HP-HIL keyboards with PS/2 connectors

[Al Kossow]

On 8/26/16 8:37 AM, Eric Christopherson wrote:
> Years ago I bought two HP 9000/715s. I've barely done anything with them,
> so I don't remember for sure if they even came with keyboards. That unit's
> keyboards are supposed to be HP-HIL, and I know there was a breakout box to
> use a PS/2 *connector* on such a keyboard; but I'm wondering about the
> particulars of that.
> 
> I have run across one HP keyboard in my stash, which has a PS/2 connector.
> It only partially works on a PC -- certain keys don't register at all. What
> I'd like to know is: is it certain that this is just a broken beige box PC
> keyboard? The alternative I'm pondering is that it's really an HP-HIL
> keyboard with a PS/2 connector that just coincidentally seems to partially
> work on a PC. That's unlikely, I know, but I just want confirmation to rule
> it out.
> 

http://rescue.sunhelp.narkive.com/oV3C9nJx/hp-9000-715-keyboard-adapter-module

The 715/(64/80/100) use standard PS/2 keyboards and mice. But there
wasn't enough room on the back of the machine for all the connectors. So
these machines come with a small box that has a HP-HIL, a PS/2 keyboard
and a PS/2 mouse connector on one side and is connected with a 10 pin
cable to the machine. There is no electronic in the box, it is just a
small break out box.

The older 715/(33/50/75) are HIL only. They may look similar, but they
are quite different to the later 715/(64/80/100). (Different CPU and
chipset, IO bus, firmware...)