Can you tell me some info about this keyboard?

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:01

Hello good people, I am new here, I got this keyboard for 5$, it is on the way to my house, I have only these pictures, can you tell me what is the brand of thus keyboard and what is the model and what key switches does it use? Thank you

xxhellfirexx · 26 Jun 2018, 00:03

Where are the pictures? I do not see them included.

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:05

xxhellfirexx wrote: Where are the pictures? I do not see them included.

I updated the post, they are here

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:07

It is from Czech republic, the layout is Czech

Noobmaen · 26 Jun 2018, 00:08

I don't know the brand of the keyboard, but the switches are wiki/Micro_Switch_SD_Series

Anakey · 26 Jun 2018, 00:08

hall effect switches made by microswitch very nice find for only 5$

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:09

It has no windows key, it has to be old, it has many f keys too.

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:12

Noobmaen wrote: I don't know the brand of the keyboard, but the switches are wiki/Micro_Switch_SD_Series

Thats cool, my first hall effect switch keyboard

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:16

Anakey wrote: hall effect switches made by microswitch very nice find for only 5$

Do you think these keycaps will fit on my cherry keyboard?

Myoth · 26 Jun 2018, 00:20

petrdolezal wrote:
Anakey wrote: hall effect switches made by microswitch very nice find for only 5$
Do you think these keycaps will fit on my cherry keyboard?

No they won't

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:21

Myoth wrote:
petrdolezal wrote:
Anakey wrote: hall effect switches made by microswitch very nice find for only 5$
Do you think these keycaps will fit on my cherry keyboard?
No they won't

Shame

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:23

I have a 3D printer, I would like to print my own case for this keyboard and make the layout ortholinear. Are here people who did something like this?

Myoth · 26 Jun 2018, 00:25

petrdolezal wrote: I have a 3D printer, I would like to print my own case for this keyboard and make the layout ortholinear. Are here people who did something like this?

the switches are unusable, so you can't technically use it, and trying to make it ortholinear would be even more complicated, if you don't want it, I'm sure someone will be interested in it (me for exemple), and you will be able to get money to afford a keyboard which would be more suitable to your likings

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:45

Myoth wrote:
petrdolezal wrote: I have a 3D printer, I would like to print my own case for this keyboard and make the layout ortholinear. Are here people who did something like this?
the switches are usable, so you can't technically use it, and trying to make it ortholinear would be even more complicated, if you don't want it, I'm sure someone will be interested in it (me for exemple), and you will be able to get money to afford a keyboard which would be more suitable to your likings

I started looking for mechanical keyboards 5 years ago, this is the first one I came across after 5 years of searching, we have almost no keyboards like this in my country, so I am very happy I finaly found one, but I would like to have one that is ortholinear and mechanical and compact, I dont think I would be abel to find something like this ever, so 3D printing new case for this one and moving the keys around would be the only way I could get a keyboard I imagine in my head.

Myoth · 26 Jun 2018, 00:47

petrdolezal wrote:
Myoth wrote:
petrdolezal wrote: I have a 3D printer, I would like to print my own case for this keyboard and make the layout ortholinear. Are here people who did something like this?
the switches are usable, so you can't technically use it, and trying to make it ortholinear would be even more complicated, if you don't want it, I'm sure someone will be interested in it (me for exemple), and you will be able to get money to afford a keyboard which would be more suitable to your likings
I started looking for mechanical keyboards 5 years ago, this is the first one I came across after 5 years of searching, we have almost no keyboards like this in my country, so I am very happy I finaly found one, but I would like to have one that is ortholinear and mechanical and compact, I dont think I would be abel to find something like this ever, so 3D printing new case for this one and moving the keys around would be the only way I could get a keyboard I imagine in my head.

You don't seem to understand ... Hall effect switches are not possibly usable, you can't use them, it's going to happen, nope.

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:51

What is the problem with these?

Myoth · 26 Jun 2018, 00:54

They use a very precise mechanism which would be VERY hard to deal with if you don't actually know how to make such a keyboard, which is about 99,99999% of this community, so I doubt it will ever be usable.

