ISO to ANSI?

[mass]

Questions: what's the distance between the centre of the main drilling holes? And are the main mounting pins dead centre of the switch?

Ooops, My apology.
Never mean to ignore the question, just thought the question was answered somehow.
As ripster answered, 0.75" it is. Thanks ripster. ^^

[Minskleip]

Great, thanks guys! Didn't see this before now. Much apreciated.

[javifast]

Incredible work....

[ripster]

I wouldn't ever buy a laptop with Shitlet keys in the first place. Those things make my fingers want to cry.

Dear sir. Please refer to the Scissor Switch Wiki for alternatives since I wouldn't want to see your fingers crying.

the rumor is the KBC Poker girl/boy stars in this one

[xbb]

It's not possible easily to convert a Filco ISO to ANSI isn't it?

[sixty]

Its possible, but you will have to do a lot of drilling and dremel the plate. I wouldn't bother. Sell your ISO board and buy an ANSI one. Or better - try to tade it. Many Europeans dislike the ANSI layout, so you might have luck.

[xbb]

Its possible, but you will have to do a lot of drilling and dremel the plate. I wouldn't bother. Sell your ISO board and buy an ANSI one. Or better - try to tade it. Many Europeans dislike the ANSI layout, so you might have luck.

Yes I think that's the best way Now I have to decide if brown like now or blue...

[Lenny_Nero]

Also, is that just a funny name? What makes a center punch "automatic"?

You can use it with one hand, and no hammer.

Goes with a slide hammer and slim jim for any jamjar blagger

Make sure you turn it right down before you use one on plastic or PCB.

[The Solutor]

Subversive threads like this should be persecuted like the child pornography..

[mbodrov]

mass, one step is not described in your excellent guide. Perhaps you considered it obvious, but still. Those new holes you drilled lack copper pads to solder the switch to. So, what actually holds the switch in its place on the PCB, and prevents it from wiggling?

[mass]

DSCF1242.jpg (10.64 KiB) Viewed 9255 times

Sorry for the late reply.

The switch is placed by 4 wires, soldered as above figure. They are not soldered onto the PCB but it seems firm enough to hold it with the PCB. Don't forget to put extra amount of soldering iron and also never use switches without two plastic pins.
(Tip: Always drill the holes little smaller than they need to be. Specially the centre one. 'little tight' is just right)

[Torgee]

Hey there,
nice mod!

but i'm curious if its possible to do it the other way around, namely ANSI -> ISO.
well, in fact im only interested in the additional key next to the left shift-key in ISO (for gaming),
I could get used to everithing else.

so is there a way to add a key there to ANSI-layout? sacrificing some other key maybe?

kind regards

[The Solutor]

so is there a way to add a key there to ANSI-layout? sacrificing some other key maybe?

No need to sacrifice anything controllers are (usually) the same, so the missing 105th key is just a missing coordinate in the keyboard's matrix.

So if you want to upgrade to ISO, you need the correct keys (smaller shift, L shaped Enter, and the additional key), and you have to figure the correct column and row to connect the 105th key.

[Lenny_Nero]

so is there a way to add a key there to ANSI-layout? sacrificing some other key maybe?

No need to sacrifice anything controllers are (usually) the same, so the missing 105th key is just a missing coordinate in the keyboard's matrix.[/quote]
So most of the controllers are the same ?
I have been going thru the GH wiki looking for info.

I have a G80-1000, with a dead controller I was going to break it for parts but I feel sort-a-bad as I have some G81's and 84's that have controllers to offer.

Would be nice to bring it back and upgrade it to ISO.

[kbdfr]

Aside from the fact that new revisions will be ratified by the ISO before national standards bodies like ANSI, the two are the same. However, common incorrect usage is for "ANSI C" to mean the original language standardized by ANSI in 1989, and "ISO C", "ISO C99", or simply "C99" to mean the current standard adopted by the ISO in 1999.

Posted 2010-11-20 12:30:18:
http://www.techques.com/question/1-4232 ... -and-ISO-C



edit: obviously Simone4 deleted his/her post

[IvanIvanovich]

I just got in an old Cherry board with model F layout. I generally like it but it has ISO enter, 1 unit backspace which I don't like. I also find that I miss the keys that are usually on the bottom row like control. Unfortuneatly it is also plate mount... and it use the XT protocol. So it needs a new controller, and switches moved for enter, \|, backspace and add 2 switch to bottom row shortening the space bar.
It is a very nice board from 1985. I would like to update this board for the 21st century.
How much of a challenge would it be to accomplish all of that? Does anyone think it would be worth it?

[kbdfr]

Mind posting a pic so I can tell you it's very complicated and just not worth it, and you should rather sell it to me?

[IvanIvanovich]

Don't have a camera handy, but there are some picture on sandy's site
http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/unitek_k151l.html
it's not the exact same model, but nearly identical. Just mine has no XT/AT switch and an ISO enter so maybe it's a little older.

[JBert]

But isn't the model F layout pretty much the forebearer of ISO? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a new board then seeing how ANSI is pretty much the default or are you really looking for a hybrid?

At any rate, I might also be interested in buying it unmodified.

[IvanIvanovich]

Well, basically I got the idea after seeing this modified F AT, and want to basically do the same layout to this Cherry board.

Spoiler:

There really isn't a lot of options of board with the function keys on the left and no dedicated nav keys in Cherry land.

[JBert]

True... I wanted to grab a Commodore keyboad from Ebay with the XT layout, sadly someone just nabbed it from under my nose.

If you want real flexibility of the keys, you might need to make a new PCB, or you could try to cut off the F1-F10 keys from the PCB and use some other Cherry PCB for the main alpha keys.

I always find it a shame to mess up the original PCB though. I use my model F XT with a Teensy chip and Soarer's firmware. This way the bottom Caps Lock / Alt is now an Fn key, allowing me to add keys on a second layer.

[IvanIvanovich]

Oh, yes the Commodore PC-5 board, also known as the G80-0499. I have one of those. Was super disappointed when I got it and discovered it was XT. It has since been only a display piece as I don't want to mod it... lol. I spotted that other one on ebay a couple weeks ago and was very tempted to get it too for a spare set of it's unique color keycaps.
Yes, I have also thought about seeing about just getting a new pcb with what I want done, and would be quite simple to mod the plate afterwards. The Unitek keyboard itself isn't particularly valuable as far as I know and I already threw out the case anyway since I didn't dig the burnt orange color. Yes it was that 'yellowed'. Either way I don't feel bad about modding or replacing the pcb and tossing it. Got a good price and worst to worst I got some nice vintage blacks out of it.

[JBert]

Alternatively, you could also try to grab a Cherry Terminal keyboard and start modding from there - it has keys on the left, top and right. The only challenge is in finding an ANSI one.

[mbodrov]

Something has just occured to me about this ISO to ANSI mod. The ISO board should have one less stabilizer: the short left Shift is without a stabilizer, but the long ANSI Shift needs one. So, you'd have to find a spare stabilizer somewhere, is that correct?

[IvanIvanovich]

IF you want a stabilizer on the left shift yes. But some may debate if it is really needed or not. I removed all the stabilizer except space from my costar since I can't stand dealing with them. I don't have any problems with it.

[luckynet]

now how to convert from ANSI to ISO?

[t!ng]

Wow nice work on the MX 5000. I will try to repaint mine with RAL 7000.