System76 Launch Configurable Keyboard with Open Source Code

Re:System76 Launch Configurable Keyboard with Open Source Code by squarefoot on Thursday February 11, 2021 @06:06AM (#26100272)

If you're lucky, you can find old IBM model M keyboards for free, or close. I got two, first one like 25 years ago from a surplus store for like 10 Euros of today and the second one a few years later for free as it was being thrown away by a government office "because it doesn't fit the rack drawer and doesn't have windows keys". I'm still using the first one, which is old enough to carry a shiny Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.2 sticker on it. Those are rock solid beasts; I already know I'll die a lot before any of these keyboards will fail, and I don't plan to die soon:).

No USB connection of course as those keyboards predate the standard, but any cheapo PS/2-USB converter will work.

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Re:System76 Launch Configurable Keyboard with Open Source Code by bluGill on Thursday February 11, 2021 @08:15AM (#26101111)

I've been told that not all PS2-USB converters work. But many cheap ones do, so just get from a place with a good return policy.

Beware that the Model M draws more power than USB is allowed to supply. I've never heard of this being a problem in the real world, but I always plug my model M into a powered hub to ensure there is plenty of power available.

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Re:System76 Launch Configurable Keyboard with Open Source Code by mohaine on Thursday February 11, 2021 @09:01AM (#26101568)

Many PS2-USB "converters" are really just "adapters" that actually rely on the keyboard to do the heavy lifting internally. These do not work at all. It sounds like it has gotten better but it used to be quite hard to get an M working. Of course these isn't much(any?) other ~40 year old PC equipment that is this easy to get working.

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Re:System76 Launch Configurable Keyboard with Open Source Code by squarefoot on Thursday February 11, 2021 @02:14PM (#26105820)

> I've been told that not all PS2-USB converters work.

True converters do. Those that don't work are just connector adapters relying on the mainboard to recognize that a PS/2 device is connected although on a USB port. To be sure you get a working adapter, never buy single port ones as they often contain just connection wires. All converters I tried with dual PS2 port, to be used with mouse and keyboard together, contained a real protocol converter and worked flawlessly on all PCs. An image search for "ps/2 usb" returns may examples of the two converters types.

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