Re: PC to Apple 2 Keyboard Conversion

[dalloff@gcfn.org (Dave Althoff Jr)]

Paul Schlyter (pausch@saaf.se) wrote:

: The task of connecting a PC keyboard to an Apple II would be very
: suitable for a microcontroller.  Microcontrollers often have serial
: I/O on-chip, i.e. they'll be able to directly read the serial stream
: form a PC keyboard.  And if you choose a microcontroller with enough
: output pins, you could make the microcontroller directly generate
: the parallell ASCII data required bu the Apple II keyboard input,
: eliminating the need for that UART as well!
:  
: Where would that microcontroller be placed, physically?  Basically
: we have three options:
:  
: 1. A stand-alone unit with connectors to the PC keyboard, the Apple II
: keyboard input, and some power supply.  This is the easiest to build,
: and should be chosen during the development stage.  Since that "extra
: box" would be pretty small, it could be considered the permanent
: solution as well.

This would be the most obvious solution.  An adapter box could be mounted
on the backplane of the Apple, with a keyboard connector peeking out the
back.  Any PC keyboard compatible with the adapter could be easily plugged
in.  Come to think of it, there ought to be a suitable power supply pin on
the keyboard connector in the Apple.  In fact, I know there's one
available:  it normally powers the POWER light...there ought to be enough
current available there for a microcontroller and a couple of status LEDs
(remember, the POWER light in an Apple is incandescent).  No slot
required, no power supply connection required.
  
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
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