jdn@homxc.UUCP (J.NAGY) (11/02/87)
I am interested in attaching an external keyboard
to a 1040ST. Is this possible? Has anyone done it
before?
Jonathan Nagy
{ihnp4|allegra|harvard}!homxc!jdn
(201) 615-4349rwa@auvax.UUCP (Ross Alexander) (11/03/87)
In article <1979@homxc.UUCP>, jdn@homxc.UUCP (J.NAGY) writes: > I am interested in attaching an external keyboard > to a 1040ST. Is this possible? Has anyone done it before? I haven't actually done this, but I've sure thought about it: take a hacksaw [an aside: is any saw owned by a hacker a hack's saw? oh well] and cut the front of the ST off just at the prominent crease behind the function keys. Just the plastic, mind you, not the cicuit board! What you'd have left is (1) a really grotty looking but still operable ST, and (2) a detached keyboard, looking not bad except for a ragged backside. Why This Would Work: there's only 4 wires connecting the keyboard to the ST chassis. Curly cords are not hard to come by (an old Kaypro cord would be ideal, telephone handset cords won't carry the current). You can always hide the butchered chassis under your desk or something. Why I haven't Done It: it's not my ST; it belongs to the U., who are well known for getting rude about employees chopping up the capital equipment. Ross Alexander, Athabasca University. ...!ihnp4!alberta!auvax!rwa PS: has anyone done any further work on UW for the ST? the multi-windowing terminal emulation package is very nice, but my copy buss-errors about 50% of the time when a window is closed. Then I have to go kill the server process running on the host {sun,vax} from some other terminal. Phooey. But the thing sure has potential! rwa
ftw@datacube.UUCP (11/04/87)
Four wires? You must be referring to the 520, whose mouse connects through
the side of the case. On the 1040, the mouse plugs in underneath the
keyboard, adding to the wire count. Cutting the case with a hacksaw
(or any other kind of saw) seems rather irreversible. The keyboard does
come out as a single unit though, and it wouldn't take much to mount it to
a small piece of wood if you're in that much of a hurry and don't care
about looks. For the wiring, how about building a small adaptor with a
single row header and an RJ-11 style (modular) plug/socket arrangement.
They are available in six and even eight conductor (if memory serves) type
configurations. I doubt that there would be a problem with using ordinary
coiled phone cord; that's what's running my VT-220 keyboard right now!
Farrell T. Woods
Datacube Inc. Systems / Software Group 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960
VOICE: 617-535-6644; FAX: (617) 535-5643; TWX: (710) 347-0125
INTERNET: ftw@datacube.COM
UUCP: {rutgers, ihnp4, mirror}!datacube!ftwdag@chinet.UUCP (Daniel A. Glasser) (11/06/87)
Mr. Woods is mistaken -- The 520 does have the mouse/joystick ports on the side, but this adds wires to the keyboard connector, since it is the keyboard CPU that monitors these devices. The 520 has many more wires running between the keyboard and the main system board than the 1040. I don't remember the count on either board, but the 1040's (and newer 520) keyboard has the connectors mounted to the bottom, thus fewer wires. As to moving these keyboards out of the case, I've seen two successful attempts at the 1040. Neither involved cutting the case, though. A new keyboard case was constructed out of [cardboard|sheet metal] and a multi-conductor wire bundle was run between the old case and the new case. As far as using phone cords for this purpose, most available will not safely handle the current required by the keyboard electronics. If you read the documentation that comes with a terminal/workstation equipped with the DEC LK201 keyboard, you will find warnings that you should not use ordinary phone cords with them. Fire may result. I've seen it happen, though only in an environmental chamber where that was the intended result. (I was with the PRO program at DEC while the keyboard was being designed.) I hope this clears some things up. -- Daniel A. Glasser ----------------------------------------+---------------------------- Cheese is not a discipline! | ...!ihnp4!chinet!dag | ...!ihnp4!mwc!gorgon!dag | ...!ihnp4!chinet!gorgon!dag Disclaimer: I assume full responsibility for my opinions. If my employer knew of some of them, I'd be unemployed.
ftw@datacube.UUCP (11/11/87)
Your comments prompted me to look at the bottom of the LK-201 keyboard
I'm typing on right now. Indeed, it does have a warning about using only
"approved" cables for keyboard attachment, otherwise, "excessive overheating
may result in abnormal conditions.". Thanks for pointing that out.
I can picture a really cheap cable catching fire if the +5 to the keybaord
gets shorted for some weird reason.
As for number of wires, I'm glad I said _maybe_, since I don't have a 520
to take apart, old or new. ;-)
Farrell T. Woods
Datacube Inc. Systems / Software Group 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960
VOICE: 617-535-6644; FAX: (617) 535-5643; TWX: (710) 347-0125
INTERNET: ftw@datacube.COM
UUCP: {rutgers, ihnp4, mirror}!BIWornouth+
Sminow@decvax.UUCP (Martin Minow) (11/12/87)
My apologies for posting this without summarizing the original article. However, as it refers to a safety issue, I feel the completeness is appropriate. In the attached article, Farrell Woods points out that the (Dec) LK201 keyboard warns the user against using an unapproved cable. Because he refers to "really cheap cables", the reader may incorrectly decide that expensive cables would work. While the LK201 cable looks like a standard modular phone cable, it is build using significantly heavier gauge wire -- as it carries the power needed by the keyboard. Ordinary LK201 usage exceeds the rated capacity of standard modular phone cables. You can order replacement cables from Dec Direct. Martin Minow decvax!minow The above does not represent the position of Digital Equipment Corporation. In article <105100029@datacube> ftw@datacube.UUCP writes: > >Your comments prompted me to look at the bottom of the LK-201 keyboard >I'm typing on right now. Indeed, it does have a warning about using only >"approved" cables for keyboard attachment, otherwise, "excessive overheating >may result in abnormal conditions.". Thanks for pointing that out. >I can picture a really cheap cable catching fire if the +5 to the keybaord >gets shorted for some weird reason. > >As for number of wires, I'm glad I said _maybe_, since I don't have a 520 >to take apart, old or new. ;-) > > > Farrell T. Woods > >Datacube Inc. Systems / Software Group 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960 >VOICE: 617-535-6644; FAX: (617) 535-5643; TWX: (710) 347-0125 >INTERNET: ftw@datacube.COM >UUCP: {rutgers, ihnp4, mirror}!datacube!ftw
ftw@datacube.UUCP (11/14/87)
Say, what? Mouse ports in front, built-in power supply, built-in disk
drive....sounds lots like my 1040 ;-)
Farrell T. Woods
Datacube Inc. Systems / Software Group 4 Dearborn Rd. Peabody, Ma 01960
VOICE: 617-535-6644; FAX: (617) 535-5643; TWX: (710) 347-0125
INTERNET: ftw@datacube.COM
UUCP: {rutgers, ihnp4, mirror}!datacube!ftw