Gilgam

25 Mar 2012, 22:01

Kurrk wrote:
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A Cherry MX stem fitted to one of the caps.
Yes indeed, they are much more heavy.
Alot of surgery is needed :-)

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