Tutorials | Types of PC keyboards

Publish date: 23:33 Thursday, 15th September 2005
Written by: Murf
Audience intended for: Hardware
Category: Computer Hardware

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1. Older computer's (XT, AT, Baby AT and LPX) use what is called an AT keyboard. This board has a large AT connector that plugs into the motherboard, commonalty referred to as a DIN-5 (IBM-PC). It looks like this:
   
   
   
   The pins are as follows:
   
   

   Pin	Description
   1	Clock
   2	Data
   3	Not connected (reset on some very old keyboards)
   4	Ground
   5	+5 VDC

   
   
   
2. Newer keyboards use what is called an ATX keyboard. This board has either a USB or a PS/2 connector. The Ps/2 connector is smaller then the AT and communally referred to as PS2 (Mini-DIN-6). It looks like this:
   
   
   
   
   
   The pins are as follows:
   
   

   Pin	Description
   1	Data
   2	N/C
   3	GND
   4	VCC (Power, +5 VDC)
   5	CLK
   6	N/C

   
   
   You can also get an adapter that will allow a PS/2 keyboard to plug into the old AT motherboard, it looks like this:
   
   
   
   
3. And finally is the USB keyboard which has a standard USB plug on it:
   
   
   
   

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