Post APnmZ2S8kLCiDD3LAe by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
(DIR) More posts by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
(DIR) Post #APnmOBho0MqliuCqeW by elb@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-20T17:26:31Z
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I took this photo for other reasons, but some of y'all might enjoy this #retrocomputing #terminal #keyboard from some sort of 1980s #IBM terminal system. It's a Model F, but with removable key tops like a later Model M (note the missing 1 key cover) with a record-oriented layout and some obvious dedicated function keys for ... some application or another. Including original 1980s schmut that I've never had occasion to clean off!
(DIR) Post #APnmOCBEEyNzC9yLVw by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-20T17:28:19Z
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@elb So what's the shifted value of "1", if not "!"?
(DIR) Post #APnmQadMIEpHcGGtuK by elb@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-20T17:28:46Z
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@publius You have no idea how much I wish I knew. (Or maybe you do...)
(DIR) Post #APnmZ2S8kLCiDD3LAe by publius@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-20T17:30:18Z
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@elb Nothing to hook the keyboard up to, so that you can look at what it puts out when you touch the keys?I know Unicomp does a lot of service on old keyboards. I wonder if they might be able to supply you with information, or even a new keycap.
(DIR) Post #APnml4AuAag51mj6sS by elb@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-20T17:32:28Z
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@publius I'm not even sure what protocol it speaks. The connector on the end of the cable is a screw-collar-locking DIN of some kind. I'm fairly certain it goes to a smart terminal (3270-style, probably not actual 3270) of some kind. There's tons of model information on a sticker on the back, I'm sure I can figure out how to talk to it, but it's going to return scan codes, not characters, and I'm guessing the scan codes will match the 1 key location for all similar model F keyboards.
(DIR) Post #APofGrLal2TCxWADWy by prokyonid@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-21T03:43:18Z
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@publius @elb it's |This keyboard has keys for both regular pipe and pipe-with-a-space in it.
(DIR) Post #APpGnT5ve6lbbKFY2K by penguin42@mastodon.org.uk
2022-11-21T10:43:45Z
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@elb What a wonderfully crazy layout; it's as if someone started with the international layout, with the nice big return key (ahem, field exit...) and extra button to the left of Z
(DIR) Post #APpTku5w6PmlsMMQKG by elb@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-21T13:07:07Z
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@penguin42 I like how it has dedicated <> and {} keys, but doesn't appear to have [] at all.
(DIR) Post #APtxSIELutGWUEB9XM by penguin42@mastodon.org.uk
2022-11-23T17:00:26Z
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@elb Actually that keyboard is the same one as at the top of @thomasfuchs picture he's just posted; except for yours are castelated keys. And the answer on '1' seems to be a '|' I think on Thomas's.
(DIR) Post #APu0KbOX5361T8xsiu by elb@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-23T17:32:44Z
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@penguin42 Someone else mentioned that it should be |. That's unfortunate, as it greatly reduces the chances that I can get the correct key top!Also @thomasfuchs is _at least_ the second person my Mastodon instance hasn't auto-followed to their new home ðŸ˜
(DIR) Post #APu0rxFUqcdanydrkW by penguin42@mastodon.org.uk
2022-11-23T17:38:50Z
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@elb @thomasfuchs Which brings a question of wth is it | if the rest of the layout matches the normal set of shifted number characters - did ASCIIs 33..41 come before or after the key layout? I do notice that ! and ¢ are vertical neighbours in an EBCDIC table, with | below it, but hmm..