HP-IL (was Re: HP9000 model 710 workstation(Apollo 700).)

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
Date: Wed Jul 17 08:43:09 2002

At 12:55 AM 7/17/02 -0700, Eric wrote:
>>> need to know what sort of KB it uses, it looks like a funky RJ-45 ish
>>> KB
>>
>> It's called HPIL I think .. HP Interface loop. You can find these on
>> eBay of from collectors that have excess stock :).
>
>It might use HP-HIL, Hewlett-Packard Human Interface Loop.

  <big snip>


   Eric is correct. The keyboards use HP-HIL and not HP-IL. They're two completely different things. I don't know how it got started but a lot of E-bay sellers list HP_HIL devices and call them HP-IL. HP-HIL is used for operator input devices; keyboards, mice, tablets, numeric keypads, etc. HP-IL is a two wire serial version of HP-IB and it used for peripheral interfaces to things like cassette drives, some meters, O-scopes, logic analyzers, printers, etc. It has never been used for any keyboards, mice or related items to my knowledge.

   You might try searching E-bay for "HP-IL" and find a keyboard and/or mouse. They're quite common. Bear in mind that if it's a keyboard or similar device they will be HP-HIL even if the seller claims it's HP-IL. As you noted, HP-HIL uses the RJ-45 ish connector. Usually there will be two sockets close together so that you can daisy chain other HP-HIL devices to it. The connectors and sockets are identified by one or two dots or raised dimple so that's another way to identify them. The dots are used to idetify which socket to plug additional devices into. Plug the connector with a single dot into the socket with a single dot, ditto for items with two dots.

     Joe
Received on Wed Jul 17 2002 - 08:43:09 BST