Don't use a PS/2 to USB adapter. I don't think those work on every old keyboard. Use an AT to PS2 adapter and test it on a machine with PS2 port. That should be completely compatible.
I found a weird keyboard
Owen Evans
Xavier Ross
Those are micro controllers, and by removing the sticker and exposing the window to light, you erased the code that was stored on it.
en.wikipedia.org
Evan Hughes
I believe the board is toast anyways.
The power LED didn't even light up.
I'll probably just go all in and build a complete keyboard. It really snagged my interest now...
As stated, it doesn't even power up, and programming the MC68705U3CS is a nightmare, you need extra programming hardware.
On top of that, the keyboard is just rubber dome shit, as I found out now, mechanical keyboards are supposedly better.
And before I invest tons of time into a Keyboard where the switches break after a while, I'd rather build a fully mechanical keyboard.
It also turns out, after some further research, that microprocessors like the teensy+/2.0 are very well adaptable for the purpose of building keyboards. In addition it has already been done, there are instructions and tutorials for me to follow.
Would you recommend a split orthonlinear layout.
I really like the look of the keys when arranged in a grid like pic related, but the arms feel cramped, making a split design a better candidate.
I opened it up, and the sticker was already removed.
Juan Rodriguez
Does anyone know how to fix a keyboard membrane "sheet"? It's torn between the "domes" that register key presses so, while it is working for now, I want to prevent further tearing.
Apologies for making up the names for those things, I don't know how they are usually called in English.
Camden Foster
I'm a newfaggot myself, but I heard membrane Keyboards really aren't worth that much.
In fact, the entire thread I made here may very well not have been worth its time...
As for your membrane keyboard, is it the rubber part that is tearing (which is usually just a question of time, the rubber gets dry and cracks) or is it the plastic part that has the circuit traces on it (you might get a broken keyboard once one of the traces is severed).
Either way, as an user told me, I'll tell you, your keyboard is not worth the time, probably.
I myself will look into building a mechanical Keyboard up from scratch, since I like DIY stuff.
You could probably just buy a new keyboard, as the type of keyboard you have probably just costs 25$, heck, some mechanical ones are eve that cheap:
Rubber dome:
amazon.com
Mechanical:
amazon.com
Charles Evans
The one I have is worth to me. I get used to things slowly but then it becomes really hard to re-adjust to something new. Also there's no new keyboard with similar enough design, so I'll be missing some functionality.
It's the membranes. Instead of being just a bunch of separate domes like it usually is in cheap keyboards, all domes are connected.
The circuit sheets (there are three of them) are fine now. Some water got in and I had to remake some of the lines which is the reason for membrane tearing. As long as I don't disassemble the KB again it'll be fine, but eventually I'll have to if only just to clean it.
I thought about changing to mechanical switches but I don't have that much free time and neither do I have sufficient electronics knowledge.
Levi White
Well, what I gather from your post is, that the rubber parts are breaking?
You could try to scavenge a rubber mat from a different keyboard and cut out a single rubber dome and maybe try to attach it to the large rubber mat in you favorite keyboard?
Changing to mechanical switches is likely not really realistically possible, as you'd have to change the entire platform on which the keys/switch units rest.
But, I really can't believe that your keyboard layout is that special, maybe post a picture of it and a more experienced user can point you to a good (mechanical) replacement.
Hudson Hall
So;
I engaged in some autism and mapped the keyboard matrix.
I also tested the most suspect traces and found out, that the keyboard matrix is completely intact.
On the left you see a standalone of the keyboard part of the whole device. It has got, as can be seen to the top center of the image, two flat-flex cable bundles. The left flat-band cable has 10 leads, the right one has 13.
The next image is an ode to my autism.
I mapped all the connector locations ABCDEFGHIJ for the left connector, abcdefghijklm for the right one.
The keys can be seen represented as crosses, the two letters denote which connectors are shorted when the key is pressed. The numbers are simply a numerical version of the same mapping.
Is it possible to connect the matrix to a new controller and adapt the controller to work with the matrix?
Do I even have to know how exactly the keyboard is mapped in order to have a controller recognize certain keystrokes and put a predefined, programmable action on it?
How would I go about building such a controller, can I simply mount a teensy to a PCB (that can, as it seems be produced for ~20$ in china?)/Hole-Matrix PCB that I have laying around?
How would the circuit look, how does the adaption to the matrix work?
The rightmost picture shows the whole Matrix with its old PCB mounted.
It is attached to the metal back-plate of the matrix via 2 screws an 2 brass standoffs, so the mounting of a new PCB is relatively easy...
I already have an Idea for how to build an enclosure for it, I'd make a wooden frame and maybe add in brass thread inserts. I could even leave a little room between the aluminum back-plate and the current matrix in case I ever want to replace it with mechanical switches...
Parker Long
The domes are fine, it's the mat that is tearing. For now. I want to prevent the tears from affecting the domes as well.
I've looked several days for new alternatives when I had to disassemble it for the first time. And it's not about layout, it's about programmable function keys, multimedia controller and so on. If you plan on telling me I don't need those or can manage with less don't bother.
Grayson Carter
wasn't the whole point of this thing to shitpost with copy pasta?