Apple //e Integrated Keyobard wiring

[maxinflixion]

I am entertaining teh idea of modding my old Apple //e into a PC.

My main obstacle as I see it is wiring the keyboard (I'd like to keep the stock keyboard) to utilize a standard keyboard plug. Is this possible?

 

[vbriel]

It is possible if you make custom hardware to convert the IIe matrix keyboard into a ps/2 style. It would require some type of microcontroller and some firmware to do this.

Good luck,

Vince

 

[maxinflixion]

Sounds like it may be just as easy (if not easier) to mod and fabricate a newer style keyboard to fit.

Thanks man.

 

[vbriel]

Not really. I think I remember that there are programmable keyboard encoders out there. Simply wire up the Apple 2E keyboard to this matrix, then you probably just need to go through all the keys once and tell it what key you are actually pressing.

I found one here:

http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/lp24.html

A little expensive at $79 but what you can do is wire this up to the matrix of the IIe keyboard, then program the keystrokes of the IIe to match with a keyboard stroke. I thought about doing a project like this and this is a custom ready board that will do the job for you.

Cheers,

Vince

 

[maxinflixion]

I decided just to throw it all up for sale in the Marketplace here.

I think I'd feel to guilty killing thsi machine. Now if it was already broken...