Sorry it’s not an MK, but keyboard cables seem relevant still.

I needed a cable and I wasn’t really happy with the options available to purchase for keyboard cables. Either the length was wrong, the price was too high, the shipping too high, the colour too weird, the USB ends not nice, etc. etc. so I figured I’d build my own.

I got all the parts off AliExpress.

  • Paracord
  • USB connector with black metal shell
  • USBC connector with black metal shell
  • USB cable, black rubber sleeved
  • Heatshrink (already had)

Sliding the cable through the paracord was surprisingly easy.

I don’t have a wire stripper but it’s not difficult to strip a wire with some wire snips (foreshadowing).

Things were going really smoothly so far, so time for hubris to kick in. Soldering onto the connectors was a bit of a nightmare. I had to desolder and recut the cable a few times, occasionally my method of desleeving caused me to cut through the wire which meant the other 3 had to be cut down to match the length as well. I burnt my hand on the soldering iron, I guess that is the blood sacrifice that it demanded for my mistakes…

I was kind of annoyed at this point and didn’t think to take a photo of the soldering process. But I captured the end result.

Now with this particular USB A connector, there are 5 pins. Apparently for micro USB compatibility. So I sounded it out with a multimeter to make sure I had the right pins and confirmed with a diagram online. I had finished assembling the cable at this point and plugged it in but it was not working… Apparently the probe slipped a little while I was checking pins AND apparently the diagram online was incorrect. So the white D- wire had to be moved over one pin. This required disassembly to fix. Luckily, it did not break anything when I plugged it in - had it been VCC in the wrong spot it might have done some damage!

Finally it was done and working and I’m happy with it. Fingers crossed my dodgy soldering does not short 🙏

I have plenty of parts left over so I plan on making more but next time I will get a wire stripping tool…

  • TheInsane42@lemmy.mlEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    This looks interesting. Would it be feasible to make my own IBM Model M (no clue how that connector is called) to USB cable? It saves having to stack USB to PS/2 to DIN connectors…

    • AmazingMenzifOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yes and no. For a cable with just different connectors, the kb or host would need to understand how to convert to the right protocol, PS2/XT/etc. The voltages are the same though I think (5V).

      Something like this would be needed https://github.com/No0ne/ps2pico

      • TheInsane42@lemmy.mlEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        I’ll dige around a tad mode I guess. Will the r/MechanicalKeyboard FAQ be brought over as well? (it has some useful links)

    • une_chevre@infosec.pubEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I own a Model M and converted it to USB. What you are looking for is called Soarer’s converter. You can (or could) but one from him on eBay or build own with an Arduino Pro Micro or Raspberry Pi Pico (what I did).