XT/AT/PS2/Terminal to USB Converter with NKRO

[ZSYStriker]

Yea, I saw the last two Displaywriter keyboards that got sold. One went for over $200 -- too rich for my blood -- and the other went for about $90, I think -- more reasonable. I guess Hypersphere you got one of these. If you could, could you put up a picture of yours with the replacement Selectric key? Thanks, in advance.

[Hypersphere]

Yea, I saw the last two Displaywriter keyboards that got sold. One went for over $200 -- too rich for my blood -- and the other went for about $90, I think -- more reasonable. I guess Hypersphere you got one of these. If you could, could you put up a picture of yours with the replacement Selectric key? Thanks, in advance.

I don't have a pic of mine, but take a look at this thread:
http://deskthority.net/want-to-buy-f56/ ... code%20key

Scroll down to near the bottom of the thread and you will see a pic that was posted by someone else showing what the right shift from a Selectric looks like in place of the missing Code key from a Displaywriter.

Yes, I was lucky to get the one that went for around $90. However, I have learned that in this game of high-stakes keyboards, you have to be willing to take out a second mortgage in order to pay what it takes for the rare ones.

[ZSYStriker]

I just searched eBay -- none available. Anyway, I think my search for a Displaywriter keyboard belongs in another thread... Thanks, all.

[Muirium]

Yes, we typically squabble over beam spring finds in Xwhatsit's thread instead!

[Hypersphere]

No layer lock yet, but I've designed a fairly good layout, for my purposes, which looks like this:

Spoiler:

IBM PC XT Model F.png

It took a while, but I realised the XT has plenty of room for modifier keys if you think outside the box a bit. Its bottom row has 8 keys including the (huh-yuge) spacebar, which is the same number as my 60% design. So I transplanted a bunch of ideas. First of all: if it's on row 1, it's a mod! Function keys are overrated anyways.

Power key at top right is pretty handy. HHKB style function layer key and arrow bindings are neat too. And several macros are in effect to achieve a close match to the Model F's own keys in the default layer. Num Lock is where I'd put the layer lock key, if I had figured out such things yet. So for now it's reserved.

Code now includes comments:

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

# define that FN1 accesses layer 1
layerblock
	FN1 		1
	# FN2 2
endblock

# Base layer remaps time
# need to map the FN key into the base layer (0)
remapblock
# Just for the PC/XT keyboard
ifset set1
layer 0
	PAD_ASTERIX FN1					# The all important function key
	LCTRL		FN1					# And the second one: currently the same
	PAD_PLUS 	PAD_ENTER			# Puts an enter at the far right edge
	LALT 		LGUI				# Command!
	CAPS_LOCK 	RGUI				# And again
	PAD_0 		RALT				# Option spills over onto the numpad
	PAD_PERIOD	RCTRL				# Control does too
	F9 			LCTRL				# Mirror image for left and function keys
	F10			LALT				# Completing the 6 mod set
	SCROLL_LOCK SYSTEM_POWER		# Closest I got to Eject, works nicely
	PAD_1 		END					# Hijack the numpad for cursor controls
	PAD_2 		DOWN
	PAD_3 		PAGE_DOWN
	PAD_4 		LEFT
	PAD_5 		UNASSIGNED
	PAD_6 		RIGHT
	PAD_7 		HOME
	PAD_8 		UP
	PAD_9 		PAGE_UP
	F1 			MEDIA_VOLUME_DOWN	# Hijack the f-keys for media controls
	F2 			MEDIA_VOLUME_UP
	F3 			MEDIA_MUTE
	F4 			MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE
	F5 			F9					# Including the full set for Exposé
	F6 			F10
	F7 			F11
	F8 			F12
endblock


