Need Help Using a Proprietary Laptop Keyboard on a Custom Computer?

[SlidemanD]

Hello all,

I recently parted out an old dell notebook and am left with a nice, tactile, small, flat keyboard. I want to install it on my frankenstein computer, which has a very convenient case mod for this. I've looked around for pinouts and such to get ps2 or usb going, but to no avail. what kind of hardware must I find/build to achieve compatibility? Is it a simple pinout or do I need an IC? Any of you hardware wizards done something like this? any help is greatly appreciated.

-SlidemanD

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Laptop keyboards don't use any standard connections. You'll need to find a way to convert it to USB or PS2. There is software like VNC that will let you use your laptop keyboard to control your desktop, but it will cost $$. And for that $$ you might as well buy one of those super flat apple keyboards.

 

[cesiumfrog]

Which model?

 

[SlidemanD]

It's an old Dell Latitude, and I'm not even sure if the controller is on the keyboard itself or integrated in the mobo.