SPARCstations have a unique serial-like interface for keyboard and mouse input, using a single 8-pin mini-din port. usb3sun allows you to use an ordinary USB keyboard and mouse with your SPARCstation!

in addition to the adapter itself, you will also need a male-to-male 8-pin mini-din cable (available as an option or sold separately), and your own USB keyboard and mouse (see below for compatibility).

caution: these cables are often sold elsewhere as a “mini-din serial cable”, but you must check that each pin is connected to the same pin on the other end. some cables, like the apple 590-0552-A, swap pins 1/2 + 3/5 + 6/8, and such cables must not be used.

• user guide
• release notes
• project writeups and other links

testimonials

europa64 says:

“Honestly this is such a game changer, it really makes Suns so much more accessible for people who don’t have a hoard of vintage kit or the money to buy a keyboard on eBay. Getting these old machines into the hands of people is honestly one of the best ways to ensure they get preserved and your device really helps with that <3”

what’s new

rev B0 allows for debug logging (and the new debug cli) without disabling the sun keyboard interface, and fixes some minor bugs that happen when resetting the adapter.

new in firmware 2.0:

• support for NeXTSTEP and Plan 9, which require the mouse to run at 1200 baud
• configurable mouse baud rate — 9600 (default), 4800, 2400, or 1200 baud
• debug cli over UART_RX, allowing you to automate keyboard and mouse inputs

as of firmware 1.5, usb3sun can now reprogram your idprom with just a few keystrokes, making it easier to boot your workstation with a dead nvram battery!

hardware features

usb3sun includes an audible buzzer to emulate the bell and click functions that would normally be included with a Sun keyboard.

usb3sun also emulates the power key in two ways:

• soft power key (Right Ctrl+P)
  • sends the power key scancodes (30h/B0h)
  • can turn on your workstation (only when usb3sun is powered externally)
• onboard power button (below the display)
  • doesn’t send any scancodes
  • can turn on your workstation (even when not powered externally)

usb3sun has an oled display that shows:

• led indicators (caps, compose, scroll, num)
• visual buzzer (click, bell)
• the settings menu

usb3sun has an onboard reset button in case the firmware gets stuck, and a 0.1″ debug header with pins that allow you to power the adapter externally for flashing or debugging.

firmware features

usb3sun has persistent settings for:

• forcing click mode (no/off/on)
• click duration (5–100 ms)
• mouse baud rate (for NeXTSTEP and Plan 9)
• your hostid

compatibility

usb3sun is compatible with any machine that would normally use a

• Sun Compact 1
• Sun Type 4
• Sun Type 5
• Sun Type 5c
• Sun Type 6 (non-usb)

usb3sun has been tested successfully with

• SPARCstation IPC (sun4c)
• SPARCstation IPX (sun4c)
• SPARCstation 2 (sun4c)
• SPARCstation 5 (sun4m)
• SPARCstation 20 (sun4m)
• Ultra 5 (sun4u)
• 1209:A1E5 Atreus (Technomancy version) keyboard with QMK
• 04A5:8001 BenQ Zowie EC2 mouse
• 046D:C063 Dell M-UAV-DEL8 mouse
• FEED:1307 gBoards Gergo keyboard with QMK
• 03F0:6941 HP 150 Wired Keyboard (HSA-A013K, 664R5AA)
• 0461:4E24 HP KB71211 keyboard — no scroll lock or right meta
• 0461:4E23 HP MOGIUO mouse
• 04D9:1503 Inland 208397 keyboard
• 30FA:2031 Keji KECK801UKB keyboard
• 17EF:608D Lenovo EMS-537A mouse
• 17EF:6019 Lenovo MSU1175 mouse
• 045E:0040 Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical 1.1A — enumeration is unreliable
• 045E:0752 Microsoft Wired Keyboard 400
• 045E:0750 Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600
• 045E:0773 Microsoft Explorer Touch Mouse (model 1490)
• FEED:6061 Preonic OLKB-60 keyboard with QMK

usb3sun is not yet compatible with

• #4 — 05AC:024F Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (model A1243)
• #5 — 1209:2303 Atreus (Keyboardio version) keyboard with Kaleidoscope
• #6 — 3367:1903 Endgame Gear XM1r mouse — buttons only (16-bit dx/dy, no boot protocol)
• #7 — 045E:0039 Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical 1.1A — broken (“Control FAILED”)

bindings

* aka Super, Mod4, Windows, etc

specs