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 00:56

Myoth wrote: They use a very precise mechanism which would be VERY hard to deal with if you don't actually know how to make such a keyboard, which is about 99,99999% of this community, so I doubt it will ever be usable.

I would just solder wires to the pcb and to the keys, this way I would just extend them and than I could change their possition, nothing more.

Myoth · 26 Jun 2018, 00:58

petrdolezal wrote:
Myoth wrote: They use a very precise mechanism which would be VERY hard to deal with if you don't actually know how to make such a keyboard, which is about 99,99999% of this community, so I doubt it will ever be usable.
I would just solder wires to the pcb and to the keys, this way I would just extend them and than I could change their possition, nothing more.

and how do you plan on converting the protocol the keyboard gives ? I'm telling you, any way of easily converting a keyboard with these switches is not possible.

Noobmaen · 26 Jun 2018, 01:01

These don't use a normal conductive matrix, but instead hall effect sensors, which need to be powered and have 2 output pins. Furthermore some of these micro switch switches are unable to detect held keys, because they only emit a pulse upon activation. Read this for further information: workshop-f7/converting-my-wang-t12379.html

Anakey · 26 Jun 2018, 01:02

the problem is that is not as eay as just soldering a few wires. The hall effect system is very complex and most keyboards that ran it did so from 12v or more certainly well above usb spec. by modifying it you will risk permanently damaging the board making it impossible to work

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 01:07

Wow people you are so smart, so many new and interesting things I just learned, thanks for the comments, I think I will just clean it and keep it as it is then. How were these types of keyboards connected to a PC? Does it use some special connector, or is it only for special computers?

Noobmaen · 26 Jun 2018, 01:09

petrdolezal wrote: Wow people you are so smart, so many new and interesting things I just learned, thanks for the comments, I think I will just clean it and keep it as it is then. How were these types of keyboards connected to a PC? Does it use some special connector, or is it only for special computers?

These come from a time before the keyboard protocols were mostly standardized, most likely some sort of terminal computer.

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 01:12

Noobmaen wrote:
petrdolezal wrote: Wow people you are so smart, so many new and interesting things I just learned, thanks for the comments, I think I will just clean it and keep it as it is then. How were these types of keyboards connected to a PC? Does it use some special connector, or is it only for special computers?
These come from a time before the keyboard protocols were mostly standardized, most likely some sort of terminal computer.

Cool

vometia · 26 Jun 2018, 01:45

petrdolezal wrote: It has no windows key, it has to be old, it has many f keys too.

It's a DEC LK201-style layout for ASCII terminals; I believe the layout inspired the IBM PS/2-style keyboard that's more familiar to PC users these days.

green-squid · 26 Jun 2018, 08:33

Hey dood! Great find! There haven't been many attempts, but someone has successfully converted a Micro switch numpad on geekhack once: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=89262.0

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 12:36

vometia wrote:
petrdolezal wrote: It has no windows key, it has to be old, it has many f keys too.
It's a DEC LK201-style layout for ASCII terminals; I believe the layout inspired the IBM PS/2-style keyboard that's more familiar to PC users these days.

Wow that is so cool

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 12:44

green-squid wrote: Hey dood! Great find! There haven't been many attempts, but someone has successfully converted a Micro switch numpad on geekhack once: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=89262.0

Wow cool, I have to find more info, this looks like a fun project.

petrdolezal · 26 Jun 2018, 12:56

So these switches have two pins to power them and two output signal pins, so one output pin has to be 0V and the other is what? I mean is the output signal analog or digital? If it was digital, then the second output pin would just send the input voltage when a key is pressed, but if it is analog, than the voltage would be dependent on the way you pressed the key, it would be like a potentiometer. I do not know what to search on the internet, I found no info on this.

Slom · 26 Jun 2018, 13:50

petrdolezal wrote: So these switches have two pins to power them and two output signal pins, so one output pin has to be 0V and the other is what? I mean is the output signal analog or digital? If it was digital, then the second output pin would just send the input voltage when a key is pressed, but if it is analog, than the voltage would be dependent on the way you pressed the key, it would be like a potentiometer. I do not know what to search on the internet, I found no info on this.

if you tell me whats is written on the retention tab on the right side of the switch in this picture, I might be able to tell you more about the pins.