# Primary Function Layer: HHKB + ESDF Arrows
# the layer itself is just some remaps tagged with the layer number
remapblock
# Just for the PC/XT keyboard
ifset set1
layer 1
# 	HHKB Arrows
	LEFT_BRACE 	UP
	SEMICOLON 	LEFT
	SLASH 		DOWN
	QUOTE 		RIGHT
	L 			PAGE_UP
	PERIOD 		PAGE_DOWN
	K 			HOME
	COMMA 		END
	H 			PAD_ASTERIX
	J 			PAD_SLASH
	N			PAD_PLUS
	M			PAD_MINUS
	
# 	ESDF Arrows	
	E			UP
	S			LEFT
	D			DOWN
	F			RIGHT
	R			PAGE_UP
	V			PAGE_DOWN
	A			HOME
	G			END
	
# 	Restore the Numpad	
	PAD_1		PAD_1
	PAD_2		PAD_2
	PAD_3		PAD_3
	PAD_4		PAD_4
	PAD_5		PAD_5
	PAD_6		PAD_6
	PAD_7		PAD_7
	PAD_8		PAD_8
	PAD_9		PAD_9
	PAD_PLUS	PAD_PLUS
	PAD_PERIOD	PAD_PERIOD
	PAD_0		PAD_0
	
# 	Restore the Function Keys	
	F1			F1
	F2			F2
	F3			F3
	F4			F4
	F5			F5
	F6			F6
	F7			F7
	F8			F8
	F9			F9
	F10			F10
	
# 	Media keys across the number row	
	1			F14					# Decrease Display Brightness 
	2			F15					# Increase Display Brightness
	3			F10					# Exposé: All App Windows
	4			F12					# Dashboard
	5			F11					# Exposé: Show Desktop
	6			F9					# Exposé: All Windows in All Apps
	7			MEDIA_PREV_TRACK	# iTunes / media playback controls
	8			MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE
	9			MEDIA_NEXT_TRACK
	0			MEDIA_MUTE			# Volume controls
	MINUS		MEDIA_VOLUME_DOWN
	EQUAL		MEDIA_VOLUME_UP
	BACKSPACE	DELETE				# Delete for Backspace
	LCTRL		CAPS_LOCK			# Capslock lives, out of harm's way
	ENTER		PAD_ENTER			# Enter for Return
	ESC			EUROPE_2			# This § symbol
	BACK_QUOTE	EUROPE_2			# In both places I might look for it
endblock


# Let the going get weird
# Match the PC/XT's unusual legends
# Just for the PC/XT keyboard
ifset set1
macroblock

# Shift 2 = "
macro 2 shift -ctrl -alt -gui
press QUOTE
endmacro

# Shift ' = @
macro QUOTE shift -ctrl -alt -gui
push_meta set_meta lshift
press 2
pop_meta
endmacro

# Shift Option + # = ±
# Corresponding with § remap, this time with shift
macro BACK_QUOTE shift alt -gui -ctrl
push_meta set_meta rshift
press EUROPE_2
pop_meta
endmacro

# ` = #
macro BACK_QUOTE -all
push_meta set_meta ralt
press 3
pop_meta
endmacro

# Command + Escape = Command + Section break (for app window cycling)
macro ESC gui -ctrl -alt
push_meta set_meta lgui
press EUROPE_2
pop_meta
endmacro

endblock

Here's a zip of my Soarer's Converter config file and my OmniGraffle file for the layout chart above for anyone looking for either as a template.

MuXT.zip

So chuffed to be using this awesome old keyboard. Thanks again Soarer!

@Soarer: Many thanks for creating your incredible Converter!!! I now have a Teensy in my XT with your Converter operating as it should with my Mac. I have remapped it similarly to the way I did it using KeyReMap4MacBook, which is similar to Muirium's remapping. However, I have some questions for you and/or Muirium:

1. Is there a simple way to toggle between a remapping and the default settings? In KeyReMap4MacBook, there is a "pass-through" toggle that can be invoked in various ways, such as ESC+TAB = Pass-Through. Hitting the same keys again reverts to the remapping.

