My uncle just gave me an old Mac SE, but it dosn't have an keyboard or mouse. I really don't know anything about macs. I'd like to create a device to convert the output of a PC keyboard to ADB format. I will probably use my basic stamp as the micro controller. I have found infomation on the apple developer's connection about the format of an ADB signal but I'm still missing some information. Here is what I need:
1. I can't seem to find a chart with the key codes an ADB keyboard outputs.
2. What registers does a apple keyboard have besides 0 and 3 and what are there contents.
3. Any other misc information about apple ADB keyboard's operation I'd need?
Would an old 89 key keyboard have enough keys to be used? Also will I need a mouse for a Mac SE?
I did some research on this a while back. It is not going to be easy. ADB is a very complicated protocol.
I did most of my research on Apple developer website and the book Macintosh Family Hardware Reference.
Here is a like to the Inside Macintosh chapter on ADB
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/mac/Devices/Devices-203.html#HEADING203-0
I never got very far with it as I just do not have the time to mess with it.
And these days old ADB hardware is nearly free, if you know hwere to look. THat is unless you are from some far flung part of the world whereold hardware isn't really common...
Hey speaking of really old stuff... Anybody know where to buy new adb mice?? One of our schools refuses to give up the 5500 lab and is running out of mice.
the 5500's will take PCI cards..at a last resort, you could put in a USB PCI card + generic USB mouse for about $25/computer
www.shrevesystems.com
or there is one $99 trackball by someone that has ADB and usb...
Scour the thrift shops for a used KB/mouse, try the lem-swap mailing list and the "wanted" forum here, or have a search for the Mac serial port driver for PC keyboards. Don't know if it'll run on something that old though. PM me and I'll look in my bookmarks folder at home.