When [jns] as well as their associate came across an industrial or potentially armed forces grade keyboard/trackball combo on eBay, their minds did the exact same backflips that yours or mine might. Enthralled by the specialty essential caps, the customized layout, as well as buddy trackball decorated with its own secrets rather than buttons [jns] as well as his workmate they did the only thing that infatuated hackers can do: They each purchased one! [jns]’s goal? Make it work through USB.  Everything’s been documented in both software application as well as in a extremely well done video that you can see below the break.

The OID its its natural habitat, a Minuteman III installation (U.S. Air force photo)
After doing some digging, they discovered that the keyboard as well as trackball combination was utilized in Minuteman III nuclear rocket silos beginning in the early 1990’s, when the REACT program replaced aging chilly war age computers as well as communications systems with simpler, much more versatile systems.

Since the eBay auction came with only the keyboard as well as trackball, as well as not the entire Minuteman III outfit, utilizing the new keyboard in its native habitat as well as wielding nuclear introduce abilities was best out the door. Instead, [jns] focused on reverse engineering the keyboard as well as trackball, collectively understood as the OID (Operator Input Device) for utilize through USB.

In the video, [jns] goes into much more detail about the discovery of reed changed keys, the RS422 protocol being used, blowing up an Arduino pro Micro, as well as even repairing the aging trackball. Success was had, as well as he’s graciously shared the software application as well as hardware style with the world.

If industrial as well as armed forces grade manage hardware gets your hacker juices flowing, you’ll not want to miss that time we covered a manage console from a nuclear power plant for sale. have you been working on any type of tantalizing, weird, obscure keyboards or devices with far as well numerous buttons as well as blinkenlights for your own good? Be sure to let us understand about it through the suggestion Line!