Last year I found an East German key in a thrift store. The venerable MT50 used by many institutes during the existence of the GDR and produced right up to 1990. It basically is a Juncker key in a Bakelite enclosure with many seals. It also has passive components inside to eliminate sparking.

What I want to do with it, which differs from my other signalling key HID projects, is that I want it to be a single USB device that plugs in directly to a computer. So I need room inside of it for a HID capable Arduino type of micro and a small speaker that is loud enough to head on the outside (that will be the challenge I feel).

Downside is that this means I need to rip out all the passive components and slightly alter the Bakelite bottom part of the unit for it all the fit correctly. The reason I am okay with this, is because these units are still quite abundant and I am not gutting a museum piece here.

More to follow once I get the parts!