IDENTIFY THE KEYBOARD thread

[Drag0nFly]

Indeed, those were some serious muck-layered pictures. Alps cream switches, perhaps? (I don't see the Alps logo on them)
Thanks for the input.

I did a number of searches for that logo (again, not even sure if that is what it is), which kind of looks like a backwards-tilted E, but came up empty.

[Muirium]

I did a number of searches for that logo (again, not even sure if that is what it is), which kind of looks like a backwards-tilted E, but came up empty.

It's a little like this notorious tech firm, but not quite…



The simplicity of it is more like Warner's logo from the 1970s.

[Drag0nFly]

Yep, believe me – it did remind me of that (in)famous Texan firm (although events occurred much later than the AT/XT era), as well as the (somewhat equally infamous, at least in the tech-world) Escom. A Warner keyboard (not that any of those ever existed) would be more interesting, though (and probably more appropriate for the era – and my interests in general)

[hellothere]

I also thought Enron. I did an image search and found nothing.

I also think that the switches are Alps: wiki/Alps_SKCL_Cream. That's a linear Alps I haven't seen before. I'd buy it. Build quality looks pretty good. If you don't want it, give us a link .

[Drag0nFly]

I had pretty much decided on getting it (too intriguing not to get hold of), but wanted to know a bit more if possible as I figured most boards should be identifiable (or so I thought...) From the pics I sent earlier it appears it has a metal backplate, so if that is true I agree that the build quality should be quite decent as you mention.

[John Doe]

From the pics I sent earlier it appears it has a metal backplate, so if that is true I agree that the build quality should be quite decent as you mention.

Yep, its indeed with metal back plate, the entire board is pretty heavy. I like it except the long "L" shape enter key, but it's not that bad either.

Definitely worth a buy.

[Rbd_3178]

Hello, need help identifying this one. The seller doesn't have a better quality photo at the moment.
https://imgur.com/Jfgplqd

[Drag0nFly]

Yep, its indeed with metal back plate, the entire board is pretty heavy. I like it except the long "L" shape enter key, but it's not that bad either.

Definitely worth a buy.

Well; to each their own. The return key was what first tickled my interest for this board–along with the cross-nav.

I've now received the board (actually had it delivered by the seller) . Was hoping to say that the mystery had now been solved as I've taken it apart – but alas, not that easy it would seem.

Took some more pictures. Apart from the serial number, which starts with KC71 (seemed to perhaps be a model indicator, but cannot find anything about that either). It has “PCB NO 2051526-01” printed on the back of the PCB.


Full board:

IMG_4311.JPG (642.74 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

Navigation keys + lock LEDs

IMG_4316.JPG (416.42 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

Closeup of the “70s Warner Bros.–like” logo

IMG_4317.JPG (474.59 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

Closeup of serial number (nothing else on the metal backplate)

IMG_4319.JPG (368.85 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

It has a DIP-switch bank with eight switches on the back (CTS 206-8 T826). It was initally set to switches one through seven as “on” with number eight as “off”. The only other text on the PCB is “UP2-1”, presumably for the chip on the other end.

IMG_4323.JPG (515.96 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

Upon hooking up the keyboard, it only produced error-codes with my Soarer converters–as well as my TMK converter. The passive-AT to PS/2 adapter, together with a mouse+keyboard combo adapter to USB, did not work either. (same config works for other AT models)

I then moved all the switches to the “off” position (after finding documentation for a similar 8-DIP switch for the Northgate Omnikey, indicating that switch 8 was for sticky-keys (Ctrl/Alt/Shift), and the first switches were in order to set the protocol (amongst other things)

After doing this; my TMK converter was able to detect keypresses, and identified the board as “AT84”. The Soarer still produced error-codes though. Hmm.

I am still a bit baffled that the board was not able to be identified after looking underneath the hood, so to speak.

Lastly, I have to say that I expected the large return to be quite horrible wrt. to off-center keypresses, but was pleasantly surprised that it works flawlessly, even when hit at the extreme sides(!). I haven't experienced that with any of my “big-ass” return keyboards, which aren't good at all (even with two stabilizers) on off-center keypresses. Same story for either the "cheaper" white Alps or my more solidly-built blue-Alps board.

With regard to the build-quality:

IMG_4335.JPG (415.34 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

The whole thing weighs in at pretty much exactly 2.5 kg (“or in imperial units...”: <insert @Chyros quote here>)

The metal backplate alone comes in at one kg (which is approx. 300 grams more than my white Alps board):

IMG_4337.JPG (351.92 KiB) Viewed 8328 times

Hope some of these pictures and information are of help in identifying the board (or at the very least prove interesting to look at)

[Muirium]

What switches does it have? Hard to tell from just the PCB footprint.

[headphone_jack]

What switches does it have? Hard to tell from just the PCB footprint.

SKCL cream, pics from earlier in the thread.

[Drag0nFly]

Most likely it has Alps Cream switches; mentioned right above this post. (I didn't include any duplicate pictures of the caps + switches, perhaps I should have)

The board also had brass screw sockets – forgot to add those on here. (Actually, the top part is mounted from the PCB-side as opposed to being attached via the backplate, so it has several screws on the bottom side PCB attaching to the cover)

[Drag0nFly]

It seems that if they tried to save money on anything on the board (decoration of company logos notwithstanding), it would be the keycaps–as those are somewhat thin ABS (non-doubleshots). Still not as thin as my white-Alps board though, but definitely with a much more advanced yellowing-scheme going on (that last part almost sounded like a conspiracy...

[Drag0nFly]

Hello, need help identifying this one. The seller doesn't have a better quality photo at the moment.
https://imgur.com/Jfgplqd

Looks a bit like my NTC KB-6252EA keyboard (although the one you have pictured apparently has Cherry mounts as opposed to Alps.) Would be beneficial to have a pic of the back at least.

