SFF S370 Motherboard + WORKING!! IR Keyboard $30 @ Package2You

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: rramjet
mindless1 - thank you for all your work and sharing it with all of us.

I am waiting for my MB and parts to be delivered, but I've been following your investigation.

Seems like you've proven that the IR receiver supplied by P2You emulates a PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Usually there are separate connections for keyboards and mouse (although some notebooks have a dual mouse and/or keyboards jack). If the separate PS/2 data & clock lines for keyboard and mouse coming from the IR receiver were wired to the standard PS/2 connections on the MB, I don't think there would need to be any additional IR keyboard/mouse drivers. Seems like the IR receiver and keyboard should be seen as a standard keyboard and mouse to the MB. If the IR receiver is hooked up to the MB using the SIR/IRDA connector, I don't think it would work unless the IR recever works in two modes (PS/2 emulation or some other IRDA mode). Sorry for the ramble, but if we could use an USB to PS/2 adaptor (or get PS/2 jacks successfully soldered and enabled on the MB) we could all be in business.

I just don't think ANY keyboards were/are/will be designed to work from a motherboard IR header... The way I've always seen IR headers used, is essentially as a bridge, a network between two hosts, not a host and one of it's peripherals. I could be wrong about that, I don't have "extensive" IR experience, but this notion is reinforced by complete lack of any other keyboards or mice using IR header. Come to think of it, it would be interesting to see if two computers could communicate together (albeit slowly) by a simple three wire direct connection (TX, RX, Gnd) from the IR header of each (with TX and RX swapped of course).

It still bugs me that I can't figure out why this motherboard's PS/2 ports don't work, especially since all the pictures I've seen of this board (besides the stripped-down version WE received) do show the PS/2 ports onboard. While I suppose it's possbile that it's something simple like a series cap or resistor wasn't soldered in place during manufacture, this seems unlikely beause all the other supporting resistors and caps ARE in place, all the along the circuit till it terminates where the physical PS/2 port connector should be. When I was looking at the bios it didn't appear to require all 256K of the EPROM, so I don't think it's a situation where some code/functionality was removed to allow room for the video bios or other features. I would really like to find a new(er) version of Modbin than 2.00 beta, I still suspect that there's something "inaccessible" in the BIOS that needs changed. I don't suppose anyone happens to know where I might find a spec sheet, register listing for SIS 630, 950, etc?

 

[alm99]

Has anyone emailed them an actually gotten a response other than the stupid sketch and directions they gave on the website that doesn't work?

 

[fxsts]

Mindless1,

I have checked the JHD1 pins on my board, and it seemed that they were not working either

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: fxsts
Mindless1,

I have checked the JHD1 pins on my board, and it seemed that they were not working either

That is good news for ME, possibly I didn't fry my board's PS/2 circuits, but certainly bad news for everyone else, if the JHD1 header had worked then we could've gotten the IR Kbd working with a trivial cost/count of support parts.

Hehehe, I just visited Package2You website....
Had to blink a couple times, still might be hallucinating, but it appears as though they RAISED the price to $30.

 

[alm99]

has anyone actually called them? Although I doubt they would answer.

 

[sativen]

I called them about two weeks ago when I first got my board and talked to Jeff. He was very nice, but just ended up sending me the same stupid sketch.

Upon my normal ebay outings, I came across this auction, so I emailed the guy to inquire about the IR receiver. Here is my email to him (I sorta played dumb for the information):

Hi,
I just had a few questions.
What kind of connection is this directly to the motherboard? I've read about people having some serious trouble with some of these types of connections. Does it connect via the IrDA header, serial headers??

If possible, I'd like to get a picture of the receiver so I know exactly what would be hanging out of my system.

Thanks,
Steve

And his response:

Hi,
I do not have a picture of it to show you, so I will
try to describe it as best as possible.
There is a header on the motherboard labeled J2. In
the manual on page 36 it shows it as a 'digital I/O
port'. The receiver plugs in to it just like you'd
plug anything else onto a motherboard header. The
wires are about 10 inches long and at the other end is
a small (roughly 2"x3") infrared receiver circuit
board. Depending on the case you install it in, you'd
probably want to tape it to the inside front, and make
a small hole.
The keyboard works right from the get go. You can use
it in the BIOS menu... and Windows just fine. It has
a small eraserhead mouse in the right top corner. It
is not as long as a regular keyboard so it is
comfortable to hold with one hand on each side and
easily move the mouse with your thumb. I never once
had any trouble with this wireless keyboard.
You can check out more info on their website

http://www.parex.com.tw/wk_9703_4_content.htm

See the section 'The Models of ODM receiver IC' for
info on the receiver that I have described above.

During my use of it, I had it working great from about
10-15 feet away. I really like the whole setup, but
am selling it because I planned on using it to make an
MP3 computer for use with my home stereo system, and I
really wanted digital audio output.

