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Modding a Thinkpad Keyboard for External Use?

Posted by Cliff on from the just-for-the-fun-of-it dept.

Rinisari asks: "I've recently acquired a working keyboard from a IBM Thinkpad. It has ~87 keys, mousestick with left, right, and rocker buttons, and five other buttons: IBM, volume up/down/mute, and a power button (part number 08K4785). I want to make an interface cable, preferably USB but PS/2 will suffice, to be able to use this on my desktop. Has anyone ever tried something like this?"

6 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Keyboard controller? by df200 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Have you checked if this thing has a keyboard controller chip built in? Normal PC keyboards have their own logic but laptop keyboards AFAIK don't, the logic may be somewhere on the laptop's mainboard.

  2. Sell it by cybermace5 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just put it up on eBay and let it go. Someone will want it for spare parts. That's all it's really good for; laptop keyboards are very nonstandard and the odds are very good that you won't ever figure it out. This is a project involving large amounts of reverse engineering, development of custom circuitry, and microcontroller programming.

    --
    ...
  3. You need a microcontroller by mewyn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In order to pull this off, you will need to figure out how the keyboard's matrix is set up, then hook it up properly to a microcontroller, and then program said microcontroller to work with PS/2 (forget USB). Simply put no easy task. And then there's the trackpoint. With that, you will have to find a microcontroller with analog inputs, and figure out how the thing behaves electrically. Just give it up and buy a new keyboard. This thing is a task only for someone who knows a lot about EE, and has the time to do it.

    Mewyn Dy'ner

  4. Re:IBM makes things close to this.. by bhtooefr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, the Model M weighs about 5 pounds. BTW, the EnduraPro/104 (and the On The Stick - 104 key version) from Unicomp (who bought Lexmark's keyboard division, who was a spinoff of IBM's keyboard and printer divisions) are essentially Lexmark-era (ugh - fake Model Ms) Model Ms with trackpoints. IBM also made one of these.

  5. Thinkpad-like keyboards by Bushcat · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Check out the 28L3644, but beware of sticker shock. If it's the compact keyboard idea that attracts you, check out any of the Happy Hacker keyboards, which used to be at www.pfuca.com but now appears to be dead.

  6. well... by gooru · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you're really intent on doing this (and I don't recommend it; just buy one of the previously posted products), then I recommend asking IBM first for specs. You might find a tech or engineer who's willing to release them to you. Then, you'll probably want to learn some stuff about PIC chips. Take a look around at the numerous one-handed keyboards and whatnot for ideas. There are a lot of people who have done similar projects.