[Gogogoluke]

Hi y'all!

I found an interesting terminal keyboard at Computer Reset, and I was wondering if y'all might know anything about it. I've Googled pretty much every number on it to no avail. If anyone knows what system this goes with, what protocol it may use to communicate with that system, or any information in general, I'd be very appreciative of it.

What I do know is that it's a terminal keyboard, it has a jack where an Ethernet cable can be plugged in, it uses Alps switches, and I have another just like it that has a phone slot built into it. /u/tachoknight on Reddit kindly added that it looks like it would go with some sort of IBM 3270 clone (if those even existed).

Front of keyboard:

6E356E14-B6CC-4AAA-AB7E-FCB62F101137.jpeg (4.05 MiB) Viewed 8180 times

Label on back:

E1C521B2-06CB-43AD-8B28-15B4CB01D9D0.jpeg (3.29 MiB) Viewed 8180 times

Inside of keyboard:

DE8EBE14-071C-4159-9D8E-85128EE1705A.jpeg (4.38 MiB) Viewed 8180 times

Thank you in advance!

[Muirium]

Alps PCB is a good sign. Pulled a keycap to see what switches it has?

The layout looks to be compatible with IBM’s 3270 terminal family. The original keyboards were beamsprings, like my 3276:


viewtopic.php?p=494767#p494767

Your keyboard may well be a third party part for a compatible system. That’s not great news for conversion to USB, but your photo showing the ribbon connector is more promising. Looks like you have the whole matrix exposed to you right there. Could be an easy Teensy job to bring this one back to the land of the living. (My beamspring took a lot more doing.)

[Gogogoluke]

I got a keycap off and it appears to be Alps blue, but I'm not super familiar with Alps:

1A60BB15-9036-4CF2-90B1-186986F19465.jpeg (2.36 MiB) Viewed 8125 times

Additionally, upon closer inspection of the Alps PCB, it appears you are right about the ribbon. The traces appear to just be a grid directly connected to the traces. Thank you so much for the pointers! Hopefully now this thread returns Google results for anyone else looking to identify their Davox KB 27-01.

[Muirium]

Blue Alps? Nice find! They are magnificent! Easily my favourite of the whole Alps world. Brilliantly clicky. This should be an epic board with a little controller upgrade. Well done!

All you need to do is pull the ribbon off the original 3270 controller and hook up your own. Nowadays, everyone uses an open source project called QMK for that. I’m old fashioned and tend to go the simpler route: Soarer’s Controller. (If you’re on Mac I also made 64 bit tools for it.) Anyway, you really can’t go wrong. A good authentic Alps PCB and switches mean you can expect excellent results.

[Gogogoluke]

I do happen to be on Mac, so that is super useful! I may go with QMK anyway just to get used to it before my New Model F comes in, but that will still help with my Model M's soarer. I'm excited to do cool things with this board, it could definitely use some retrobrite. I'll definitely post an update on the appropriate thread once I get this board going again! Thank you so much!

[Muirium]

You’re welcome. QMK can definitely handle it. I’m a creature of habit and find Soarer speaks my language, but QMK works very nicely on my capsense IBMs thanks to Pandrew. I’ve just never used it on a bare matrix or compiled it for myself, so can’t advise on details.

[John Doe]

This keyboard gave me "sexy" impression, why?

[Muirium]

"You know I only have eyes for Blue Alps, like you…"

[Cyber Junkie]

Hello again.
I still don't have keyboard at my place so I am trying to find out by pictures if
it is rubber dome or mechanical. What do you think?


Thanks!

[Jan Pospisil]

Some kind of slider over rubber dome.

[DangerDook]

I've picked up this Micro Switch Hall Effect 73SW12-14 from what looks like 1977, super out of my wheelhouse but very interesting. Someone did the work of soldering a dsub to the edge connector and building a case. It's rad but what is it, and could I ever figure out how to tinsy it to a modern machine?

*Edit* very neat thread over here I'll keep reading on viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12379

[Lalaland124]

Does anyone know where this image comes from? Can't seem to find the laptop

1642030485-762042-bildschirmfoto-2022-01-12-um-221113.png (2 MiB) Viewed 7446 times

[hellothere]

Sure it's a laptop? Looks more like a terminal, to me.

[thor435]

I know what keyboard this is, it is a Cortron model 121. The question is, what kind of switches does it use? Its and older model, made in 2000 if i am not mistaken.

Please dont say foam on foil or rubber domes

[hellothere]

From https://web.archive.org/web/20021206183 ... SO_121.htm (2002 - 2014)
"Full-travel, solid state switches"

The Model 121 is still in production and one version of it looks an awful lot like yours.

Geekhack says it's either "rubber dome with lip-seal or hall effect." Sorry. I did say one of the things you asked not for me to say. I didn't say , though.

[thor435]

Thanks for the info, I found some info on the ones that still are produced but it did not look exactly like this.
I am hoping its good whatever it is. Its coming in the mail, so i will find out eventually. Anyway it got a cool sticker on it tough.

Spoiler:

s-l1600 (2).jpg (160.28 KiB) Viewed 7357 times

[jsheradin]

Thanks for the info, I found some info on the ones that still are produced but it did not look exactly like this.
I am hoping its good whatever it is. Its coming in the mail, so i will find out eventually. Anyway it got a cool sticker on it tough.

Spoiler:

s-l1600 (2).jpg

I'd bet it's the same as the wiki/Cortron_80-604 given the environmental ratings.

There are some very similar ones with rubber domes and ITW mag valves though so you might get lucky.