Triumph-Adler typewriter (Cherry M6)? - Gabriele 8008L

Masterchief79 · 12 Oct 2013, 01:55

Video:

There's no entry in the wiki yet for the 8008L so I thought i make a little report on it.

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Oct 2013, 13:48

Those are [wiki]Cherry M9[/wiki] switches. For some reason, MY and M9 were more popular with typewriters than they were with computers. Computers tended to go with M8.

Masterchief79 · 12 Oct 2013, 13:55

I thought those were M9: http://abload.de/img/dsc_0904_1600x106051sas.jpg (caps MX compatible)

Daniel Beardsmore · 12 Oct 2013, 15:53

Yes, and those are the same as what's on your 8008L (except yours has angled stems).

Findecanor · 12 Oct 2013, 15:56

Masterchief79 wrote:There's no entry in the wiki yet for the 8008L so I thought i make a little report on it.

Please go ahead add it to the Wiki then! It is supposed to be edited ...

Masterchief79 · 13 Oct 2013, 13:03

Didn't know I could do that.^^ So, I added it.

Decided to turn this baby into a 60% keyboard in a longer project, if you want to help me with that: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=49641.0

Muirium · 13 Oct 2013, 13:57

I'd go for a minimum effort combination of Halvar's and Mkawa's suggestions:

Keep the current PCB.
Trace the matrix to identify the rows and columns.
Hook up a Teensy straight to those, like we hand wire keyboard makers do.
Use the TMK / GH60 code as Matt3o does and voila: a USB powered keyboard!

The switches are the simplest part of the whole original typewriter. They will switch USB supplied 5 volts just fine. Not sure what rollover you'll get from it (post a picture of the whole matrix laid bare) but the Teensy supports NKRO over USB in any case.

Halvar · 13 Oct 2013, 14:22

I agree, either you can use the whole PBC -- i mean, the huge capacitors are quite the show, aren't they? Or, if you look closely at the PCB, maybe you can see where you can cut it to size without hurting the actual matrix.

jeff · 13 Oct 2013, 17:00

What a coincidence ! A found a typewriter in a waste center a week ago, there is no brand indication on it but it seems very close to yours:

I'm not yet decided in which way I will transform mine, nor for the case nor for the circuit. Before seing this thread, I though just keeping the steel plate with switchs and try to hook an usb chip from a low quality keyboard, recreating the matrix by hand wiring.

Yours seems in really good condition, it's true it could be visually interesting to keep it like that and try to do a plexiglass case.

Peter · 14 Oct 2013, 20:23

Daniel Beardsmore wrote:Those are [wiki]Cherry M9[/wiki] switches. For some reason, MY and M9 were more popular with typewriters than they were with computers. Computers tended to go with M8.

Before there was computer-keyboards .. Typewriters ruled the World !

Are the STEMS to big or ....?
EXACTLY how don't the caps fit ??
Could it be fixed with a hot piece of metal having the right profile ??

BTW : Triumph-Adler and Cherry is an OLD love-story .
TA made a LOVELY PC-keyboard, with Double-Shot Cherry MX-compatible caps

Certain TA-models where also sold under the Swiss 'Hermes'-brand ..
Including the one with original Cherry Dye-sub Grey/Blue PBT-caps

Masterchief79 · 16 Oct 2013, 16:31

I don't think you will be able to fit this caps on MX stems ever. Firstly, the stem is to big and doesn't go into the cross of the cap. Secondly, the cross is "too big" and would hit the case of an MX switch if you'd try to press it down.

@jeff:
Cool coincidence. I for myself however decided to not keep the PCB. For anyone interested, you can read the update in my thread on GH: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=49641