geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: HalfSharkAlligator on Wed, 23 December 2015, 01:17:52
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Just wanted to share this old beauty that I picked up recently. It's the older style, with the nice thick domed doubleshot keycaps and I'm assuming linear ALPS switches. It also has the older style font, which I really like. The caps feel a lot like the Signature Plastics spherical ABS doubleshots (like the Round 4 and Round 5 Honeywell group buy keys). It looks like they only made this older style a few years, as the "newer" ones look like this: http://shrineofapple.com/blog/2011/05/27/appleiie-numeric-keypad/ . It's also a pretty low serial number.
I know these aren't that rare and most of you have probably seen them, but I just wanted to have one and share it with y'all. I grew up with an Apple IIe and it was how I first learned computing and BASIC, but I live in an apartment and move somewhat often, so owning a IIe rig is not in the cards right now. Unfortunately by the time I can easily own one, they'll probably cost thousands. So this helps give me a little slice of that nostalgia in a small package. :)
It could use some retr0brite, but after doing that on a few old AEK's, I think I might actually not do it. It ends up more like the original color, but a little bit splotchy looking in some areas so I'm on the fence.
I also found some info on the connector and pinouts, if anyone knows how to actually bring this to PS2 or USB let me know. I already have an ADB to PS2 converter, if that helps.
Apple //e Numeric Keypad cable
(This is from a Csa2 post by Mark Wade.)
To construct a suitable internal cable for a IIe numeric
keypad you need a female Dsub-15 to 11 pin female header.
If the female Dsub-15 is numbered like this:
Dsub-15 (female)
,-------------------------.
\ 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 /
\ 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 /
`---------------------'
And the 11 pin header is numbered like this:
_____________________________________
| |
| 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
|_____________________________________|
Then:
Dsub-15 | Header
________|_______
12 | 11
11 | 10
10 | 9
9 | 8
NC | 7
7 | 6
6 | 5
5 | 4
3 | 3
2 | 2
1 | 1
The header is as viewed on the motherboard. The Dsub-15 is the
female connector that you would plug the keypad into.
:thumb:
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You may be able to locate documentation you want here:
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/documentation/hardware/machines/
I hope you can get your old little friend revived in mordern computer world.
keep this thread updated with your research. :thumb:
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Found it ;D Looks like you can access key matrix directly with those pins.
Pin Name Description
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1,2,5,3,4,6 Y0-Y5 Y-direction key-matrix connections
7 n.c.
9,11,10,8 X4-X7 X-direction key-matrix connections
See p.188.
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/documentation/hardware/machines/Apple%20IIe%20Technical%20Reference%20Manual%20(alt%202)_part%203.pdf
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Thank you very much, hasu!
I will post back if I can make any progress.
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Very cool! I had no idea they made a separate num pad.
I remember us playing Oregon Trail on those machines back in the day.
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Ooh, Alps SKCC black! Never seen them before. How do they compare to other linear switches (and other SKCCs if you have them)?
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Thanks to the info in this thread (and a hefty dose of help from patient folks in the QMK Discord) I was able to successfully get a Numeric Keypad IIe working with QMK and connected via USB! The firmware is now in the QMK repo (in /converter/numeric_keypad_iie) and I've also shared some more info (and pics) on a page I published:https://adam.lol/bucket/numeric-keypad-iie/
Hope this helps anyone else trying to use one of these with a modern setup. :)