Re: Received an interesting Apple II Clone

[David Wilson <mcs6502@gmail.com>]

On Apr 2, 8:22 am, Conrad <conrad.ru...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've been working on setting up a classic computer museum, and I just
> received as a donation a neat Apple II clone.  It's a MultiTech MPF-
> III (http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=289)

This is a great machine. I started out in the Apple II universe with
this IIe clone.

> It is
> fully loaded with Z-80 card, disk card, etc.  I mean fully loaded with
> every expansion available.

Does your unit have the Chinese Character Generator card in slot 4?
Mine doesn't.
Do you have the external bus extender allowing 5 standard Apple cards
instead of just the one in slot 2? Mine does.

> The only problem is it didn't come with a
> keyboard.  Does anybody know how I could adapt an Apple II keyboard
> for use with it.  The keyboard connects with a DB-9 connector.  I
> notice that a spare apple II keyboard I have has a place to solder a
> DB9 connector, so I soldered one in and tried to connect it that way
> but it didn't work.  Any other ideas?

You need a micro-controller to scan the keyboard matrix and encode the
key press into a serial bit stream (8 data bits, no start & no stop
bits).

Which model MPF-III do you have? The 312 (I have this one) implements
the MMU and IOU with LSTTL and a couple of PALs. The 327 I believe
actually uses ASICs like the IIe. I have complete (but poor quality)
circuit diagrams for the 312 including
the keyboard.

<nit pick>
It is connected via a DE-9 not a DB-9
</nit pick>