• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Apple II - Keyboard controller Hack

P

Pikkey

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
33
Location
Treviso, Italy, Italy
In case someone need it, I've published a project to solve the faulty keyboard controller chip on Apple II.
The site is in italian language, (sorry, my english and webmaster skill it sucks) but you can use St. Google to translate it.
Anyway, the download button is in english language :)

http://www.trevisorc.it/apple2kb/

PS: Easter eggs inside.. ;)
 
It should be a straightforward to hack together an ATMEGA chip to do the PS/2 to ASCII conversion for an Apple ][ or Apple //.
I believe there are example circuits on the Internet already.

If I were doing this, I'd just lay out an expansion card, with an input from the keyboard connector (16-pin DIP socket), the ATMEGA, some level conversion logic, and an output connector (16-pin DIP socket).
 
There are PS/2 keyboard interface examples on the web, but most of them are very bare bones.

For PS/2 adapter for the II or IIplus.
http://www.willegal.net/appleii/appleii-kb-int.htm
It took more effort than you might think.

The encoder for the IIe is on the motherboard. It is a bit tricky because of the negative voltage levels used by the encoder to scan the keyboard. Easiest way to go, might be to replace the encoder with a plug in dongle, rather than interface directly to the keyboard connector.

One of my half done projects is a plug in 40 pin ATMEGA replacement for the MM5740/AAE encoder used in very early Apple II keyboards. There is example code for something like this on one of Vince Briel's forums.

Regards,
Mike W.

ralphw said:
It should be a straightforward to hack together an ATMEGA chip to do the PS/2 to ASCII conversion for an Apple ][ or Apple //.
I believe there are example circuits on the Internet already.

If I were doing this, I'd just lay out an expansion card, with an input from the keyboard connector (16-pin DIP socket), the ATMEGA, some level conversion logic, and an output connector (16-pin DIP socket).
Click to expand...
 
Arcady said:
How about a hack that will let me use an ADB or USB keyboard?? :)
Click to expand...

I'm working on one now (the USB one, not ADB). It uses a USB host arduino shield (http://www.circuitsathome.com/arduino_usb_host_shield_projects) and ATMega to connect the proper lines when a key is pressed.

It's at the prototype stage now, but i'm hoping to have boards and kits ready for Kansas Fest.

I also have some boards that will let you use your Apple IIe or IIc as a USB keyboard to a modern computer, but that's not as useful, unless you want the feeling of banging on the old clicky keyboard while working with an emulator :)

The latter came out of this project:
http://mentalhygiene.com/meet-the-g4-apple-c/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top