Does anyone have this usb keyboard and joystick interface?

10 posts / 0 new
Last post
Offline
Last seen: 2 years 1 week ago
Joined: Oct 18 2020 - 00:53
Posts: 7
Does anyone have this usb keyboard and joystick interface?

I'm planning to build these:

https://www.tindie.com/products/option8/retroconnector-keyboard-interface-for-apple-iie/

https://www.tindie.com/products/option8/retroconnector-joystick-interface-for-apple-ii/

 

I'd just buy them.  But I don't think he's going to be making more any time soon.  So I plan to make them.  The gerber files are on github.  But there's no bill of materials.  And he's not responding to me.

 

For the keyboard interface, I can identify the three chips from the photos.  And the resisters are marked on the board.  The crystal is 8, 10, or 12 mhz.  The problem is the transistor.  Also, a later revision of the board has a cap.  I can't find a value for the cap or a part number for the transistor anywhere.

 

For the joystick interface, there's a cap transistor also. 

 

Also I wish I had part numbers for the switches and that pot.

 

Does anyone have these boards and can read the transistor and caps and let me know what they are? 

 

thanks

Offline
Last seen: 2 days 13 hours ago
Joined: Apr 26 2016 - 08:36
Posts: 661
There appears to be some sort

There appears to be some sort of  ADC Chip as  well maybe on the joystick interface as well.  Something from Analog Devices I can't make out the part number.

Offline
Last seen: 1 month 4 weeks ago
Joined: Feb 8 2021 - 23:50
Posts: 13
same here

I was looking at this a couple of weeks too.  I went to Github and struck the same problem.  There is no parts list and I couldn't make out the transistor and the capacitor either.

 

It was being sold a while ago so someone must have these.  It would be great if someone could share the missing details.

 

I am trying to use IIe sitting on a shelf while just the keyboard is on my desk (as IIe itself takes up too much desk space).  A wired or even better, a wireless USB keyboard would be perfect for this.

Stargeezer's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 week 4 days ago
Joined: Aug 4 2020 - 12:06
Posts: 145
Possible option for AppleII/II+

https://knzl.at/ps2-keyboard-for-apple-ii/

I am awaiting boards from OSH to buid this.  I'll let you all know how it goes.  It is PS-2 and not USB, but perhaps it is some help.

Mark

Offline
Last seen: 2 days 13 hours ago
Joined: Apr 26 2016 - 08:36
Posts: 661
I built one of those.  The

I built one of those.  The schematic has a PIC 16F630.  I used one and it didn't work.

 

I noticed there are two .hex files in the file package:

ps2_to_apple2_SVN??_16F676.hex

ps2_to_apple2_SVN??_16F630_not_tested.hex

 

Not tested...

 

Thing is, I couldn't find a 16F676.

 

If you have more luck than I did let us know.

 

 

Offline
Last seen: 5 months 1 week ago
Joined: Feb 25 2014 - 23:19
Posts: 66
The 16F630 works
baldrick wrote:

I built one of those.  The schematic has a PIC 16F630.  I used one and it didn't work.

 

I noticed there are two .hex files in the file package:

ps2_to_apple2_SVN??_16F676.hex

ps2_to_apple2_SVN??_16F630_not_tested.hex

 

Not tested...

 

Thing is, I couldn't find a 16F676.

 

If you have more luck than I

 

I tried the 16F630 with the "not tested" firmware and works fine.

Offline
Last seen: 1 month 4 weeks ago
Joined: Feb 8 2021 - 23:50
Posts: 13
I think I found something

Hi,

After some digging around, I think I may have found some useful info.

 

First off, I am not an electronics engineer.  My knowledge of electronic circuit is limited.  So what I found is to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

I looked at RetroConnector site, and there was a video where the creator was displaying his products and I found a moment when the "USB - IIe keyboard adapter" was shown in close up.  There, you can make out the writing on the crystal. 

 

It says "ATS16B CTS171418".  I searched the internet and it looks like this is a 16MHz crystal made by CTS.  Perhaps something like this one?

https://www.digikey.co.uk/product-detail/en/cts-frequency-controls/ATS16B/CTX1085-ND/2640031

 

Next the component that looks like a transistor and the capacitor.  They are not visible in the video close up so I had to guess what they may be.

 

I looked at the board design and on the board where the transistor-like component is, it says "5V 3V GND".  That made me think that this is not a transistor but in fact some sort of voltage regulator.  I looked at the board traces and realised that the IIe keyboard connector 5V pin is connected to the 5V pin on the volage regulator.  The output of the voltage regulator is going to the USB shield 3.3V input pin.  So I am guessing this is actually a voltage regulator to step down 5V from the motherboard to 3.3V for the mini USB shield.  Maybe something like this below?

 

https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/MCP1700-3302E-TO?qs=h7tZ5KkzNMMPEB66r2rMQw%3D%3D&mgh=1&vip=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7ryBlqui7wIVHOrtCh3_PQdfEAQYASABEgLsjvD_BwE

 

And finally the capacitor.  This was not there in the earlier version of the keyboard converter.  This capacitor is connected across the voltage regulator input pin (5V) and the ground pin.  What capacitance should this be?  In the mouser webpage above, there is a datasheet with typical usage circuit example, and in it, with input voltage of 2.3V to 3.2V, it uses 1uF.  So I am guessing we could use 5-10uF for the IIe keyboard converter with 5V input.

 

It looks like the same components are used for the "USB - Joystick converter" as well.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

 

 

Offline
Last seen: 6 days 1 hour ago
Joined: Aug 12 2022 - 14:40
Posts: 30
Ive built a whole bunch of

Ive built a whole bunch of these and know the BOM if anyone needs any help making one.  Let me know.  

Offline
Last seen: 6 days 1 hour ago
Joined: Aug 12 2022 - 14:40
Posts: 30
for anyone that wants to see

for anyone that wants to see more

https://youtu.be/N-vMPkogTvs

 

Online
Last seen: 45 min 20 sec ago
Joined: Nov 29 2020 - 19:48
Posts: 124
Video on the Macbook?

How are you getting the video from the //e to your macbook?

Log in or register to post comments