Date: Wed, 01 Oct 1997 09:41:13 +0930 From: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au> To: William Bulley <web@merit.edu> Cc: freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: old versus new IBM PC keyboards Message-ID: <199710010011.JAA02478@word.smith.net.au> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 30 Sep 1997 16:58:50 -0400." <199709302058.QAA15156@ohm.merit.edu>
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> I have several perfectly functional original IBM PC keyboards > which are pre-AT (even pre-XT for that matter) which I would > dearly like to use with some modern PC clone motherboards. Oh dear. > I have had people tell me to buy a new keyboard. I have read > in the various PC hardware FAQs that the interface is different. > I really hate to buy new (el cheapo) keyboards when I know these > older stalwarts work just fine (with their older style computers). That's where they should be used. > Does any BIOS vendor support this old style keyboard or is it baked > into firmware (or gate array logic) on the various support chip sets? The communications protocol used by original PC keyboard is sufficiently incompatible with that used by the PC/AT keyboard that you have no significant hope of using the former with a modern system. > Any ideas at all, besides: 1) toss the keyboard, 2) write your own > BIOS keyboard support? Thanks. Go looking for any of the AT-compatible clones built using the same mechanism. You should also investigate a secondhand PC/AT keyboard, or a genuine PS/2 keyboard, both of which are similiarly constructed and compatible with modern hardware. mike
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