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Mac Plus: rewire an ADB keyboard?

Submitted by cwsmith on March 3, 2007 - 2:59pm. 680x0 Macs and Lisa

I just completed a local trade with macg4: he got a carload of 680x0's and early PPCs, a couple of monitors and my spare IIe. I got a Mac Plus and a whole lot more free space in my basement. All in all, a pretty fair trade. Smiling

One small glitch: macg4 didn't have a spare keyboard or mouse. I found a mouse on eBay, but I have a moral dilemma about paying over $50 for a keyboard. I did a little research, and found that both the 128/512/Plus keyboard and ADB use four pins, and the same voltage.

128/512/Plus keyboard:
Pin 1: ground
Pin 2: kbd1
Pin 3: kbd2
Pin 4: +5V DC

ADB keyboard:
Pin 1: ADB
Pin 2: power switch
Pin 3: +5V DC
Pin 4: ground

Detailed pinouts available at http://pinouts.ru: search for "macintosh keyboard"

I also happen to know that an S-video cable is wired identically to an ADB cable, so I won't have to cut a perfectly good ADB cable. I could instead use an ADB Keyboard II or Extended Keyboard II (neither of which has a permanent cable, just 2 ADB jacks), plug an S-video cable into it, lop off the other end of the cable and crimp an RJ13 plug onto it.

Will theis work? Am I at risk of harming my Plus? Or am I a the mercy of the scalliwags at eBay?

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Nope, won't work. The protoco

Submitted by redrouteone on March 3, 2007 - 3:19pm.

Nope, won't work. The protocols sent over the wire are different. To put it simply the Plus keyboard speaks German and the ADB one Chinese.

I can't believe the keyboards are on eBay for $50. I bought one at a local store for $10.

I'll make you a deal. I need a set of system disks for my Mac 512K and none of my computers have a floppy drive. Let alone one that can write 400K disks. I'll send you a keyboard if you'll send me a set of system disks.

» The lazy man would rather exert himself than make two trips. -- Slovenian saying

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cwsmith's picture

I sent you a PM.

Submitted by cwsmith on March 3, 2007 - 5:24pm.

I sent you a PM.

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