Robotron K7637.50

[nourathar]

A while ago I found this keyboard in a thriftstore, a Robotron K7637.50 from 1986:

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As I found out from this site: http://www.robotrontechnik.de/, Robotron was the main computer manufacturer in the DDR / East Germany, and they made a whole range of products from small calculators to mainframes. This keyboard was part of a great-looking A5120 'desktop' computer that I decided not to buy even though I really like its looks. What do you do with such stuff ?? (http://www.robotrontechnik.de/html/computer/a5120.htm)

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The A5120 was available from 1982 and was made in Chemnitz / Karl-Marx-Stadt. (http://www.robotrontechnik.de/html/standorte/buma.htm) This particular keyboard is a later, serial version and is the one that is part of the 'graphical' package. The switches are hall-effect (see next post for picts). More info on the Robotron keyboards is here: http://www.robotrontechnik.de/html/zube ... .htm#k7637.

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I REALLY like how this keyboard looks, it looks much more seventies than eighties somehow, nice and heavy !

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The caps are similar to the Siemens keyboard that was posted some time ago: curious how such particular keycaps were being used at both sides of the iron curtain.

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I like the slightly disorganized look that seems to be the result of a series of adaptations of the original keyboard.

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enough arrows for sure.

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The keycaps are doubleshots.

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On the right of the keys there is a green thing that turned out to be a kind of 'dongle' that would lock the computer. A simple key with a pattern of 8 holes / not holes, giving 256 possible keys.

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The design of the board is extremely modular; the switches are fitted into rails that are held together by the pcb and nuts and bolts.

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Unfortunately for a brand which such an unbelievably cool name, there is no visible branding anywhere on the board, also not on the pcb..

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pcb_wiring.JPG (256.31 KiB) Viewed 4133 times

The connector is a IFSS-connector, using a very specific serial protocol that seems to have only been used in the DDR (http://www.robotrontechnik.de/html/netz ... k.htm#ifss). Kbdbabel has a converter project going on, and the pinout is here:

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[nourathar]

switchgrid.JPG (382.96 KiB) Viewed 4131 times

The switches are hall-effect switches, and on the housing below is says '86', so I think that's when this particular board was made. The switches are very smooth, I think with a little cleaning and lubrication they will be very light and smooth. They are not as buttery as the Honeywell / Microswitch hall-effect switches; the experience is more rattly because of the much lighter keycaps.

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the hall-effect sensor on the pcb:

switch_sensor.JPG (224.05 KiB) Viewed 4131 times

[Muirium]

What do you do with such stuff ??

You run every detail of the workers' republic, of course!

Nice find, by the way. Love those high hat caps all over! Remember to show us the stabs. There was a lot of inventiveness with those back then. Usually for the worse, but…

[nourathar]

What do you do with such stuff ??

You run every detail of the workers' republic, of course!

In fact, the store guy told me it came from a wool factory, so I now see it must have been part of a system like this:



that was meant to edit knitting patterns and to control a knitting machine:



more here:
http://www.robotrontechnik.de/html/comp ... #tes9012-2

Nice find, by the way. Love those high hat caps all over! Remember to show us the stabs. There was a lot of inventiveness with those back then. Usually for the worse, but…

I'll try to take some pictures when there is light again, the stabs did not strike me as remarkable..

[pyrelink]

Very cool keyboard. Seems to be in pretty good quality too. Is that main keyboard casing just plastic, or is it a painted metal?

[7bit]

My guess: Plastic (or Plaste as they called it in East Germany).

edit: Looks like metal. Look at the scratch on the right front.

[pyrelink]

My guess: Plastic (or Plaste as they called it in East Germany).

edit: Looks like metal. Look at the scratch on the right front.

Oh yeah, the scratch definitely looks like chipped paint on metal. Nice catch.

[HaaTa]

I've got a similar one.


VEB Elektroschaltgeräte Auerbach K7634