• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here
  • From now on we will require that a prefix is set for any items in the sales area. We have created regions and locations for this. We also require that you select a delivery option before posting your listing. This will hopefully help us streamline the things that get listed for sales here and help local people better advertise their items, especially for local only sales. New sales rules are also coming, so stay tuned.

XT compatible keyboards

Looks like a cheap AT Nimble brand keyboard I have (didnt see an XT/AT switch on mine), not exactly the best keyboards made.
 
I also highly doubt it is actually XT compatible. I went through my keyboard collection recently, and the only XT/AT autoswitch keyboards I cound find were the early IBM Model M (with detachable cable) and its Tandy equivalent. All the other keyboards which did not have the little "A/X" switch underneath were AT-only, including a later IBM Model M dated 1996 (with permanently attached cable) and a black IBM Model M with TrackPoint (made by Maxi-Switch).
 
Actually, they were quite common, at one time. I just worked up a couple of dozen of them to put up on my site although mine are many different brands, most of them big name.

The switch might not be immediately obvious for 2 reasons; 1) A number of the manufacturers liked to hide them under one of the flip-down legs and, 2) they are auto-switchers. I have about 1/2 dozen of both of these types. I even has a few that have Windows keys on them.

At half a pound apiece, you got a good deal although they do look like the old Nimble brand and, as was mentioned, they weren't the sturdiest keyboards on the market.
 
I once had a keyboard where the XT/AT switch was hidden under one of the plastic labels on the face of the keyboard. I don't remember the brand or the exact location of the switch, but I think it may have been under the cover for the led's or perhaps the brand name plate. You needed a sharp object like a paper clip to pop off the cover and reveal the switch.
 
Schemes abound. I tend not to favor auto-switchers because the method used (usually something like "send an invalid character to the host and wait for a NAK if it's an AT") depends too much on the good behavior of the host (I found that one out with the XT-AT keyboard converter).

I've got one keyboard that demands that the keyboard clamshell be taken apart to change a jumper.

The most interesting one I have is from Advanced Input Devices (model AID-3) that has not one or two, but 4 DIP switches hidden behind a sliding door on the back of the keyboard. I've verified that 2 deal with XT-AT mode, but the remainder have me puzzled.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Schemes abound. I tend not to favor auto-switchers because the method used (usually something like "send an invalid character to the host and wait for a NAK if it's an AT") depends too much on the good behavior of the host (I found that one out with the XT-AT keyboard converter).

I've got one keyboard that demands that the keyboard clamshell be taken apart to change a jumper.

The most interesting one I have is from Advanced Input Devices (model AID-3) that has not one or two, but 4 DIP switches hidden behind a sliding door on the back of the keyboard. I've verified that 2 deal with XT-AT mode, but the remainder have me puzzled.
Click to expand...

None of the auto-switchers I have had any problems with any of the XTs or ATs I tested them with. I have one hard switch one that has, I believe, 6 (or 8 ) switches and will let you set it up on a PC, a XT or an AT and the rest of the switches allow you to control other aspects of the input.

I'll be photographing that batch of keyboards to put on my site for sale soon and I'll try and remember to post a picture of that particular one (and its legend) in this thread when I do.
 
modem7 said:
Yes, the seller may have have thought, "Large DIN. The AT and XT used that, and so I'll describe the keyboard as AT XT".
Click to expand...

The keyboards arrived today. They feel pretty sturdy, but I'm sad to say, it looks as though 'modem7' was right, and the seller has mis-represented the items. On testing with my IBM PC-XT, I found that these are simple AT keyboards only. Doh!

On the plus side - the guy gave no quarrel when I informed him of his error - and provided a 100% refund.

(Note to mods, this thread can probably be closed now. Thanks.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top