Help me connect this AMPEX 230 plus with a modular connector to a PC

[dede4metal]

Dear all,

I have googled and googled and searched around this and the other forum but I had no luck.
This amazing keyboard




Has this very strange connector:

Terrible picture due to my old phone but it's very similar to this one:

It even has the same color for wiring.


Now, I know this is a 4p4c connector, the question is, how the hell do I connect to it my PC?


Will this soarer document work? workshop-f7/wyse-converter-t7424.html

Is there a simpler way?



Thanks for your help!

[OT: BTW this is the best linear keyboard I have ever tried, soooo smooth and so stable! Only problem it's not very solid, but the switches make up for this.]

[dede4metal]

No one?

[ohaimark]

I'm not familiar with that particular keyboard. I would, however, like to see photos of the switches, cap undersides, and PCB. Perhaps someone will recognize it then.

If it uses a known protocol, Soarer's should work.

[mike52787]

I'm not familiar with that particular keyboard. I would, however, like to see photos of the switches, cap undersides, and PCB. Perhaps someone will recognize it then.

If it uses a known protocol, Soarer's should work.

Should be white space invaders with pbt dyesub caps. Pretty sure these have surfaced before here, I just can't really find anything.

[seebart]

Yes it seems to be a NMB that has shown up here before:

workshop-f7/ampex-rt-102-t11941.html?hi ... ex#p262657

search.php?keywords=ampex&terms=all&aut ... mit=Search

[Nuum]

For the pinout have a look here: http://www.kbdbabel.org/conn/index.html
There's one for an "Ampex 210".

Edit: I just realized that this pinout is also quoted in the post that seebart linked to.

[dede4metal]

Guys, thanks a lot for the answers! I will try to post a bit more on the board but I am finishing my thesis right now so I am a bit busy to make a good review. I founded on a second hand Italian web-site, it feels like a cheap board and it's quite light (def below 1 kg).



But the switches are outstanding and the layout as well!


I have never removed the key-caps, I was afraid of damaging them for all the force I applied. Therefore, together with the fact that they are the most stable switches I have ever seen, I have concluded they must be some sort of linear space invasion (was that the name?)

[seebart]

Yes it appears the Ampex 210 is what you have:

http://oldcomputer.info/terminal/amp210/index.htm

Good luck with your thesis; if you entered "Ampex" into our DT search function you will find even more links!

The switch is called "Hi-Tek Series 725":

wiki/Hi-Tek_Series_725

[dede4metal]

Good luck with your thesis

Thanks, I will update you guys if I manage to get something out of this great keyboard.

[terrycherry]

Great to see one more member having this ampex. It's in a good conditon.
Please give me some photo of the switch under the space bar and A keycap. It always come with white one eye or white two laugh eyes.

I have 230, 210 or some model of ampex keyboard with Hi-tek 725 series switch.
Can see my post.
f-o-r-s-a-l-e-f58/vintage-rare-ampex-21 ... ilit=ampex

[MMcM]

I now believe that the Ampex 2xx terminals all used a similar non-standard bit-serial protocol.

See here for conversion of a 219.