Apple II / II+ keyboard mounting holes

[dfnr2]

Does anyone have accurate measurements of the mounting hole pattern for the Apple II/II+ keyboard? I am finalizing a keyboard design and want to make sure it fits properly in an Apple II.

Many thanks,

Dave

 

[groink]

I saw your earlier posts of your keyboard project. The mounting holes are just the beginning of your problems. If you study any Apple II/+/IIe keyboard, the keyboard is mounted to the case at a 12-degree angle. Looking at your photos, the keyboard and components appear to lie flat. So if you take what is in the photos and mount it into the Apple II, the surface of the keys are going to be facing down. This will not produce a good typing experience. Apple addressed this by developing adapters that sit between the switch and the key cap, and makes the key cap the 12-degrees needed.

 

[dfnr2]

That's a great point. The plan is 3D printed adapters for the keys. That will help for OSI and other machines as well, since the trend was to mount the keyboards at an angle, which we now know is not ergonomic.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

[dfnr2]

I posted this to applefritter as well, so my apologies if you are seeing it for the second time.

I dug out my Apple II+ and made some crude measurements. I get:

- 4 holes, spaced 13-7/8" x 3" center-to-center.
- The center of the upper left hole is 1-7/8" from the center of the "1" key.

Does that sound correct? I plan to elongate the holes into horizontal slots to accommodate some slop.

Does anyone know if there's an official spec?

Dave

 

[dfnr2]

Another question, what would be more useful:

1) Putting the Apple II mounting holes on the aligner, and keeping the keyboard PCB short
2) Putting the Apple II mounting holes on the keyboard PCB and use spacers to set the depth, keeping the aligner short
3) put holes large enough to pass a spacer or screwdriver through both, then have the flexibility to mount the aligner (using washers, and passing screw head and screwdriver through the keyboard PCB, or mount the keyboard PCB passing spacers through the aligner.

There are already matched screw holes on the aligner and PCB to allow them to be connected by spacers, or to permit placing an aluminum (or other) stiffener to either board.