Columbia Data Products Keyboard
Posted: 14 Sep 2014, 23:45
Hi DT!
This is my first post here. I've been lurking for some time, but never had anything interesting to show you until now.
This is the keyboard from a Columbia Data Products VP, a luggable PC from about 1983. Here is a bit more info on the unit.
I found it in a dumpster during some work related travel here in Sweden.
I intend to clean it up and restore it as soon as I get the time, though I do not know when that will be.
The switches feels, you guessed it, very linear and boring.
I have some questions about the keyboard that you are welcome to answer:
What make and model are the switches?
What language does it speak? The main unit was "IBM PC Compatible", so I'm hoping for AT.
Feel free to ask all and anything you want, I will do my best to answer (:
I took some quick-and-blurry pictures with my phone. I will take higher quality pictures when doing the restoration.
I only did a very minor teardown on the board today. A more extensive teardown will be done during cleaning.
If you want me to disassemble a switch then I can do that, but I am assuming that these have already been documented.
First of is the front. It has a thick and heavy plastic cover and a nice metal logo.
Here is a close up of the logo. The "O" in Products is somewhat badly casted.
Double shot keycap.
Closeup of the switch. What make and model is this?
Backplate. Metal. Rusty screws and feets.
Closeup of backplate labels.
Stipped keyboard front (and also my lovely Ducky/Cherry frankenboard daily driver w. green Cherrys)
Closeup of the controller. Most parts on the board are date marked "1983".
Closeup of the PCB markings, with the connectors removed.
Last (and least), a nice quality DIN connector.
Thank you for reading (:
This is my first post here. I've been lurking for some time, but never had anything interesting to show you until now.
This is the keyboard from a Columbia Data Products VP, a luggable PC from about 1983. Here is a bit more info on the unit.
I found it in a dumpster during some work related travel here in Sweden.
I intend to clean it up and restore it as soon as I get the time, though I do not know when that will be.
The switches feels, you guessed it, very linear and boring.
I have some questions about the keyboard that you are welcome to answer:
What make and model are the switches?
What language does it speak? The main unit was "IBM PC Compatible", so I'm hoping for AT.
Feel free to ask all and anything you want, I will do my best to answer (:
I took some quick-and-blurry pictures with my phone. I will take higher quality pictures when doing the restoration.
I only did a very minor teardown on the board today. A more extensive teardown will be done during cleaning.
If you want me to disassemble a switch then I can do that, but I am assuming that these have already been documented.
First of is the front. It has a thick and heavy plastic cover and a nice metal logo.
Here is a close up of the logo. The "O" in Products is somewhat badly casted.
Double shot keycap.
Closeup of the switch. What make and model is this?
Backplate. Metal. Rusty screws and feets.
Closeup of backplate labels.
Stipped keyboard front (and also my lovely Ducky/Cherry frankenboard daily driver w. green Cherrys)
Closeup of the controller. Most parts on the board are date marked "1983".
Closeup of the PCB markings, with the connectors removed.
Last (and least), a nice quality DIN connector.
Thank you for reading (:
