I just bought an Apple IIe Platinum (with extended keypad) keyboard on eBay.
Will it work with the Apple I Replica?
Thanks!
cb
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The Apple IIe keyboards are simply matrix keyswitches without any logic. The II/IIplus keyboards are ASCII encoded keyboards that send ASCII data in a parallel format (7 or 8 bits) with some type of strobe signal.
so, would it be practical to take a microcontroller, like a PIC16F84, grab the matrix information, and convert it to ASCII signals?
This was done already for a AVR by a replica user connecting it to a TI99/4A keyboard. I haven't been given permission to post code or pics, sorry. Anybody that has microcontroller experience should be able to make a matrix encoder for something like the IIe. Conversion would be easy, just use a lookup table from the matrix keyboard and send the 7-bit data out with a strobe active high for 30ms I believe (I'll have to look that one up).
think he would mind pics/code?
I just picked up an Apple ][e keyboard (as in, oldskool with a lamp instead of an LED..)
I'm interested in doing the ASCII encoding on this, my favourite 8-bit micro keyboard of all time. I could sit down and figure out the pinout, the matrix, etc, etc (and have started doing so), but if someone has a pinout and key matrix in some nice Apple //e book or something, please scan and post?
Here is the schematic for the IIe keyboard:
This would be a great project for the replica since IIe's are everywhere.
Later,
Vince
Greatly appreciated, it is now quite obvious to me that you can encode that with a $2 AVR and a $.33 74LS42, which is perfect!
Guess I need to make a parallel port AVR programmer. And figure out how to get a parallel port on a mac—I'm sure some variant of USB printer adapter is supported.
I was wondering if anyone got this keyboard to work with the Replica.
I also would like to get this keyboard to work with a homebrew computer.
I've designed the encoder, but I haven't had time to program an AVR and put it together yet. I have two Apple //e keyboards and the option to buy several hundred of these Heathkit keyboards mentioned in another thread, so my priority will be there. (It's just a different wiring to the keyboard port and a few changed lines of AVR source code, so it's doable.)
The problem I'm facing is time. I haven't had much of it.