Take a look at our
ThinkPads.com HOME PAGE
For those who might want to contribute to the blog, start here: Editors Alley Topic
Then contact Bill with a Private Message
ThinkPads.com HOME PAGE
For those who might want to contribute to the blog, start here: Editors Alley Topic
Then contact Bill with a Private Message
Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
-
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:17 pm
- Location: Frederikssund, Denmark
Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
Or vice versa?
If I were to get my hands on a Thinkpad (Most likely T430/T430s), with a US keyboard layout, and I procured a keyboard from a UK/German/Nordic T430/T430s, would they be interchangable?
Could I just plug one out, the other in, and then change the keyboard layout in windows from US to UK? Or is the input interpreted before?
I am quite curious, as I can't really find a lot of info on this, and it would open a lot of possibilities, as I am still on the fence about changing from ISO to ANSI completely.
Thanks, Infernosaint
If I were to get my hands on a Thinkpad (Most likely T430/T430s), with a US keyboard layout, and I procured a keyboard from a UK/German/Nordic T430/T430s, would they be interchangable?
Could I just plug one out, the other in, and then change the keyboard layout in windows from US to UK? Or is the input interpreted before?
I am quite curious, as I can't really find a lot of info on this, and it would open a lot of possibilities, as I am still on the fence about changing from ISO to ANSI completely.
Thanks, Infernosaint
-
- Admin Emeritus
- Posts: 23856
- Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
- Location: Loch Garman, Éire
Re: Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
Welcome to the Forum.
Any T430/T430s keyboard will fit, from any language layout.
Like you already said, change the keyboard language in Windows/Linux and you're done!
Any T430/T430s keyboard will fit, from any language layout.
Like you already said, change the keyboard language in Windows/Linux and you're done!
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
-
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:17 pm
- Location: Frederikssund, Denmark
Re: Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
Thank you
And that's awesome! I was thinking this was the case, as the only other thing I could see being different was the BIOS, but I'd never heard of region/language specific BIOS either.
This might finally make me replace my fully upgraded, faithful old T61
Thanks for the help, and the welcome!
Infernosaint
And that's awesome! I was thinking this was the case, as the only other thing I could see being different was the BIOS, but I'd never heard of region/language specific BIOS either.
This might finally make me replace my fully upgraded, faithful old T61
Thanks for the help, and the welcome!
Infernosaint
-
- Admin
- Posts: 10327
- Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 1:26 am
- Location: San Jose, CA 95120 USA
- Contact:
Re: Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
As RBS says, you can swap out the keyboard quite easily. Download a copy of the pertinent Hardware Maintenance Manual from here:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=PD009602
Follow the instructions on removing/replacing the keyboard in the HMM, then tell Windows you have a new keyboard layout and you should be done. The HMM usually contains the different FRUs (part numbers) for the various keyboards, but they appear to be missing from the latest T430 and T430s HMMs. Instead, go here:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/product ... ookup.page
and select the FRU/Build of Materials list for the system you are looking at. A quick look at the keyboard options and you see a bunch of TLA (Three Letter Acronyms). The first set describes the language (USE = US English; GER=German, etc.) and should be easily recognized. The second set may need further explanation as they have to do with the manufacturer of the keyboard:
CHY=Chicony LTN=LiteOn SRX=Shenzhen
Additionally, B/L appears on some of them and those are the backlit version.
It seems like the Chicony keyboards are considered the "primary" keyboard version as the other two are listed as "secondary".
ref: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=113540
ref: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T400-T500-a ... d-p/840611
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=PD009602
Follow the instructions on removing/replacing the keyboard in the HMM, then tell Windows you have a new keyboard layout and you should be done. The HMM usually contains the different FRUs (part numbers) for the various keyboards, but they appear to be missing from the latest T430 and T430s HMMs. Instead, go here:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/product ... ookup.page
and select the FRU/Build of Materials list for the system you are looking at. A quick look at the keyboard options and you see a bunch of TLA (Three Letter Acronyms). The first set describes the language (USE = US English; GER=German, etc.) and should be easily recognized. The second set may need further explanation as they have to do with the manufacturer of the keyboard:
CHY=Chicony LTN=LiteOn SRX=Shenzhen
Additionally, B/L appears on some of them and those are the backlit version.
It seems like the Chicony keyboards are considered the "primary" keyboard version as the other two are listed as "secondary".
ref: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=113540
ref: http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T400-T500-a ... d-p/840611
Ray Kawakami
X22 X24 X31 X41 X41T X60 X60s X61 X61s X200 X200s X300 X301 Z60m Z61t Z61p 560 560Z 600 600E 600X T21 T22 T23 T41 T60p T410 T420 T520 W500 W520 R50 A21p A22p A31 A31p
NOTE: All links to PC-Doctor software hosted by me are dead. Files removed 8/28/12 by manufacturer's demand.
X22 X24 X31 X41 X41T X60 X60s X61 X61s X200 X200s X300 X301 Z60m Z61t Z61p 560 560Z 600 600E 600X T21 T22 T23 T41 T60p T410 T420 T520 W500 W520 R50 A21p A22p A31 A31p
NOTE: All links to PC-Doctor software hosted by me are dead. Files removed 8/28/12 by manufacturer's demand.
-
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:17 pm
- Location: Frederikssund, Denmark
Re: Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
@rkawakami, thanks for all the resources.
I have no problem changing the keyboard, or finding the parts, I was just not sure it was interchangable like that. And when it comes to language, I would most likely just find the cheapest ISO keyboard I can find, German, UK, Scandinavian, doesn't really matter.
Thanks to both of you, I'm looking forward to finding a T430 or T420, depending on my opinion of the new chiclet keyboard. The performance/efficiency difference between the 3 latest generations don't really matter, as long as I get a good jump from the old T61
I have no problem changing the keyboard, or finding the parts, I was just not sure it was interchangable like that. And when it comes to language, I would most likely just find the cheapest ISO keyboard I can find, German, UK, Scandinavian, doesn't really matter.
Thanks to both of you, I'm looking forward to finding a T430 or T420, depending on my opinion of the new chiclet keyboard. The performance/efficiency difference between the 3 latest generations don't really matter, as long as I get a good jump from the old T61
-
- Admin Emeritus
- Posts: 23856
- Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
- Location: Loch Garman, Éire
Re: Can I replace an ANSI keyboard with an ISO keyboard?
Just remember that T430 keyboards do NOT fit in a T420 or v.v.!
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
ISO T25 US layout keyboard
by matthew28845 » Mon Jan 08, 2024 4:45 pm » in Thinkpad T25 Anniversary/Retro - 1 Replies
- 3084 Views
-
Last post by dr_st
Tue Jan 09, 2024 3:18 am
-
-
- 0 Replies
- 475 Views
-
Last post by Josef560x
Thu Feb 08, 2024 7:30 am
-
-
Can I replace my T440p stock fan with a Noctua fan?
by cultOfThinkpad » Wed Jan 10, 2024 2:41 pm » in ThinkPad T430-T490 / T530-T590 Series - 4 Replies
- 1782 Views
-
Last post by keithsketchley
Mon Feb 26, 2024 10:04 am
-
-
-
ThinkPad A30. Can I replace the 80 gig IDE with an SSD?
by emmett518 » Tue Feb 13, 2024 3:58 pm » in ThinkPad R, A, G and Z Series - 3 Replies
- 719 Views
-
Last post by olex126
Wed Feb 14, 2024 4:37 am
-
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests