Tom Stepleton
I've seen a few #KeyTronic keyboards in my time, but this has to be the keytronickest keyboard that ever keyed a tronic
Feb 13, 2023 at 8:23pmWeb
Show threadTom StepletonFeb 13, 2023

Foam and foil pad failure up close

Patient is a #PERQ 2T2 keyboard. It almost looks like the foam's degradation process created a corrosive atmosphere around the keys that attacked the metal frame.

New foam and foil pads from TexElec are on the way --- unfortunately UK customs seems to have diverted them to Singapore? I hope they'll be on their way back soon...

File:Key Tronic foam-and-foil pads top and bottom.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Show threadBinary DinosaursFeb 13, 2023
@stepleton looks very Sirius1 sized, def similarly tronicked of keys.
Show threadbitsavers.orgFeb 13, 2023
@stepleton are you going to dump the firmware?
Show threadTom StepletonFeb 13, 2023

@bitsavers I could do! I'm a bit anxious about desoldering the ROM --- it's not hard, just a bit more invasive than replacing foam pads.

It might be a good idea though before attempting to apply power. I was thinking of making a test jig since it will be quite a while before the PERQ is ready for a keyboard.

What do you think?

Show threadbitsavers.orgFeb 13, 2023
@stepleton
you might check with Josh to see if anyone else has dumped it.
It is easy to remove with a vacuum desoldering station.
Show threadTom StepletonFeb 13, 2023

@bitsavers My Hakko is ready to go if it's needed.

(Can you let me know who Josh is? I'm very bad with names and this is pretty much my the ground floor of my PERQ repair work.)

Show threadbitsavers.orgFeb 13, 2023
@stepleton Josh Dersch https://github.com/jdersch/PERQemu The person doing most of the PERQ media recovery work as well right now. I don't know if he's on here.
GitHub - jdersch/PERQemu: An emulator for the Three Rivers Computer PERQ workstation

An emulator for the Three Rivers Computer PERQ workstation - GitHub - jdersch/PERQemu: An emulator for the Three Rivers Computer PERQ workstation

GitHub
Show threadJason P 🌈Feb 14, 2023
@bitsavers @stepleton I don't think Dersch is on this platform.
Show threadCrazy Eddie's Used ComputersFeb 14, 2023

@compu85 @bitsavers @stepleton

I am! This is me, I'm the Josh. Please do dump the ROM if you can, it'd be useful for T2 emulation that Skeezics and I will be starting sometime soon. Also please nag me if you need help getting the T2 running, PERQs are, uh, finicky.