2. How do I do simultaneous key presses to serve as a lock? For example, in KeyReMap4MacBook, If I press LSHIFT+RSHIFT, this gives me CAPS_LOCK. Hitting either Shift again turns off the Caps Lock.

3. How might I use NUM_LOCK to toggle the Num Pad between numbers and arrows? Using KeyReMap4MacBook, I use Num Lock to do this. Using Soarer's Converter, I follow Muirium's lead and use Fn1 or Fn2.

4. Is there a simple way to toggle among alternative settings for a given keyboard? For example, with KeyReMap4MacBook there is an icon in the menu bar that shows which keyboard and keyboard settings are in effect, and alternative layouts can be selected from a drop-down menu.

5. Similarly to (4) above, is there a simple way to indicate which keyboard and/or settings are in effect? Here again, KeyReMap4MacBook has a drop-down menu in the menu bar showing which keyboard/settings are in effect and these can be changed on the fly by selecting another keyboard/keyboard setting.

At first, I thought that KeyReMap4MacBook was easier and more intuitive to use than Soarer's converter, but I think this is only because KeyReMap4MacBook has a GUI and I am already familiar with it. Once I started experimenting with Soarer's converter, I found that it was indeed relatively straightforward. Soarer's also has the advantage of programming the keyboard rather than having the remapping reside in a particular (Mac) computer.

Muirium, thank you for posting your XT layouts and config file. It would have taken me much longer to figure out my config file if I had not had yours as a guide. This was especially easy because you and I have similar remappings reflecting our Mac-centric and HHKB-centric preferences.

[alinh]

I have not read everything in this thread and did only skimmed the documentation, but is it possible to have a key (CAPS_LOCK) for example act as ESC on single key press and as FN key while pressed?

[JBert]

1. Is there a simple way to toggle between a remapping and the default settings? In KeyReMap4MacBook, there is a "pass-through" toggle that can be invoked in various ways, such as ESC+TAB = Pass-Through. Hitting the same keys again reverts to the remapping.

You can't disable all your remappings in one go (well, not unless you initialize your keyboard to "default" every time you boot). However, Soarer's firmware does allow you to switch to a different remapping configuration, and nobody is stopping you from creating a remapping configuration which contains the "defaults" for your keyboard. See my answer to 4.

2. How do I do simultaneous key presses to serve as a lock? For example, in KeyReMap4MacBook, If I press LSHIFT+RSHIFT, this gives me CAPS_LOCK. Hitting either Shift again turns off the Caps Lock.

I think you can just add this: (You could move the macro to an existing macro block if you want. Also note I didn't really test this.)

Code: Select all

# LSHIFT + RSHIFT = CAPS lock
ifselect any
macroblock

macro lshift rshift
	PRESS CAPS_LOCK
endmacro

endblock

3. How might I use NUM_LOCK to toggle the Num Pad between numbers and arrows? Using KeyReMap4MacBook, I use Num Lock to do this. Using Soarer's Converter, I follow Muirium's lead and use Fn1 or Fn2.

Again, remapping configurations are possible, and they can overlap: if you define numbers in the default configuration, you can have a remapping configuration which contains just the remaps to arrows. Everything else will keep working as before, this keeps those remapping configurations small.

See below.

4. Is there a simple way to toggle among alternative settings for a given keyboard? For example, with KeyReMap4MacBook there is an icon in the menu bar that shows which keyboard and keyboard settings are in effect, and alternative layouts can be selected from a drop-down menu.

Ok, since I pointed a few times to this answer, I guess I'll have to make up for it.

The answer to your questions lies in ifselect. Basically, all remapblock and macroblock instructions can be directed to a given "". By default, the converter "selects" configuration 0 and stores its settings there. If you put ifselect 1 into your config, any blocks after that will be directed to configuration 1.

To switch between them, map any key to SELECT_1. Pressing that key again will select or unselect configuration 1 and thus enable or disable those remaps.

