Old style keyboard pin out?

D

DellAxim

Gawd
Joined
Feb 14, 2003
Messages
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I've got a bunch of rather large SIMMs that I want to test and sell...you'd be surprised how much this crap is worth on ebay. :) Obviously, I'll need an OLD computer to test them in. I have several motherboards that will do the job, but they all have the old style keyboard plug. I don't have any keyboards like that. I want to solder a regular PS/2 connector to the motherboard.

First of all, what is the name for the old style keyboard ports? And does anybody know where I can find a pin out of it?
 
You probably mean the AT style keyboard connector, big round thing about the size of your thumb, has 5 pins on it? You can actually buy a converter for those, PS2 to AT keyboard converter thing. I picked one up at Fry's for about $8 since I needed to work on a friend of the family's computer which had the same thing, I had a PS2 KVM switch, and I needed to buy that adapter to attach it to my KVM switch. They also had bus mouse too, which was connected an ISA card, which had IRQ setting jumpers on it, I wasn't able to find an adapter for that though. :p I would just buy an adapter for the keyboard, less work and unless you are really good at soldering, probably a safer bet, unless you don't want to be out $8 or so. That would be my advice.
 
you don't need a keyboard do you? if it posts, and the motherboard recognizes the ram, then it's all good.

otoh if you want to run memtest or something like that, i guess you'd certainly need the keyboard.
 
Yes, I want to run memtest. This memory is from a box of store returns. I have tested it all to post, and alot of it didn't make it that far. Since so much of it was totally bad, I'm guessing alot of it will be partially bad too.

As for the adapter, yeah, I have one of those around here somewhere, but I can't find it. I'm about 50 miles away from Fry's, so it will cost me about 40 bucks in gas to get one. :) I already have a PS/2 socket, and if I end up killing the motherboard it's no big deal, I have a pile of them. :D I'm not terribly good at soldering, but I think I can handle this...
 
The old style of keyboard connector was referred to as PC/AT. It uses a 5-pin DIN style round connector, while the "new" PS/2 port uses a 6-pin Mini-DIN round connector.

Enough of the introduction, here are the pin assignment data you were looking for:

http://www.networktechinc.com/technote.html

To get the 6-pin Mini-DIN male connector, you're best off taking one from a spare keyboard, or buying an extension cable for cheap:

http://www.provantage.com/buy-22045479-cables-go-pc-ps-2-style-shopping.htm
 
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