Attatched is the manual with all the specs, but this
particular board does not have:
-the 2 ps/2 ports, which it does not need with the
IR9703 keyboard
-the audio & game ports
-the LPT port, but does have 2 USB

So basically if you just add a sound card and use a
USB printer, you can build a good, complete, compact
system. It is a flexATX form so it will fit in a
micro ATX or flex ATX case. Also, I did use the TV
out which worked great.

Thanks,
Josiah

p.s. see the manual I have attached if you want all
the details...

This interested me..... I might try it, but my board is already packed up and ready to go back to P2You. Luckily I had all the parts laying around, so I didn't take a hit on this. I thought about bidding on this, the guy seems like he had it working, and seems like an honest seller.

p.s. If you try that, try at your own risk, I'm take no responsibility for you frying your board.

 

[mindless1]

sativen, you might have figured this out for us...
I looked at the "ideal" motherboard header pinout I had made in my IR Pinout Notes, then compared to the manual's description of the J2 header on pg. 35. It mentioned "jumpers" on the pins this IR receiver uses for data, but NOT on the 5V and ground pins, 15-16, as it certainly wouldn't or else these would be a short (funny how easily someone could damage the board by being one-off on their jumper count).

I will try this header ASAP.

 

[fxsts]

Well, it certainly sounds pretty convincing. I am going to try it also when I get home today.

 

[kami333]

Holy.......

IT WORKS!!!!

At least it worked in the bios.

Booting to Windows right now, looks like I didn't fry it or anything.

 

[ChrisIsBored]

oh the suspence... give us the update kami... your words are deciding whether or not the $30 this combo costs gets deducted from my paypal account to P2Y.

 

[kami333]

Using the J2 header, cable attached so that the wires are toward top of motherboard, away from PCI slot. The wire with teh red markings that was thought to be the 1 pin will end up near the middle of the header.

Booted perfectly into Windows XP, keyboard works by default. However, the stick mouse apparently needs a driver to work. Has anyone tracked one down, the ones on the web site are for 98/ME.

 

[ChrisIsBored]

Sweet.. i've been following this thread since the beginning and now finally have the courage to order it. Guess i'll have to wait for ground shipping now though.

Any chance you can get a pic of how you connected everything kami?

 

[kami333]

grrr.....

Need drivers..... The CD has drivers for 3 different keyboards, however, none of them are for XP. I'm thinking this keyboard is the Webboard, there was a blurb about it on the IR9703 website.

I will get pics up in a bit, my camera is in my car so I have to use my gf's (quite a pain, have to move them first to her iBook then email them to myself to host it)

 

[mindless1]

I am an idiot.

If only I hadn't read this thread when i did, or wasn't sitting in front of my IR keyboard at the time...
Read my tale of woe and pity me:

First I looked at the manual, put jumpers on the pins described on pg 35 "Short pins: 11-12, 13-14, 17-18, and 19-20" and plugged my IR receiver into the soldered on PS/2 ports (as it was configured, working on another motherboard AND also working attached to the Mobility EasiDock I linked to, through it's PS/2 ports). In that configuration, the IR keyboard didn't work.

Next I took a digimeter and probed for 5V/Gnd on the 15 & 16 pins of J2 header. Those two pins DON'T read as 5V & Gnd. However, I was thinking maybe the connector might be oriented 180', perhaps the 5V/Gnd was on pins 5 & 6 instead of 15 & 16. Sure enough, pins 5 & 6 are 5V and Gnd. However, there is an inconsistency... on the motherboard itself, pin 1 "should" be the one marked with the little diagonal "notch" mark on the PCB screening, but in the manual pg 36, pin 1 is shown as being on the left-
hand column.

After confirming that pin 5 & 6 were indeed 5V & Gnd, and noting that they corresponded to the same (third row in) on the IR receiver ribbon-cable connector, I tried attaching the ribbon-cable connector with it's unused/empty pins at the top (towards the CPU socket). When I powered on the system, I heard a POP sound, powered off system and felt the IR receiver which was now warm. It seemed pretty clear that I'd fried it, but figured I'd hook it up the way it had previously been working, just to confirm it's demise, and sure enough, it's dead.

So then the question was, what went wrong? I had the polarity reversed, multimeter had leads plugged in backwardss and I didn't notice it, fed the controller chip 5V through the ground and vice-versa.

Oh well, how ironic it is that now I'm going to be the only one who can't use the IR keyboard.

Anybody want to sell their receiver or buy a keyboard?
At least now I think I'll be able to use that J2 header to get the soldered-on PS/2 ports working.

 

[diggum]

yeah!!! I got it working, too! I originally plugged it in there wrong, but it's working great now!

It is the J2 header, right behind the video socket and the audio ports that aren't there.

