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Kaypro II Keyboard Schematic? Anyone have it?

A

atod

Experienced Member
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Oct 14, 2010
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Location
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I found the technical manual online and it doesn't include the keyboard. Couldn't find it searching the net. Anyone have it?

Thanks
 
Also ..........................

Also ..........................

Also, pictures would help - of your Kaypro inside and out + plus keyboard inside and out.

All Kaypros of a certain model are not necessarily the same - check out this site for much more past info - we are developing a "registry" of Kaypros.

Frank
 
GADFRAN said:
Check bitsavers site for tech manual for Kaypros

Need more details on "why" you need this info.
Click to expand...

I checked; nothing about the keyboards other than a single page. To me, that says that these were more-or-less commodity Keytronic parts. So, it's possible that browsing around for the specs on other contemporary computers and terminals might shed some light.
 
Chuck(G) said:
I checked; nothing about the keyboards other than a single page. To me, that says that these were more-or-less commodity Keytronic parts. So, it's possible that browsing around for the specs on other contemporary computers and terminals might shed some light.
Click to expand...

The keys one normally hold down are not behaving like the others. CTRL and SHIFT don't work with the foam pads that work on other keys. I tried flipping the mylar so the conductive side touches the PC board, however that causes the key to work with many repeated garbage characters. I'm thinking maybe the capacitance sensing circuit is different for those keys.

Any thoughts on this?
 
Chuck is right !

There was a grounding issue with some keyboards of Kaypro - I gave Tez the info and Kaypro alert - check with him - even PM - he is from New Zealand and posts a lot -but may be digging out of a lot of unexpected snow besides earthquakes down there !

Good luck !

Frank
 
Also check bitsavers Kaypro schematics for chips that service the keyboard - you may want to replace them - many Kaypro chips are still available at places like Jameco and very cheap less than a $1 - since so standard - another advantage of Kaypros !

As always - best of luck - please report on this site with postings so we all can benefit from your "adventures !"

Frank
 
Actually atod has been in touch will me and I did sent him a little of what I had. However, I've found another doc on the keyboard, which may have been the one you send me Frank (I'm not sure). Anyway, atod PM me your email and I'll send it through as an attachement.

Yes, the snow has stopped. It was a real event. First time I've seen it here on campus. Very pretty but the novelty wears off quickly, especially when the infrastructure is not geared up for it.

Tez
 
Ok. I debugged this a bit further. They keys with problems CTRL, CAPS_LOCK and SHIFT all tie to a single pin on a 22-950-38 IC. When contact is made, the pin goes low. All the other keys appear to tie to several other pins that have a constant signal on them. When contact is made (with the non-conductive mylar side) there is a small ring in the signal and the key press works.

First, I can't find a datasheet on the 22-950-38. Does anyone know what this is? Also, I'm assuming the mentioned keys are all tied together because the share a common trait and that is they are "held" down during key combinations. Perhaps this ICs sampling of that is broken?

Thanks

photosf.jpg
 
FYI

I asked around for some quotes for Exar Sense and Driver ICs. A bunch of manufacturers in China contacted me. It's available, but they are like $7/ea plus $30 S&H. At that price, I may be better off purchasing another Kaypro off Ebay for parts. I'm fairly certain one of the Exar chips is damaged.

Nick
 
I did alot of digging with these EXAR chips.. I contacted both exar (and because these were custom chips for keytronics, they can't (or don't have), any tech info on them..

and keytronics binned the capacitive keyboard infomation years ago..

I wound up getting a second portable, and using it for parts.

One of these days, I'm gonna add the information I gleaned off of the internet to my web site. The info on those capactive keytronics is minimal at best..
 
Sadly, this is the case for most vintage keyboards that don't rely on a microprocessor for decoding. Before your Kaypro, Keytronics and Cherry (and probably Risk) used custom MOS ICs that were utterly undocumented.
 
Just a few thoughts that may or may not help, since you seem to be at least at a “temporary” dead end.

Are you using the “official” Kaypro coiled cord to connect the Kaypro to the keyboard ? They look like a telephone cord but are not. Many posts on this issue on this web site.

You may want to try another Kaypro coiled cord also.

There may be some chips on the “ Kaypro main board, “ besides the keyboard board, that also service the keyboard. They may be the very common and cheap ones I referred to earlier.

If it is indeed such a “ specialized chip,” your option of just getting another Kaypro or just the keyboard sounds good, all things considered.

My experience since the 1980’s of very heavy use of Kaypros, I have never had any issue with a keyboard, although as a precaution I got spares – of different manufacturers.

I did have an issue with a specific “ printer “ chip on the Kaypro main board probably due to a surge and I replaced the chip and all was fine.

The schematics [bitsavers] helped a great deal in tracing which chips affected the printer.

Good luck !

Please continue to keep us informed about your progress for our increasing “Kaypro knowledgebase “ on this web site.

Now that the Kaypro era is long since over, we need to try to maintain whatever knowledge that is still out there.

Frank

P.S.

Note that the keyboard takes a lot of abuse since it is on the bottom of the Kaypro when it is normally transported also !
 
Thanks. I ordered the two parts from China. I hope they resolve the problem. I'm taking a gamble.
 
I can't help with that keyboard,but I have a Kaypro4/83 that has a broken keyswitch. It is not the foam type, it has individual keys with SMK in a diamond shaped box.
It has a numeral 4 on it also. I have pictures but I am new to the forum and don't know how to upload them. Does anyone know where I can find this kind of keyswitch?
 
jalin6 said:
I can't help with that keyboard,but I have a Kaypro4/83 that has a broken keyswitch. It is not the foam type, it has individual keys with SMK in a diamond shaped box.
It has a numeral 4 on it also. I have pictures but I am new to the forum and don't know how to upload them. Does anyone know where I can find this kind of keyswitch?
Click to expand...

I think the star key switch is fairly common. Ask around in the forums or perhaps start a thread and place "star key switch" in the title. Did the actual switch assembly break or just the key itself
 
The switch assembly broke. The key cap is ok. Thanks for the info. I haven't found out how to start a thread. The FAQ says there will be a "Post New Thread" and to click on it but i have not found it. I am using FireFox, do I have to use Internet Explorer?
 
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Here are images of the keyboard PCB. Does anyone have schematics for this?

The entire bottom row above the space bar, space bar itself, Return and a handful of other keys to not work. My Kaypro II boots CPM though!

1.jpeg

2.jpeg

3.jpeg

4.jpeg

5.jpeg

6.jpeg
 
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