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Leading Edge Model D Won't Detect Keyboard.

D

DOS lives on!!

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Yesterday I got a Leading Edge Model D along with a bunch of other stuff. When I turn it on, it displays the message, "EAh= Scancode, check keyboard." In which it's telling me tht it can't find the keyboard. I then try to press the F1 key to continue, but that doesn't work. The only key I found that will respond is the Num Lock key. Any suggestions as to why it's not working right with the keyboard?
 
That message usually refers to a stuck key. Before you take the keyboard completely apart, check the cable for continuity.

I don't remember, but is the Model D keyboard one of those that uses the foam pads? If so, there's the answer.
 
Then, you know the drill. Check the motherboard connections to the connector. Obviously, the keyboard is getting +5. Make sure that the shift register IC (usually an LS323) is getting signal from the keyboard.

I've mentioned before that the keyboard interfaces on most XTs and clones are very very similar.
 
The connection from the port to the wires is good, and so is the connection from the motherboard. It will proceed further without the keyboard. It goes far enough to say that it can't load an OS and halts.

I can plug in the keyboard while it is running and the computer will emit three rapid beeps.
 
Make sure it's a PC/XT compatible keyboard. The Model D will not work with an AT style keyboard, though no electrical harm will come of it.
 
Oh geez....., I guess I was too lazy to get the Leading Edge keyboard and just used another one. Because a Leading Edge keyboard does work with a Leading Edge computer.

Well there's a lesson learned.:)

EDIT: I left the computer on for a while and it just randomly shut off. I could turn it off, then back on, and the monitor would come back on, but not the computer.
 
I left it sit for a few minutes and tried it again. So far it has stayed on and nothing erratic has happened in the power supply or any of the capacitors.
 
So it's working great now. Hasn't shut off for quite a while now. I did a directory command on the HDD, and it came back with seek errors, so a format should fix that.

Once I do format the hard drive, I'd like to put all the original software on it. Did Leading Edge have their own version of DOS? I'd also like to find the setup/diagnostic disks and utilities that came with it, and which I found some at this site. I'd appreciate it if anyone has this software and could send it to me.
 
Yes, Leading Edge had their own branded version of MS-DOS. They also had a really good word processor, Leading Edge Word Processor/LEWP. I've got copies of the word processor and probably some of their branded DOS (at least DOS 2.11). If no one else has copies, I'll try and dig them up and image them sometime.
 
Leading Edge was also the original distributor for the Nutshell flat file database. I used to work for a LE reseller and service center, but sadly I have no way of getting the software. Most of it is sitting in a storage unit.... at least I think it is. All those Leading Edge BBS files are there, just replace "_FileList.txt" in the URL with the name of the file you want.
 
glitch said:
Yes, Leading Edge had their own branded version of MS-DOS. They also had a really good word processor, Leading Edge Word Processor/LEWP. I've got copies of the word processor and probably some of their branded DOS (at least DOS 2.11). If no one else has copies, I'll try and dig them up and image them sometime.
Click to expand...
I did read about the word processing software they had released. I also saw that they had a program called Nutshell. If you can find them, that would be great!

njroadfan said:
All those Leading Edge BBS files are there, just replace "_FileList.txt" in the URL with the name of the file you want.
Click to expand...
Sure enough, they're all there. I may try and use NCollector to wing it and grab all the files that way instead of typing them all in. :)
 
AT systems should NOT turn off by themselves. You DO have an issue you still need to address. :( Ignoring it will just create more problems, hate to be the one to point it out or sound like a jerk :S

If it were me I open that psu soon and inspect it for buldging caps before it takes your motherboard with it! AT psu's were not known to die gracefully. :eek!:
My dell p90 when the psu died shot sparks out the back like a 4th of july sparkler! Took the mobo, ram and video card with it! Luckily it was under warranty at the time. :D
 
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I'll look at it later today. I'm sort of going along the lines of I hope it'll keep chugging with the problem. Because when my Dell System 310's PS blew out the smoke, I left it sit for a few days, then turned it back on again. To this day, the PS is still working.
 
Leading Edge didn't use standard AT power supplies (the connector is non standard, and the size usually is non-standard in the older machines), and yes they weren't the greatest. I recall having to replace quite a few of them back in the day. Those Hi-Pro units... ugh. Of note, the early Model D supported a 640x200x16 color video mode, in addition to CGA. I have a later version of Nutshell, from after Leading Edge abandoned distribution called Nutshell Plus. It later evolved into Filemaker Pro, and the DOS flatfile version was updated into a program called Ultra-Plus II. I have a friend who had a ton of databases in Nutshell, and by sheer luck, I knew someone who had a copy of Nutshell Plus. Nothing else can read the files, but the program can export to CSV and dbase II formats, which Excel can read.
 
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