When [jns] and their colleague came across an industrial or possibly military grade keyboard/trackball combo on eBay, their minds did the same backflips that yours or mine might. Enthralled by the specialty key caps, the custom layout, and companion trackball adorned with its own keys rather than buttons [jns] and his workmate they did the only thing that infatuated hackers can do: They each bought one! [jns]’s goal? Make it work via USB. Everything’s been documented in both software and in a very well done video that you can see below the break.
After doing some digging, they found that the keyboard and trackball combination was used in Minuteman III nuclear missile silos beginning in the early 1990’s, when the REACT program replaced aging cold war era computers and communications systems with simpler, more flexible systems.
Since the eBay auction came with only the keyboard and trackball, and not the entire Minuteman III outfit, using the new keyboard in its native habitat and wielding nuclear launch capabilities was right out the door. Instead, [jns] focused on reverse engineering the keyboard and trackball, collectively known as the OID (Operator Input Device) for use via USB.
In the video, [jns] goes into more detail about the discovery of reed switched keys, the RS422 protocol being used, blowing up an Arduino Pro Micro, and even repairing the aging trackball. Success was had, and he’s graciously shared the software and hardware design with the world.
If industrial and military grade control hardware gets your hacker juices flowing, you’ll not want to miss that time we covered a control console from a nuclear power plant for sale. Have you been working on any tantalizing, weird, obscure keyboards or equipment with far too many buttons and blinkenlights for your own good? Be sure to let us know about it via the Tip Line!
Does it have a “Smite” button?
No, but interestingly, it does have a ‘Release EAM’ button – if you’ve ever heard Emergency Action Messages on shortwave, it’s kind of neat to see a bit of hardware that’s on the other end of those messages.
Now, if only they made that in ISO…
x2
Time to download DEFCON for PC and map shortcut keys and live out your WarGames fantasies of Mutually Assured Destruction.
Great so now they can play the game missile command the way it was truly intended!
At times I wish HaD had a a like or upvote button. Because I would gladly give you an upvote!
How I missed this opportunity in the article itself I’ll never know. Well done lol.
That soundtrack “choice” would be a lot more tolerable if it wasn’t nearly the same volume as the narration.
Also, please, folks: edit your videos down, instead of filling in rambling dialog? I really don’t need to sit there and watch you struggle to get a cover off. It’s pretty painless with free video editors to trim stuff down.
The article reminds me again that I’ve actually wanted a trackball as a mouse again for years.
BIT usually stands for Built In Test.
BITs are usually closed loop tests, so I would expect it to send something like a key code with go / nogo results. There could also be an open loop mode where it verifies all the switches.
I remember with love a imprtant moment in my life as was the movie “wargames “in 80s… i
A buddy of mine bought a control console a decommissioned Titan silo back in the 70’s turned into a n entertainment center
Its not a smarthome without a good old cold war styled physical abort button to do stuff