I even have a "Rub-Out" key for an underscore that works!!!!
If you are going to VCF East on May 5th and 6th, you can see it in person at my Apple-1/Mimeo exhibit.
Cheers,
Corey
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Spam - Tom
@fingerz, This is an old post from 2012. I think the response that revived it was spam.
FYI: The keyboard is a modified later Apple II datanetics with a different encoder board designed by Wendell Sander and keycaps he ordered. I don't think he published those Gerber files.
He did publish all the information about his completely new design keyboard, which is currently connected to my "Daily Driver" Mimeo. Wendell is an amazing engineer and I feel lucky to own some of his personal hardware designs for the Apple-1.
Cheers,
Corey
Nice!
I would like to point out that I have also developed a keyboard which is also a faithful drop-in replacement for the Apple II keyboard. It's up on Github:
https://github.com/osiweb/unified_retro_keyboard
The keyboard can be configured as an Apple II replacement, and the Apple II keymaps are selected with DIP switches. There are 2 keymaps: All CAPS and Upper/Lower. The Upper/Lower version uses the Power switch as a CapsLock.
I'm still waiting on the keys, but they are a dark gray color, and have the same markings as the original Apple II, including BELL/G, ^/N, and @/P and arrow keys as well as the clear POWER key and reset key. They keyboard will take Cherry MX keys or Futaba MD4-PCS keys, and comes with aligners that add some stiffness.
There are two versions of the controller card, using Atmega 328P and Atmega 2560. The 2560 version has pads that can be configured to decode an actual Apple II keyboard as well.
The keyboard interface has connectors for Apple I and Apple II, and has been tested with both.
Dave
Great Project, where do you order the right keycaps?
Wendell had commissioned a set of keyboard caps to fit the Apple II keyboards to go with his custom encoder board.
In post #6, "appleny" asked:
" Great Project, where do you order the right keycaps ? "
Uncle Bernie comments:
Signature Plastics is still around and back in the day they made keycaps for the Apple II, too, and since they kept the injection molding forms, you can order 1970s style keycaps until today. Minimum order is about 50 sets so it's about $2500-$3000 depending on which keycap set you choose. Wait time for these small orders was about 1 year. Just a few years ago, I was lucky to participate in one group order and so I got the sets I needed.
These fit to the Cherry MX key switch series.
You can also find lots and lots of different keycap sets on Ebay, but mostly from sellers in mainland China, and Trump's tariffs make ordering any components from China very problematic for individuals who do not import Chinese made goods by the container load - it's not only the tariffs as such, but also the unpredictable "customs handling fees" greedy carrier corporations may slap on parcels from China, "for the customs paperwork". This is of course a lie because there is no paperwork, nowadays all is based on electronic data transfer, and only a few mouse clicks at most to "handle it" but they still may charge anywhere from $60 to $200 "customs handling fees" and taking the risk is not worth it, because if you refuse to pay the "fee" of $200 for $20 worth of merchandize you lose the $20 and the postage, too. I heard a lot of horror stories about these "fees" but occasionally, people also told me there were none, they just paid the customs duty up front when ordering on the seller's website. Seems to be a hit-and-miss. And unless you want to take such risks, don't order anything in China. This is why my own YAAK keyboard project (which also was meant for the Apple-1) made no progress, as I can't order PCBs from China anymore. I'd need to make a few small mechanical edits to the PCB (i.e. the space bar mechanics spring steel wire blocking some mounting holes, which need to be moved) but as long as the tariff situation is as bad as it is now, no chance to fix and test the Gerbers. Here is the link:
https://www.applefritter.com/content/uncle-bernies-yaak-project-yet-another-apple-keyboard
- Uncle Bernie