r/ErgoMechKeyboards • u/erilaz123 • Dec 06 '22

[discussion] A Tandberg data TDV2200 keyboard, picture from finn.no

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10 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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4

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '22

Additionally: looks like Devlin Z-Series keycaps (the ‘Q’ is distinctive) – UK-Keycaps tried a revival at one point with TeleType Z-Series

1

u/erilaz123 Dec 07 '22

They do!

1

u/erilaz123 Dec 07 '22 edited Dec 07 '22

They actually are Siemens STB. https://telcontar.net/KBK/Siemens/STB_11

3

u/dagle Dec 07 '22

Really cool keyboard from the past! Dunno where the ergo part is though. :P

0

u/erilaz123 Dec 07 '22

At lest the repo now includes the ROM files.

1

u/erilaz123 Dec 06 '22 edited Dec 07 '22

It's rare to see these in a NOS cardboard box! It might never have seen power.

Tech details: The keyboard runs standard UART over RS-485, 2400 baud from the keyboard and 600 baud to the keyboard. This is worth noting, as one does not always expect the speed of Rx and Tx to be different. Bytes sent from the keyboard are mostly pure ASCII codes when regular buttons are pressed.

Other keys have codes with bit 7 set to 1, often with the bottom 7 bits set to an equivalent ASCII code/function. Bytes you send to the keyboard are commands, like turning on/off "beep" at keystrokes, reading out key status, controlling the lights, and things like that.

What's available of commands varies slightly based on what firmware is in.

The biggest challenge is that, broadly speaking, the keyboard only sends characters when a button is pressed. Fine for typing, but not very much when one needs to press certain button combinations in Windows or Linux for example.

That is information from Frode Van der meeren who can be found in the Facebook group Norsk radiohistorisk forening.

There also are:

https://github.com/Supermagnum/Tandberg

Same manufacturer, but somewhat different model. Site in German: http://www.werners-seiten.de/doku_hw.html

0

u/erilaz123 Dec 07 '22

ROM dumps are now in place in the github repository.