Strange joystick interface - help needed to identify it

[MADrigal]

Hi all

I just received a parcel with some retrogaming stuff from Finland.

The parcel contains a very strange joystick interface, which I had never seen before.

All the stuff in the parcel comes from a Finnish collector. The lot was a computer with peripherals, and everything is 1984-1985.

This particular joystick interface does not look homebrew. The casing appears professionally made, also the printings on it are actual factory-made prints, not stickers.

I have no joystick to test it so don't really know how it works

But I can speculate that you connect the interface to 2 female computer joystick ports (for example on the C64 joy ports 1 and 2), and then one joystick to the centre plug (male).

Then with the switch, you choose whether you want the joystick to be connected to port 1 or 2.

The labels read 'KB' and 'ANKB' - I really have no idea what language it is, maybe Finnish? What would this mean?

Anyone has any clue what is the interface, who made it, etc.?

Thanks

[mr_me]

Looks like a serial (rs232) switch box. They were very common in the 1980s. Are the other two ports male or female.

Edited March 9, 2019 by mr_me

[MADrigal]

I haven't checked. They came with 2 joystick extension cords (make-female)

But I agree, that could be a RS-232 type of switch, this time used with joysticks

Edited March 10, 2019 by MADrigal

[Zonie]

Keyboard <-> Alternate Keyboard?

[+H454]

Keyboard <-> Alternate Keyboard?

You read my mind!

But I was thinking

A.

N.other

K.ey

B.oard

 

How 'bout some pics of the inside?

[MADrigal]

I cant open the inside because the 2 parts of the shell are glued. Opening it would mean destroying it.

I tend more to think it i for printers (not keyboards) however in this particular case, I believe it was used with joysticks.

I am really curious about finding out what's the manufacturer.

Tried some searches on Google, no results so far