Cortron/Licon/ITW keyboard with Japanese keycaps 1980

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 17:51

I got this Cortron/Licon keyboard (ITW magnetic pulse switches?) with Japanese double shot keycaps, made in Dec. 1980. (NOS)

Cortron.JPG

It has an IBM 3270 layout, so it was probably used on a 3270-compatible terminal.

Cortron ITW.JPG

The switches are linear, quite smooth - Honeywell hall effect in feel but with a bit of a "clacky" noise coming from the keycaps when bottoming out and releasing, which I like. The keycap material feels a bit cheap though.

The PCB is an unusual shade of tan:

Licon PCB.JPG

Notice the Licon logo. It is "Made in USA" - strange for a keyboard with Japanese keycaps. Licon also made keyboards for UNIVAC.

There is a protruding thing on the back of the PCB, which I assume is a solenoid:

Cortron solenoid.JPG

The "P" key isn't working properly. Probably the spring in the switch is snagged on something. So it looks like I'll have to de-solder that switch, open it up and fix it. When I do, I'll post my first "switch dismantle" photos. (didn't want to, but now I have no choice)

seebart · 06 Dec 2014, 18:08

congrats on this rare find! Very nice.

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 18:11

There's more here, if anybody wants one ($35):

http://www.surplussales.com/computeracc ... oards.html

Muirium · 06 Dec 2014, 18:15

Quite tempted to grab one, actually. You got yours with a Sperry-Rand, I bet!

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 18:15

Yep. That's where I got it.

facetsesame · 06 Dec 2014, 19:08

Have you checked out the logic yet? It'd be nice to drive it, especially that solenoid!

In the second pics, some of the alpha caps look engraved. Is that contributing towards the feel, or is it entirely in my imagination?

But why did you have to post that link? How on earth am I going to stop myself buying one of them Univacs?

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 19:32

facetsesame wrote: Have you checked out the logic yet? It'd be nice to drive it, especially that solenoid!

In the second pics, some of the alpha caps look engraved. Is that contributing towards the feel, or is it entirely in my imagination?

I think it's entirely your imagination.

The plastic for the letters is not quite flush with the keycap, but raised a bit, making it appear engraved in the lighting.

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 19:34

I desoldered the switch. Now how the hell do I open it?

ITW switch side.JPG

ITW switch bottom.JPG

You can see the two magnets that slide up and down when the key is pressed.

(Now I remember why I hate soldering. I burned my damn finger again!)

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 19:44

Never mind. I figured it out. I had to push the two sides in, through the holes in the side of the case.

ITW switch.JPG

I was right. The spring had slipped off its mount and was jammed. It works now.

Edit: No, I was wrong. It has nothing to do with the spring. The pins on the centre part can push in and when they do, it causes the sliding magnets to jam. That's going to make it a real fucker to get this back in the keyboard without pushing the pins in too far.

Whew. I did it. There was lots of swearing and I burnt my hand again, but it's back in there and working.

Daniel Beardsmore · 06 Dec 2014, 22:37

I can't believe it would be a factory reject, so how did that switch get broken? That keyboard does indeed look brand new.

mr_a500 · 06 Dec 2014, 23:10

I don't know. I think that one switch was a dud. I've never had a problem like that on a keyboard before, where one switch didn't work. At least I could fix it. It's weird that pushing the pins in a couple millimetres would cause the slider to snag.

mougrim · 13 Dec 2014, 19:57

Hmmm... I wonder if it still works

Touch_It · 30 Dec 2014, 18:16

I found one in my State for $35.00. Think it is worth getting?

Edit, OMG, didn't see someone had already posted the link for the one I found

.

Hypersphere · 30 Dec 2014, 18:21

Interesting. I like the dual shift keys for Kana and Latin shift.

Cortron still makes keyboards, including those that are tested via underwater explosions for military applications.

mr_a500 · 30 Dec 2014, 18:29

Touch_It wrote: I found one in my State for $35.00. Think it is worth getting?

"Worth getting" depends on why you want it. If you want to look at it sitting there doing nothing or pretend to type stuff without it actually being connected to anything, I'd say "go for it". It's a smooth, nice looking.. part of a keyboard. I like mine and I'm glad I got it.

If you want it to actually use it, then it'll take a bit of work.

tim_ring · 05 Mar 2015, 16:18

I used a Licon keyboard for years, easily the best keyboard I ever had. It was on a Nascom 2 computer (UK built Z80 based micro from the eighties). The capactive transfer switches have fantastic feel, far superior to the cherry browns I'm bashing at the mo).

I have a circuit diagram of the Nascom keyboard which I've attached. It shows the interface between the physical keys and the parallel port the keyboard was attached to. I know there was some sort of 'scanning' routine in the monotor that sent pulses out through the port and read back states (basically a keyboard matrix). I'm sure a simple circuit could be made to to do the same, maybe using an Arduino to do the scanning and generate modern PC key codes. See attached...

Hypersphere · 28 Aug 2015, 19:12

I've picked up one of these Japanese Cortron keyboards.

: japanese_cortron.jpg (183.61 KiB) Viewed 15867 times

I lke the look of it, and the switches are the smoothest linears I've ever tried.

Does anyone know what it would take to get this working with USB and a contemporary computer? It would also need a case.

Engicoder · 28 Aug 2015, 19:29

I have one as well, and I agree, the switches are very smooth. Coincidentally, I just pulled it off the shelf a week ago and was looking into creating an adapter. I'll let you know how I progress. As far as a case, I am planning on using one of the OTS Hammond cases that fit the period very well.

http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1456WL1.pdf

I made a mockup and it fits including the solenoid. If there are a few people interested, we could group up and get them to custom cut the key opening.

Hypersphere · 28 Aug 2015, 23:19

Engicoder wrote: I have one as well, and I agree, the switches are very smooth. Coincidentally, I just pulled it off the shelf a week ago and was looking into creating an adapter. I'll let you know how I progress. As far as a case, I am planning on using one of the OTS Hammond cases that fit the period very well.

http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1456WL1.pdf

I made a mockup and it fits including the solenoid. If there are a few people interested, we could group up and get them to custom cut the key opening.

I would be interested in this project, depending upon costs.

BTW, the "A" key on my Cortron does not work as well as the other keys. Does anyone else have this problem with their Japanese-model Cortron keyboards?

JustLiQuiD · 28 Aug 2015, 23:46

@Hypersphere: maybe you have the same problem as mr_a500?

The "P" key isn't working properly. Probably the spring in the switch is snagged on something. So it looks like I'll have to de-solder that switch, open it up and fix it. When I do, I'll post my first "switch dismantle" photos. (didn't want to, but now I have no choice)

Edit: No, I was wrong. It has nothing to do with the spring. The pins on the centre part can push in and when they do, it causes the sliding magnets to jam. That's going to make it a real fucker to get this back in the keyboard without pushing the pins in too far.

Whew. I did it. There was lots of swearing and I burnt my hand again, but it's back in there and working.

Edit: Beautiful boards btw.

Engicoder · 28 Aug 2015, 23:53

Hypersphere wrote: BTW, the "A" key on my Cortron does not work as well as the other keys. Does anyone else have this problem with their Japanese-model Cortron keyboards?

A couple of the keys on mine seem to have some friction that the others don't. Haven't desoldered it to take a look. mr_a500 had some issues with one of his as well.