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BULL (keytronic) keyboard

Posted: 09 Jan 2015, 23:23
by idollar
Hi,

I know nothing about keytronic switches. This BULL (french CO) keyboard seems to be made by them.

Any idea on what is it and if it is possible to make it work ? The connector is a db9 ... serial ?

Apologies for the quality of the pictures ... it is dark here in Europe.

Posted: 09 Jan 2015, 23:46
by ullr
Beautiful caps!

Posted: 09 Jan 2015, 23:48
by Touch_It
Hopefully someone knows something about this (I don't). As ullr said, keycaps are beautiful. I think the pcb from what I can see looks beautiful as well.

How do the switches feel, as idk if I've ever seen ones like that before?

Posted: 09 Jan 2015, 23:51
by idollar
I would say that I am linear. But I type on IBMs only.

Posted: 09 Jan 2015, 23:57
by idollar
Touch_It wrote: .... I think the pcb from what I can see looks beautiful as well.
The PCB if full of curves !

Posted: 10 Jan 2015, 01:27
by Compgeke
Looks like a Keytronic Foam and Foil switch, fairly common from the time. Those are some great caps though.

Odds are it isn't actually RS232 signaling but something proprietary. I know the Olivetti M24\PC-6300 used a DE9 connector and they were semi-proprietary.

Posted: 10 Jan 2015, 01:52
by idollar
Compgeke wrote: Looks like a Keytronic Foam and Foil switch, fairly common from the time. Those are some great caps though.
Yes ! in the wiki
The switches are branded.

Posted: 10 Jan 2015, 08:42
by kbdfr
I own this quite similar one:
Bull Questar 210-2.jpg
Bull Questar 210-2.jpg (144.8 KiB) Viewed 3716 times
Bull Questar 210 detail-01.jpg
Bull Questar 210 detail-01.jpg (170.95 KiB) Viewed 3716 times

Posted: 13 Jan 2015, 18:04
by 7bit
Great you managed to open it. I could not open mine!
:evilgeek:

Also nice to see what is on the missing keys.
:o

Posted: 14 Jan 2015, 00:36
by Miko
The connector on the PCB looks exactly like the connector on my Cii Honywell Bull keyboard, that I couldn't get working yet. Could you post close-ups?

And the lable looks remarkable similar.

Posted: 17 Jan 2015, 17:39
by idollar
Finally I found the time to get my camera and photograph again the keyboard with day light.
These are the pictures that you asked plus a bonus (a full picture again).

cheers

i$