What actually happens in the background is this: if you tell the controller to "select" config 1, it will reset its remappings and start again by applying configuration 0. Then it checks which configuration sets are selected and applies those configurations. This means in practice that you only need to configure the special cases for that configuration - e.g. configuration 1 only needs to know about the numpad, configuration 2 only about the Fn keys and so on whereas configuration 3 can override all of them by declaring the defaults again.

Just one tip: if you want a configuration to overrule another, it needs to be declared last in the Soarer config. Contrary to what you might think, the numbers are only used for identification, not for imposing any order. The configuration is read by the controller from the start to the end, any declaration later on in the file overrules the former.

5. Similarly to (4) above, is there a simple way to indicate which keyboard and/or settings are in effect? Here again, KeyReMap4MacBook has a drop-down menu in the menu bar showing which keyboard/settings are in effect and these can be changed on the fly by selecting another keyboard/keyboard setting.

Well, this is the only one of your requests which is impossible right now. Soarer's converter doesn't have any kind of output yet.


@Alinh

I have not read everything in this thread and did only skimmed the documentation, but is it possible to have a key (CAPS_LOCK) for example act as ESC on single key press and as FN key while pressed?

I think this exact feature isn't possible, only Hataa's controller has such a setting (although it might come with some timeout).

I use the Super key (or Windows / Tux key) like usual, Caps lock as LControl and Super + Caps lock as "Caps Lock" using the following config:

Code: Select all

# "remap" caps_lock to Ctrl, press Caps lock + left Windows key to toggle caps lock instead
macroblock
    macro CAPS_LOCK -lgui
        MAKE LCTRL
      onbreak norestoremeta
        BREAK LCTRL
    endmacro

    macro CAPS_LOCK lgui
        PRESS CAPS_LOCK
    endmacro
endblock

This has the advantage that it's a conscious decision. If you press Caps lock down to get to the Fn layer and you change your mind, suddenly "Esc" gets sent.

[Hypersphere]

@JBert: Thanks for your detailed and thoughtful replies!

[Hypersphere]

@Muirium: For your remapping of your XT using Soarer's Converter, I see that you have remapped Scroll Lock to System Power. I have also done this, but I have some questions for you:

1. To trigger System Power, do you press Shift+Break/Scroll Lock or just the Break/Scroll Lock key?
2. What happens when you use the keyboard for System Power?

In my case, when I use KeyReMap4MacBook, I do not use Shift; I just hit the Break/Scroll Lock key. When I do this, it brings up the Mac dialogue box, "Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?"

When I use Soarer's Converter, I need to use Shift+Break/Scroll Lock, and I get a log out instead of a system shutdown. Is this normal?

Finally, I recall that you said something about Scroll Lock acting like Eject -- could you explain this?

Thanks.

[Muirium]

My layout has probably changed a little bit in the year or so since I made it for the XT. But only in details, not the principles.

I always have System Power mapped to a key somewhere, either the top right corner on my big boards, or in a layer on the small ones. Pressing it brings up the OS X power off dialogue. I tend to hit power then S to sleep the machine, etc.

There's also a built in shortcut to force an immediate shutdown in OS X: Control + Option + Command + Eject. (Other permutations of mods force an immediate restart or sleep.) Eject is typically mapped to F12 on non-Apple keyboards, with a slight delay of half a second or so. Try holding Option + Command + F12 for a moment and see if you send your Mac to sleep.

As far as I remember, I couldn't figure out how to send an Eject key event, and simply used F12 instead. In practice, I mostly just use the power menu anyway, triggered by the system power top corner key.

JBert is right about the advanced power of Soarer's select syntax. I meant to explore it to implement layer locks, but never got around to it. Learn about that and you'll know more than me!

[Hypersphere]

My layout has probably changed a little bit in the year or so since I made it for the XT. But only in details, not the principles.

