Reusing the IBM capsense chip in Model F?
-
- Location: United Kingdom
- Main keyboard: IBM Bigfoot + Arduino
- Main mouse: Kensington Orbit Trackball
- Favorite switch: IBM Model F buckling spring
- DT Pro Member: -
Has anyone managed to salvage and reuse the capsense chip in IBM Model F keyboards? It's a chip housed in a square, silver colour can, with about 20 pins on a 5 by 5, 0.1 inch grid. I've seen these inside Bigfoot terminal keyboards and PC-XT keyboards. If I replace the controller chip, such as the 8405 in the PC-XT, with e.g. an arduino type thing, could it drive the IBM Mystery Chip?
- Muirium
- µ
- Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Main keyboard: HHKB Type-S with Bluetooth by Hasu
- Main mouse: Apple Magic Mouse
- Favorite switch: Gotta Try 'Em All
- DT Pro Member: µ
That silver chip is indeed the capsense bit. Xwhatsit wrote about it a few years ago. I don't think it's the full controller though. It might just be the analog comparator part. Topre splits the functions that way, as I understand.