How can i use this old keyboard on a modern PC?

[Ferrariassassin]

Ok, so i found an old keyboard at my new office that was left in a closet. It looks brand new without a single scratch and it has MX Cherry Black keys on it. I want to use it but it has a weird connector on it that is a big circle and has 5 pins within the circle which i think is called an AT? Is their an adapter i can get that will turn it into a PS/2 cvonnector than get an adapter that turns that into a USB? I want to use this on my Laptop at work which only has USB. I do not know how to post pictures on here so i will show what it looks like on google images so here is a link of what it looks like.

https://www.google.com/search?q=WYSE+mx+cherry+black&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiI_cfMpofTAhVL5YMKHdYCDVgQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=911#imgrc=MWnxjditN_MuuM:

 

[Paperdoc]

Apparently yes, it can work. Although the pinouts are different, the functions for the two keyboard types are the same, so a simple adapter can do it. Most adapters I found are for the other way - allow you to use a newer PS/2 keyboard with an older PC AT computer. But I found what you request on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AT-5-Pin-DIN-to-PS2-PS-2-Mini-DIN-Keyboard-Adapter-/371855979139

They actually had more than one listing for this type of adapter.

Of course, you could custom-modify that old keyboard by splicing a new PS/2 connector onto the end of its cable while consulting pinout diagrams. Or, as one site suggested, male it look even neater. Get either a PS/2 keyboard (or mouse, or whatever) cable, or a standard USB2 cable, and open up the keyboard and replace the entire cable, making the right pin and wire connections.

 

[Virtual_Singularity]

You could possibly use an adapter e.g. this: SF Cable, AT Keyboard Cable Adapter, PS/2 (MiniDin6) Male to Din5 Female (6 inches) together with an adapter e.g. this: SANOXY PS/2 Female to USB Male Adapter-Replacement PS/2 Keyboard to USB Adapter - M/F (BLACK). Both found on Amazon btw. Oddly enough, unable to find a 5 Pin Din to USB adapter of any type. If your motherboard has even a single female PS2 connection for a keyboard or mouse, it may be worth a try without the USB adapter.

Note: What Paperdoc says regarding replacing the cable is perhaps a better idea if you've the time to do it. Here's a link of someone showing a step by step on how to replace the 5 Pin DIN AT KB cable with a PS2 cable. In his example, he uses the cable of an old PS2 KB, though the same can be done with a new cheap PS2 cable (or USB cable). http://www.instructables.com/id/Breathe-new-life-into-an-older-din-5-computer-keyb/ Another link with pics showing connection via adapters https://superuser.com/questions/571252/din5-plug-adapter-to-usb#571263 Another link worth checking out for via usb http://www.techimo.com/forum/pc-hardware/167107-convert-5-pin-keyboard-usb.html

 

[Ferrariassassin]

Apparently yes, it can work. Although the pinouts are different, the functions for the two keyboard types are the same, so a simple adapter can do it. Most adapters I found are for the other way - allow you to use a newer PS/2 keyboard with an older PC AT computer. But I found what you request on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AT-5-Pin-DIN-to-PS2-PS-2-Mini-DIN-Keyboard-Adapter-/371855979139

They actually had more than one listing for this type of adapter.

Of course, you could custom-modify that old keyboard by splicing a new PS/2 connector onto the end of its cable while consulting pinout diagrams. Or, as one site suggested, male it look even neater. Get either a PS/2 keyboard (or mouse, or whatever) cable, or a standard USB2 cable, and open up the keyboard and replace the entire cable, making the right pin and wire connections.

I can Solder very well but i did not know it was possible to wire the connector this keyboard has into a PS/2 or even better, a USB. Do you think this keyboard is worth keeping? Its fully mechanical Cherry Blacks which feel like Reds but more pressure is needed. But anyways, can you send me a diagram because i would rather solder it than order an adapter.

 

[Paperdoc]

Here's a pinout diagram for the 5-pin DIN on your old PC At-type keyboard, and for the PS/2 keyboard connector. Note that BOTH of these are a view looking into the SOCKET on the back of the computer. So that is also the view of the BACK of the connector on the end of your cable, if you could open it up and see where the wires are soldered to the pins.

http://www.kbdbabel.org/conn/kbd_connector_ps2.png

Your problem will be to figure out the color codes of those wires. If you cut the connector off the end and bare the wires coming out of it, you can use a resistance meter to identify which cable wire color is from which pin.

Now you want to end up with a USB2 plug on the end of your keyboard cable so you can plug it ito any USB2 socket and use it. So we have a similar problem if you have a USB2 cable with the standard "USB A" plug on the end, what are the color codes of the wires inside that cable? Again, cut off the OTHER end of the cable so you have a long-ish cable with a USB2 connector on the end, and use a resistance mete to link pins to colors.

Now, how to mate the wires from the two cables? We need to know what pins on the computer's USB2 input port are used for what. Here's a diagram of that.

http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/image/data/tutorial/usb-connectors.jpg

Again, the DEVICE diagram in upper right shows you a view looking into the connector in your computer case.

That last thing to sort out is that the labels don't match completely, so matching the wires still is not completely clear. But here's the bit I found for that.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad102/PM_DMNKLR/Superman%20Blue%20PC%20Modz/Superman%20Blue%20Mauz/PS2pinstoUSBpins4mousemod.png

This links the USB pin labels to the PS/2 labels for a keyboard plug. Using that and the first diagram gets you the links from USB2 to 5-pin DIN on the old keyboard. And lo and behold, Ground and +5 VDC supply match up. Then the Data line from a keyboard goes to a USB port's Data- line, and the Clock line from the keyboard goes to the Data+ line of the USB port. On the old keyboard connections, the fifth pin - Pin #3 - is NOT used so it does not connect to the USB port at all.

Have fun. Hope you get it to work!

 

[Paperdoc]

Thanks for Best Solution.