I always have System Power mapped to a key somewhere, either the top right corner on my big boards, or in a layer on the small ones. Pressing it brings up the OS X power off dialogue. I tend to hit power then S to sleep the machine, etc.

There's also a built in shortcut to force an immediate shutdown in OS X: Control + Option + Command + Eject. (Other permutations of mods force an immediate restart or sleep.) Eject is typically mapped to F12 on non-Apple keyboards, with a slight delay of half a second or so. Try holding Option + Command + F12 for a moment and see if you send your Mac to sleep.

As far as I remember, I couldn't figure out how to send an Eject key event, and simply used F12 instead. In practice, I mostly just use the power menu anyway, triggered by the system power top corner key.

JBert is right about the advanced power of Soarer's select syntax. I meant to explore it to implement layer locks, but never got around to it. Learn about that and you'll know more than me!

Thanks for responding. There is indeed deep power within the Soarer code. It would be nice to combine the best aspects of Soarer's remapping with KRM4MB, but more likely than not, if I apply myself and thoroughly learn all that Soarer's has to offer, this should be more than sufficient.

[Hypersphere]

My layout has probably changed a little bit in the year or so since I made it for the XT. But only in details, not the principles.

I always have System Power mapped to a key somewhere, either the top right corner on my big boards, or in a layer on the small ones. Pressing it brings up the OS X power off dialogue. I tend to hit power then S to sleep the machine, etc.

There's also a built in shortcut to force an immediate shutdown in OS X: Control + Option + Command + Eject. (Other permutations of mods force an immediate restart or sleep.) Eject is typically mapped to F12 on non-Apple keyboards, with a slight delay of half a second or so. Try holding Option + Command + F12 for a moment and see if you send your Mac to sleep.

As far as I remember, I couldn't figure out how to send an Eject key event, and simply used F12 instead. In practice, I mostly just use the power menu anyway, triggered by the system power top corner key.

JBert is right about the advanced power of Soarer's select syntax. I meant to explore it to implement layer locks, but never got around to it. Learn about that and you'll know more than me!

My Teensied -SoarerConvertered-XT has a strange quirk when it comes to using Scroll Lock as the System Power key. I discovered that Ctrl+Scroll_Lock invokes the dialogue, "Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?" The dialogue box includes 4 choices: Restart, Sleep, Cancel, and Shut Down. This is fine, but I had expected it to work with Scroll Lock alone and not to require Control plus Scroll Lock. In any event, I am glad I discovered this. For something as momentous as shutting down the system, I much prefer having a second chance with a multi-choice dialogue box over a direct shutdown via a single stroke on the keyboard.

[bhtooefr]

As of Mountain Lion, hitting the Power key on my MBPR brought up the dialog.

As of Mavericks, I have to do Ctrl-Power to get it, hitting it does nothing. So, Apple changed how the OS works, that's all.

[Hypersphere]

As of Mountain Lion, hitting the Power key on my MBPR brought up the dialog.

As of Mavericks, I have to do Ctrl-Power to get it, hitting it does nothing. So, Apple changed how the OS works, that's all.

Right you are! This should have been obvious to me!

[Muirium]

Good catch. A macro ought to do it. They are tremendously helpful for work arounds like that.

My converter is mostly hooked up to a mighty iMac G4 running ye olde Leopard, so I didn't notice this. Still yet to get an Intel desktop in daily use.

[Hypersphere]

Good catch. A macro ought to do it. They are tremendously helpful for work arounds like that.

My converter is mostly hooked up to a mighty iMac G4 running ye olde Leopard, so I didn't notice this. Still yet to get an Intel desktop in daily use.

On a bit of a tangent, do you happen to be familiar with the Magnavox (Phillips) Videowriter? What about the Acorn BBC Master? These are both computers, but I wonder about using their keyboards to convert them to USB. I know nothing about the Videowriter, except that I like its form factor. However, I have seen a post on converting the BBC Master; there are three of them on eBay, but they want high prices, plus shipping from the UK would be very expensive.