When you plug it in, the arrow needs to be facing the RAM and the big orange heatsink. There are to sides of the connector - the one that the ribbon comes out of and the side that the ribbon is cut flush to. You need the flush end to be facing the back of the motherboard, towards the VGA connector and audio ports.

I don't have the mouse working yet, but keyboard works just fine. I'll look into it more.

 

[kami333]

Rebooted and took off USB mouse, pointer stick works too! Default XP drivers

Pics shall follow.

mindless1: Very truly sorry to hear about your board. After all you have done for us to try to get it working, only to have it short at the last step.

 

[kami333]

btw, does this board qualify as hot now?

 

[fxsts]

I GOT IT WORKING, ALSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don't need to install any driver for XP. You can even get into BIOS with the keyboard.

You need to connect the empty side (side w/o the ribbon cable) of the connector downward toward the PCI slot.

mindless, I am really sorry to hear about what happened to yours, especially because you have contribute so much to this deal.

I forgot to mention. sativen, thank you for the information. You are the best Junior Member we have had here (at least in my opiniom).

Now, I need to figure out where to install the receiver. I guess that it's time for Dremel again, although I need to pack tonight for tomorrow for my yet another business trip to Japan.

 

[mindless1]

FWIW, on this same motherboard header, if those pins described on pg 35 of the manual are jumpered, the PS/2 ports I soldered on do work, so at least with the soldered on PS/2 and sound ports I have a fully-functional board.

In a previous post I had mentioned that I had a different ECS motherboard with a keyboard header that needed jumpers, and apparently this P6STP-FN board also had the same arrangement, it just threw me that the other motherboard's manaul actually called the header a keyboard header while this one's called a digital I/O header, plus that additional keyboard header further obscured the function of the digital I/O header.

THIS situation is one of the things I dislike about ECS motherboards, the use of proprietary headers and no information about their pinouts... on that other motherboard's manual there isn't even mention of the proper jumper setting to use the PS/2 ports, I came across a Google post where someone had removed the header jumpers and couldn't get the keyboard working again, presumably because they had jumpered the 5V & ground pins together and fried the circuit on the board... it's a really stupid idea to place 5V pin across from ground, not because of the situation, damage, that I did, but when the user is supposed to be bridging pins on BOTH sides with jumpers (as these boards would be with std PS/2 ports) it's an accident waiting to happen.

 

[alm99]

great job guys, going to try mine now

 

[alm99]

it works,,,,,,,,,sweeet!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy right now

 

[sativen]

Mindless1, I am going to call P2You tommorrow, and let them know I want a new IR header (one of the pins is not soldered, or I might have the damn thing working!!!!!!!! Argh!). I will try to get you a new one as well, tell them that's what I want for solving their $#@^#@%&#&@$!^@#%&@#& problem for them. If they say no, I am going to take my post down, and not tell them how it works, and send mine back, and buy the one off ebay, and they can screw theselves. PM me your mailing address so if they agree I will have it sent to you.

I can't believe, I have to wait for a new receiver now.

Steve

p.s. I may be a junior member, but I've been a long time lurker, not much of a poster, and just know how to use the internet for OUR advantage.

 

[alm99]

I got a picture up for those who want to see where it goes:

 

[mindless1]

Originally posted by: sativen
Mindless1, I am going to call P2You tommorrow, and let them know I want a new IR header (one of the pins is not soldered, or I might have the damn thing working!!!!!!!! Argh!). I will try to get you a new one as well, tell them that's what I want for solving their $#@^#@%&#&@$!^@#%&@#& problem for them. If they say no, I am going to take my post down, and not tell them how it works, and send mine back, and buy the one off ebay, and they can screw theselves. PM me your mailing address so if they agree I will have it sent to you.

I can't believe, I have to wait for a new receiver now.

Steve

p.s. I may be a junior member, but I've been a long time lurker, not much of a poster, and just know how to use the internet for OUR advantage.

Thanks sativen. If your receiver is just needing a pin soldered, I might be able to fix/use it, but of course it would be even better if P2Y will send a second receiver.

 

[fxsts]

In the NetVista case, I installed the receiver where the front USB ports were installed. Because the board does not have any extra USB port connection (as far as I know), I just removed the thing screwed on to the case.

First, in order to give an extra length to the cable, I replaced it with ribbon cable I took from a floppy cable. I took connectors off from the floppy cable and split the ribbon cable to get 14 wires. Then, I removed the connectors off the receiver cable and replaced the cable with the one from floppy cable.

To install the receiver, I just used one of the two screw hole for the front USB thing. I screwed a motherboard stand to the bottom hole and put the receiver on to the stand. Although the receiver was going to be held only by one screw, I tightened it enough so that it held the position. Finally, I adjusted the receiver so that the actual receiving antenna was positioned right in the center of the bottom window for the USB connection.

It seems working OK for now. I am going to look at other options when I get back from my trip.