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XT to AT Keyboard Adapter?

T

trmg

Experienced Member
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Dec 20, 2016
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I acquired a Leading Edge DC-2014 keyboard from lutiana this past weekend. I like the feel of the keyboard (basically an IBM Model F clone and more-or-less the same feel as the coveted Model M) and would love to take it for a spin. However, I don't have a Leading Edge system or any XT based system at all. Is there such an animal that will allow one to connect an XT keyboard like the DC-2014 to an AT system?
 
The real solution here is to get an XT to hook it up to!

I don't know of any specific AT-XT adaptors personally, but several older keyboards from that era had an AT-XT switch on them. Perhaps a schematic somewhere could help answer what exactly needs to be done to convert it...
 
A-ko said:
I don't know of any specific AT-XT adaptors personally, ...
Click to expand...
There are adapters like the AT2XTKB one at [here], but that and others that I have heard of, translate the keyboard protocol in one direction only: AT keyboard to XT computer.

A-ko said:
... but several older keyboards from that era had an AT-XT switch on them. Perhaps a schematic somewhere could help answer what exactly needs to be done to convert it...
Click to expand...
The switch normally just informs the keyboard's microcontroller chip as to which keyboard mode the chip is to run in.

trmg said:
However, I don't have a Leading Edge system or any XT based system at all. Is there such an animal that will allow one to connect an XT keyboard like the DC-2014 to an AT system?
Click to expand...
If you had an IBM AT (IBM 5170), then you could test the XT-class keyboard by using the KBXT.EXE utility described at [here].
Various clones of the IBM AT may or may not support the configuration change that KBXT.EXE makes.
 
Thanks guys for the reply. I'm actually going to be trading the keyboard with someone for a Model M so this is no longer a need. :D
 
modem7 said:
If you had an IBM AT (IBM 5170), then you could test the XT-class keyboard by using the KBXT.EXE utility described at [here].
Various clones of the IBM AT may or may not support the configuration change that KBXT.EXE makes.
Click to expand...

That is a pretty good nugget of info to have.
 
Just a note- that Leading Edge keyboard is worth a lot more than a Model M. It's not a fair straight trade.

As the kids say.. "just saying".

Alps blues are valuable... more than buckling spring.
 
rittwage said:
Just a note- that Leading Edge keyboard is worth a lot more than a Model M. It's not a fair straight trade.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but at the end of the day if OP is happy with trade (knowing full well it's a lop sided trade to some degree) then "fair" becomes quite subjective.

Just our of curiousity, what do you think such a keyboard would be worth? I have one that I am thinking about selling and am wondering what would be considered reasonable for it.
 
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rittwage said:
Just a note- that Leading Edge keyboard is worth a lot more than a Model M. It's not a fair straight trade.

As the kids say.. "just saying".

Alps blues are valuable... more than buckling spring.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I know. I saw a number of completed listings on eBay. However, I cannot test the keyboard personally so I'm willing to let it go as straight trade. If I could confirm it works without a doubt, then it'd be another story. I suspect it does work though...it's clean and all the keys feel great. I guess I'm just a nice guy :D.
 
trmg said:
Yeah. I know. I saw a number of completed listings on eBay. However, I cannot test the keyboard personally so I'm willing to let it go as straight trade. If I could confirm it works without a doubt, then it'd be another story. I suspect it does work though...it's clean and all the keys feel great. I guess I'm just a nice guy :D.
Click to expand...

Nothing at all wrong with that. :)
 
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