VOGONS

Olivetti M24 keyboard protocol(s)

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First post, by Enness

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I have M24 SP fully working sans keyboard and trying to figure a way to get keyboard working (without paying insane eBay prices). There is this document floating around:

https://theretroweb.com/motherboard/manual/ca … 80474795444.pdf

describing motherboard and etc and interestingly it lists ANK25-102 with "Standard AT" protocol? ANK25-102 is rare beast but it does have db9 connector as the rest of Olivetti /AT&T keyboards. Would it be reasonable to infer that an AT keyboard (any PS/2?) can be made to work with M24? Contrary to this, "Theory of operation" document states that all three compatible keyboard types have same circuitry..

Reply 1 of 7, by Kekkula

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Hi.
Did you get this working?
I could get my hands on m24, but I 'm hesitating because I don't have a keyboard for it.
I have ega monitor so I think I could make adapter cable and connect that to m24.

But no keyboard seems to be a huge problem, so does anyone know how to connect any non Olivetti keyboard to this system?

Reply 2 of 7, by Horun

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It should theoretically be possible but would need to convert the 12v out from DB9 to 5v for standard AT keyboards.... the Olivetti ANK 2463 keyboard has an internal 5v regulator...
https://deskthority.net/wiki/File:Olivetti_AN … _PCB_detail.JPG and http://hadesnet.org/olivettim24/docs/keyboard_pinout.pdf

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 3 of 7, by kaputnik

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Horun wrote on 2025-01-07, 21:44:

It should theoretically be possible but would need to convert the 12v out from DB9 to 5v for standard AT keyboards.... the Olivetti ANK 2463 keyboard has an internal 5v regulator...
https://deskthority.net/wiki/File:Olivetti_AN … _PCB_detail.JPG and http://hadesnet.org/olivettim24/docs/keyboard_pinout.pdf

A simple linear regulator like a 7805 should do the trick as long as the keyboard doesn't draw considerable current, and heat dissipation becomes a problem.

Reply 5 of 7, by Kekkula

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Sadly both jlcpcb and pcbway rejected gerber files from that forum post 😕

Reply 6 of 7, by Kekkula

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Couldn't resist... Had to buy the machine.

Now I just need to find a way to modify those gerber files to format that is acceptable to pcbmaker.

Reply 7 of 7, by weedeewee

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I might still have the internals of a keyboard laying around, no idea if it's still working or not.

There was a time when I had two of those machines and the problem that I had with them was that when the keyboard driver was loaded, the machine went unresponsive.
I think I read somewhere that it had to do with the way these machines are made, using an 8086 and not 100% ibm compatible.

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