SOL-20 keyboard question

[Jim Battle]

--- "J.C. Wren" <jcwren at jcwren.com> wrote:

>     The SOL-20 has powered up, but the keyboard is
> sorta FUBARed.  The 
> LEDs work, but none of the keys do.  I pulled the
> keyboard, and shorted 
> a couple row & column drivers, and the keystrobe
> strobed.  I ended up 
> removing the PCB from the key assembly, and
> determined that pads inside 
> the keys are shot to hell.
> 
>     They look like they should be mylar coated or
> silvered Kapton discs 
> with a foam backing.  The foam is mostly decayed,
> and there's virtually 
> no silvering left on any of the discs.  They few
> that do have only the 
> slightest fragments.  I assume this is supposed to
> be conductive, 
> because pressing a disc against the PCB pads doesn't
> trigger a key, 
> while touching the PCB with my finger does.
> 
>     Can these be rebuilt, or are replacement
> switches available?

JC, please see my web page on the subject:

http://www.thebattles.net/sol20/keyboard.html