[Muirium]

I shipped a manual typewriter from Edinburgh to Indiana (7kg in total, and a nice cursive one that you might have seen a peek of in the DT banner lately) for less than 30 quid. There's a few good shipping brokers over here for bulky stuff. I can proxy for you if you find something good.

No experience of my own actually converting them, though. But it's always possible, with nough work and ingenuity.

[Hypersphere]

I shipped a manual typewriter from Edinburgh to Indiana (7kg in total, and a nice cursive one that you might have seen a peek of in the DT banner lately) for less than 30 quid. There's a few good shipping brokers over here for bulky stuff. I can proxy for you if you find something good.

No experience of my own actually converting them, though. But it's always possible, with nough work and ingenuity.

Perhaps I will save my pennies for a Honeywell terminal keyboard with HE switches and Honey sphericals. Do you already have one of these? If so, and if I can acquire one, we might then consider mounting a concerted effort to secure the knowledge, hardware, and firmware to convert them for use with our Macs.

[Muirium]

Yes, I have one, all right. I was in touch with someone else who bought his own, and was trying to convert it. But the stock controller's rollover is poor (2KRO if I recall, which is highly problematic on any modern computer) so it really needs a replacement.

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/a-hon ... t6296.html

Something of the same magnitude as Xwhatsit's controller is required, as hall effect switches aren't simple contact switches either. But the Honeywell's controller is integrated into the main PCB, which spells trouble…

[Hypersphere]

Yes, I have one, all right. I was in touch with someone else who bought his own, and was trying to convert it. But the stock controller's rollover is poor (2KRO if I recall, which is highly problematic on any modern computer) so it really needs a replacement.

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/a-hon ... t6296.html

Something of the same magnitude as Xwhatsit's controller is required, as hall effect switches aren't simple contact switches either. But the Honeywell's controller is integrated into the main PCB, which spells trouble…

More's the pity! Such a beautiful keyboard with no place to go.

[Muirium]

Ohmic switches (as Xwhatsit calls everything with contacts like MX, Alps, etc.) have the advantage when it comes to replacing a controller. They are all essentially the same thing: two contacts that switch between on / off.

Hall effect switches are a transducer, so I've heard, and require more work to drive. Perhaps there is some ingenious way to make the stock controller send the signals that we require, but it needs investigation by more technical and thorough minds than mine.

[Hypersphere]

It's beginning to look like my journey back in time has found the sweet spot in the IBM beam spring / buckling spring era. Although some of the dumb terminal keyboards from other manufacturers have alluring exteriors with double-shot spherical keycaps, it seems that most of these boards might not be pleasurable for typing even if they could be interfaced with modern computers. Nevertheless, there is a challenge that beckons.

[Muirium]

Hmm. Just got the Kishsaver hooked up to my (Yosemite beta running) retina MacBook Pro, and the system power key sleeps the computer (with a short pause to prevent accidental keystrokes, just like on the internal keyboard) while Control+Power throws the dialogue. This being a 60%, I have the power key on a layer, so it's Caps+` to sleep and Control+Caps+` to see the options.

[Hypersphere]

Hmm. Just got the Kishsaver hooked up to my (Yosemite beta running) retina MacBook Pro, and the system power key sleeps the computer (with a short pause to prevent accidental keystrokes, just like on the internal keyboard) while Control+Power throws the dialogue. This being a 60%, I have the power key on a layer, so it's Caps+` to sleep and Control+Caps+` to see the options.

I see that you are an early adopter. I am still running Mavericks. There are some applications on my machine that have not yet fully adapted to OS 10.9.3. I rather like Ctrl+Scroll_lock to bring up the shutdown dialogue, which provides a measure of safety against powering off the system accidentally.

