Datacomp MTX-124 or DSK-131 ?

[Myoth]

Hi, so I while browsing ebay and searching for nice keyboards to snatch, I stumbled upon this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Neopost-9803- ... 1438.l2649.

After I fell in love with it, and searched for info on it and didn't find anything, I decided to make a wiki page for it. Went on Datacomp's wiki page and basically find nothing for DSK-131. Went in the OEM section because it's branded Neo-Post and found that it was a [wiki]Datacomp_MTX-124[/wiki].

But now I'm confused, how would I make a wiki page for the DSK-131 when it's a MTX-124 ? should I make a wiki page that redirects to the MTX-124 ? and add a section for the DSK-131 in it ? I'll probably do that but I wanted to know from you before.

Louison.

Edit : https://www.cool3c.com/article/8195 this could be useful but unfortunately I don't speak Chinese

[Daniel Beardsmore]

That's really curious — it's not even the same PCB. This could have been explained by the fact that the one on eBay has a bank of illuminated keys, but it seems that they're not illuminated at all!

The auction claims "Alps clones" (as well as white Alps) but it appears to be a rare example of simplified Alps switches from a mould other than mould 5.

It would make sense to have both examples on the same page, but what would this page be called?

I recognise the seller — he's a member here. Someone called Blaise was talking with Cherry about Aristotle Yellow switches, and he got some pictures of genuine Cherry MX Yellow, and then promptly vanished, and I've never managed to get those pictures off Michael at Cherry. Whether it's the same Blaise, I don't know. (Blaise170 hasn't visited in a year, and I've not heard from the same/other Blaise in some time.)

The thing is, you've not even bought it yet! Maybe there are some other clues inside that will help you. The Google Translate attempt at alps.tw's page is terrible, but it seems to imply complicated white Alps, so I'm guessing that the one on eBay is newer (PCB design date is 1997). It would also be interesting to see if the PCB actually supports LEDs, and whether any other keys do in fact have LEDs inside.

[Myoth]

I'll try to get it and I'll take picture of it if I do get it. At first I thought those windowes keycaps were going to be SKCL green or something like that, but Alps White ? hmmm ... Also, those alphanumeric keycaps don't look like they belong here ... If I didn't know the difference between Alps and MX, I'd said those were from a Cooler Master Novatouch



The pcb might not be the same since the MTX-124's pcb is noted "Ver 1.2" and the DSK-131 is noted "Ver 2.2". It got updated over time and the Ver2 brought simpler switches to bring costs down, making the switches clones rather than Alps ?

Note : The auction is confusing, it says all over the place that they are "original Alps" but claims they are clones ...

Though, this picture here shows a marking on the switch, I don't think it's written Alps but there is something...


about alps.tw's pages, it has been translated by a user on discord :

Code: Select all

★★鍵盤擺位奇特的ATC-124KB★★
A keyboard with special key placements ATC-124KB
這一把鍵盤軸是15年以上老鍵盤常見的ALPS原生白軸，油墨印刷。
This keyboard is over 15 years old with ALPS “original white” switches, ink printed (legends).
之所以會介紹它的原因是它是鍵帽擺位奇特的國產中文鍵盤。
The reason I want to introduce it is because the legends on its caps are strange and in Chinese.
長寬高=520x186x40mm  淨重 1.6 kg  它是Datacomp 1992.04.14生產。
Length:      Weight      This was made by Datacomp in 
 
@1~每個鍵帽都看得很清楚的正面圖
Every keycap has a clearly visible legends in the center
奇特1~英文印字位於鍵帽上部正中央
English legends are centered and near the top of the keycaps
奇特2~ㄅㄆㄇㄈㄉㄊㄋㄌㄍㄎㄏ～～～向右看齊!
(idk what the fuck this guy’s saying here)
奇特3~空白鍵(Spacebar)配置三顆,,,
There are three spacebars
沒錯，共有三個,,每顆都變小,,不容易有卡死或唧唧聲的毛病產生。
Yep, three. Each one is smaller than usual, so it’s less likely to get stuck or have smoothness issues.
奇特4~電路板預留的沒使用鍵位，由12顆假鍵帽覆蓋。
The PCB has spaces left for unused switches, covered with 12 faux keycaps.
奇特5~有備份軸的設計，那幾顆沒印字的就是備用軸，很替用家日後的維修考量。
Comes with spare switches. Those switches with legendless caps are spares. The board was designed with long term use and repair in mind.
奇特6~有複合鍵設計，譬如P右邊的@=Shift+2，@右上的﹃︿鍵=Shift+6 ......等等
There are combination keys. For example, the @ next to P is Shift+2. The key to the upper-right of @, which is ﹃︿, is Shift+6… etc.
 

@2~背面圖,,左右兩端個各有一個切換開關,,
On the back, there are two (DIP?) switches
左邊是286←  →88    右邊是F.S+F ←  → S+F.F
Left is       Right is    (no idea what the fuck he’s saying here)

@3~電路板線路~規劃得很整齊。
The PCB routing is very clean and organized.


@4~正面鍵帽與原生軸，連接線為五線式
The switches are PCB-mount (5 legged)


@5~背後標籤放大
The tag on the back is enlarged
 


謝謝收看!
Thanks for reading

[Daniel Beardsmore]

The eBay seller is a member here, so it would not surprise me if the keycaps got replaced. The black keycaps are from a KBParadise V60MTS, by the way.

Without being able to borrow from the CSI view of reality, my only "enhance" (since the shadow detail level in the eBay photos is very poor) gives me two characters in a large typeface, "4" on the left, and maybe "A" on the right, which with the minimum date of 1997, clearly indicates simplified Alps.

As for "three space bars" in the MTX-124, it's clearly Japanese layout, yet with Chinese characters on it (Cangjie or whatever). Only the middle one is actually space.

I guess this would go on the MTX-124 page for now.

[Myoth]

if he is maybe I can buy it from him directly ... oh yeah I see now, I knew they were from somewhere else

Simplified Alps explains Ver2 and what I said. I'll add it to a "Speculation" tab in the wiki page.

Yeah, I knew it was JIS and the picture from the wiki looks pretty much exactly like what he's describing :

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Complicated and simplified Alps are fully compatible (as are all the clones), and the PCB would not need to be changed.

[Myoth]

I didn't mean that, I meant that Ver1 is Complicated Alps and that Ver2 is simplified Alps. Not that the PCB needed to be changed.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Why would the PCB version number change due to the switch internals changing?

[Myoth]

I don't know. I'm just speculating.

[Hak Foo]

The wiki PCB shots show no drill-through or traces for the positions not stuffed with a switch. The "Version 2" could be wiring those .

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Curious, I never went looking for that. So we have a version with space for keys that the PCB cannot accommodate, and a version with illuminated keycaps that the switches don't cater for …

(Simplified Alps with space for an LED has never been seen; the technical drawing for the linear switch does not show an LED slot either. However, complicated linear Alps remained on the market until at least 2000, so that could have been used.)