Adam Risi – [online]

DIY Military Keyboard!

Recently, I came across a very cool Military Keyboard on ebay. After making an offer and getting one in the mail, I discovered that it had an interesting connector on it. So, naturally, I began the process of converting the keyboard from whatever connector it had on there, to USB. 

 

Materials:

• Military USB Keyboard, eBay
• USB extension cord (or any other nice, long cord)
• Soldering iron and basic supplies
• Screwdriver

Step 1: Opening the back panel

While I had to open the whole keyboard to get a good view of the guts on this keyboard, you just have to take off the small back panel that has the wire coming out of it. Save the 6 screws, youll want them to put the keyboard back together.

Step 2: Removing the old wire

Once you have popped off the panel from the back of the keyboard, you need to remove the screws on the inside of the panel, and pry the panel apart into the two different peices, and remove the old wire.

Step 3: Making your new USB wire, stripping

Once you have the previous steps done, go ahead and heat up your soldering iron. Cut off the connector on the end of the military connecting wire, leaving a little of the wire left. Strip the wires left on the connector. Then, cut off the female side of your USB cord, andstrip it down to its 4 wires, and the shielding.

Step 4: Making your new USB wire, soldering

Once you have exposed the wires on the connector and the USB cable, it is time to solder them together. Connect them as follows, from the bottom of the connector (furthest from the blank spot) to the top of the connector:

 

• RED – power, Vcc
• BLACK, ground
• WHITE, Data-
• GREEN, Data+

 

You may want to place some heat-shrink tubing onto the wires before soldering them, so that they all stay isolated and are reinforced at their solder joints.

Step 5: Repackaging

Once you have made your new cord, go ahead and plug it into the keyboard and test it with your PC. The keys should glow green soon after it plugs in, and the mouse and keyboard should start working almost immediately.

After you have tested the keyboard, put the metal connector back together around the new wire, then screw it back onto the keyboard. I placed some heat-shrink on the wire to make up for the diameter difference, but this is optional. Again, test it to make sure it still works correctly.

Enjoy your new invincible, waterproof, military keyboard!!!

Step 6: Optional

Want the enbedded linux option? Inder the other panel on the back of the keyboard is a USB connector – now a small one, but  full size female connector. If you have an extra bootable linux memory stick, pop off the body of the memory stick and plug the board into the keyboard. Test, then screw the small panel onto the back of the keyboard again. Now, this keyboard is a self contained, bootable linux monster! 

 

One note – you may have issues adding the USB stick to your keyboard, depending on the keyboard you recieve. It is all a matter of the power requirements of the memory stick. It worked on one of the keyboard I got, but not on the other, so your experience may vary. Enjoy!