BTW, although I have said that the sweet spot in the tech time dimension appears to be in the beam spring / buckling spring era, I have ordered a DEC VT100 terminal keyboard from eBay. I think it has the Stackpole switches, but it compensates for this by having Selectric-like keycaps. Given my limited electronics expertise, it will be a rather ambitious project for me, but I would like convert the DEC to USB. The native keyboard connector is a 1/4" jack! I have not seen such a connector on any other keyboard thus far. Apparently the keyboard also natively runs at 12 volts.

[Muirium]

Just a tester, really. (I have legitimate business running the betas, unlike many who will cheekily submit bugs to 3rd party developers…) This is the first time I've had the hardware for it in a long while, too. Curse that 32 bit EFI!

You'll want to start a new thread for this DEC once you get it. We all like pretty pictures! Are you getting the keyboard by itself or with the terminal? If you use the command line a lot, a full working terminal can make quite a charming second screen and keyboard!

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/volke ... t7744.html

As for converting the keyboard, the best case scenario is if someone else has done it already. If not, have a good close look at the PCB. Stackpole switches are ohmic (simple on/off contact switches) so can be driven by a Teensy and either Soarer's or Hasu's controller, if there's not too much else in the way…

[Hypersphere]

Yes, I really ought to get a camera. I tend to (try to) describe things in words rather than pictures. Bad habit.

It might indeed be fun to have a full working terminal. At the very least, it would be a way of verifying that the keyboard is working.

Per my recent new thread on VT100 and other terminal keyboards, someone has done a USB conversion. His solution involves quite a lot of circuitry (e.g., clock and UART) in addition to a Teensy. I am hoping that other DTers will take notice and offer some pointers and/or alternative approaches. Given that the VT100 is so commonly emulated, I am hoping that a USB converion on the DEC VT100 might serve as a somewhat generic solution for other terminal keyboards from the DEC VT100 era. There are many good-looking terminal boards awaiting conversion to USB; however, the switches in most of them might not be conducive to enjoyable typing.

[ShawnMeg]

Can someone suggest a very easy, solderless, technique to build a converter? I don't have a lot of tools (no soldering iron, wire stripper, etc.) and don't want to purchase a lot as I may be moving from my home soon. Also, I'm a novice with electronics, and have very minimal skills with soldering.

I will be getting an IBM Model F XT in the mail. I know that I can get a Hagstrom box, which I know will be plug and play. Over the last couple of days, I've been poring over forums here and geekhack. Here's what I've gathered, and please correct me if I'm wrong.

Materials:
Teensy 2.0 Board with Pins
Female DIN socket with 5 pins or possible tabs (if I really have to employ soldering)
Female to Female Dupont Jumper.
Project Box (from Radio Shack), maybe 4" X 2" X 1" or 3" x 2" X 1"

Alternatively, I can get a mini-DIN (PS/2) female socket with pins and use a DIN to PS/2 adapter from the keyboard to the converter.

Will the DIN socket's pins work with these jumper wires?

Again, if someone can give me some advice on the easiest method, I'd greatly appreciate it. Otherwise, I may just go with the easy route and order a Hagstrom.

Thanks.

[beltet]

Do anyone here use a pro micro with soarers converter? Thinking of buying a bunch of them for it.
Little of topic but how many pins can you use on the pro micro for a controller?

Sincerly

[scottc]

Thanks for the reminder beltet, I've been meaning to finish mine and then do a tutorial! I uploaded it but never finished wiring it because of a crappy PS2 port. I'll do it with a DIN5 soon and let you know.

[Muirium]

@ShawnMeg: Go for the Hagstrom. Soarer's Converter is more powerful, and can handle more keyboards than just XT, but you'll be in for a terrible time trying to hold those components together without solder. Project boxes want drilled, too. Might as well just jump straight to a finished product.

@Scott: Yes, I'm looking for your howto, too. Especially the bit about swapping the Pro Micro's bootloader to the one that boots up right away (LUFA?) like a Teensy!