IBM Model M Speaker: How to use it under Linux?

polemon · 03-08-2008, 01:03 PM

Hi!

I got my hands on an 1993' IBM Model M keyboard.

This design incorporates a speaker, however I don't see how I could get any sound out of it.

From what I learned on the IBM website, is that this speaker is part of some sort of 'clicker' system, for audible feedback of the keystrokes.

I'd like to know if anyone has some experience with this, maybe someone even accessed that speaker to get some custom sounds out of it (not just clicks).
Activating the clicker function would be great as a first step though...

--polemon

elliott678 · 03-09-2008, 08:26 AM

Are you sure it is actually in there? My 1993 Model M (13914010) has the place for the speaker, but there isn't one in there. To my knowledge the only ones that actually had speakers were for the XT's or terminals.

polemon · 03-09-2008, 10:53 AM

Yes, and the speaker is functional.

I disassembled my M for cleaning purposes, and took out the controller board.

I tested the speaker and it make sound.

When I boot my computer, with the M attached to PS/2, I hear a faint click noise (propably some kind of init noise, like the one that comes out of the soundchip some times).

Anyway, do you happen to have two German Ctrl keycaps and a Pause keycap?

They're missing on mine.

elliott678 · 03-09-2008, 11:16 AM

Wow, that is pretty odd to have a speaker in a PS/2 board, out of the 20 or so that have passed through my hands, I have never seen a single one. The only control I have ever heard of was back on the XT's you could turn the click on or off with some special software, I doubt you could ever get any useful sound out of it.

I have spare parts, but they are English.

polemon · 03-10-2008, 03:27 AM

Yes, well the part number is interesting: 1394542.

Seems to be quite rare.