In need of some Help with this thing

Jimi14

20 Dec 2015, 18:10

ok, i recently acquired this nokia branded Keytronic board which i think (going by the extra keys (one's missing)),was used in one of their old Telephone switches.
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The problem though comes when i try to plug it in, my computer goes haywire since (as far as i can understand) it seems to be trying to activate every key at once. And the only way to regain control is to pull it out again.

There are four DIP switches under a hatch on the back, but they don't seem to help much.
I am pretty sure i have already tried every configuration and the result is either the same chaos-effect or the computer simply fails to recognize the board.
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Any ideas what the problem might be?

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Chyros

20 Dec 2015, 18:58

Interesting, my own Key Tronic foam and foil board had the same problem. It also had a bunch of DIP switches but no combination would get it to work.

While we're at it; do the switches in yours feel any good?

Jimi14

20 Dec 2015, 19:16

Chyros wrote: Interesting, my own Key Tronic foam and foil board had the same problem. It also had a bunch of DIP switches but no combination would get it to work.

While we're at it; do the switches in yours feel any good?
Well, cant say i have had much experience with Foam/Foil boards before but yea, i like it.
They feel like very smooth rubber-domes that also bottoms out really hard.

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Chyros

20 Dec 2015, 19:20

Jimi14 wrote:
Chyros wrote: Interesting, my own Key Tronic foam and foil board had the same problem. It also had a bunch of DIP switches but no combination would get it to work.

While we're at it; do the switches in yours feel any good?
Well, cant say i have had much experience with Foam/Foil boards before but yea, i like it.
They feel like very smooth rubber-domes that also bottoms out really hard.
Wow, just wow. That's in 100% contrast to everything I've found on mine xD. Mine was very scratchy and spongy because of the foam at the bottom. Is yours the tactile version?

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Compgeke

20 Dec 2015, 19:21

Is it known whether or not this particular board is AT (PS/2) or not? If it's a proprietary protocol for the Nokia setup it'd make sense if it doesn't work right.

If it is plain AT or PS/2 I'd check out the foam\foil pads to see if they deteriorated and some fell on the PCB. These boards didn't age well and being as they work on capacitance it's possible for foam chunks or foil touching the board to cause issues.

Jimi14

20 Dec 2015, 19:29

Chyros wrote:
Jimi14 wrote:
Chyros wrote: Interesting, my own Key Tronic foam and foil board had the same problem. It also had a bunch of DIP switches but no combination would get it to work.

While we're at it; do the switches in yours feel any good?
Well, cant say i have had much experience with Foam/Foil boards before but yea, i like it.
They feel like very smooth rubber-domes that also bottoms out really hard.
Wow, just wow. That's in 100% contrast to everything I've found on mine xD. Mine was very scratchy and spongy because of the foam at the bottom. Is yours the tactile version?
Um, in that case please don't take my word of quality for granted. :roll: Like i said i have never used a Foam/Foil board before so i don't really have anything to compare to.
And yes, its tactile. Forgot to mention that.

Jimi14

20 Dec 2015, 19:32

Compgeke wrote: Is it known whether or not this particular board is AT (PS/2) or not? If it's a proprietary protocol for the Nokia setup it'd make sense if it doesn't work right.

If it is plain AT or PS/2 I'd check out the foam\foil pads to see if they deteriorated and some fell on the PCB. These boards didn't age well and being as they work on capacitance it's possible for foam chunks or foil touching the board to cause issues.
Its a din-5 connector, i cant speak for the protocol.

Oh and any help on how to do this? can the switches be opened safely?

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Chyros

20 Dec 2015, 21:18

Jimi14 wrote:
Compgeke wrote: Is it known whether or not this particular board is AT (PS/2) or not? If it's a proprietary protocol for the Nokia setup it'd make sense if it doesn't work right.

If it is plain AT or PS/2 I'd check out the foam\foil pads to see if they deteriorated and some fell on the PCB. These boards didn't age well and being as they work on capacitance it's possible for foam chunks or foil touching the board to cause issues.
Its a din-5 connector, i cant speak for the protocol.

Oh and any help on how to do this? can the switches be opened safely?
Just open up the rear of the keyboard. The switch itself is just a plunger with capacitive pad over a PCB.

If you're interested, watch my foam and foil video ;) .

Jimi14

20 Dec 2015, 22:32

Chyros wrote:
Jimi14 wrote:
Compgeke wrote: Is it known whether or not this particular board is AT (PS/2) or not? If it's a proprietary protocol for the Nokia setup it'd make sense if it doesn't work right.

If it is plain AT or PS/2 I'd check out the foam\foil pads to see if they deteriorated and some fell on the PCB. These boards didn't age well and being as they work on capacitance it's possible for foam chunks or foil touching the board to cause issues.
Its a din-5 connector, i cant speak for the protocol.

Oh and any help on how to do this? can the switches be opened safely?
Just open up the rear of the keyboard. The switch itself is just a plunger with capacitive pad over a PCB.

If you're interested, watch my foam and foil video ;) .
Ok, i did as you said and removed the shell but then i found something else: A big steel plate screwed onto the pcb.
I cant tell from your video if your's had one to, so should i remove it? (That's a lot of screws) :?
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Chyros

20 Dec 2015, 22:38

That's the mounting plate. My Key Tronic was built the same way (and it had what looked like the exact same PCB). You can't really remove the steel plate, but if you remove all the little screws from the PCB you can see right inside all the switches.

Jimi14

20 Dec 2015, 23:10

Ok, i have fully opened it now and i cant see any problems with the foam/foil pads.
what i can see though is the pcb itself. The contact points are all dirty, scratched up and some seems to even have eroded somewhat.
Some alcohol rubbing maybe?

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