Re: Received an interesting Apple II Clone

[Conrad <conrad.russo@gmail.com>]

On Apr 1, 2:29 pm, David Wilson <mcs6...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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>

Mine does have the chinese character generator, and yes you are right
that it is DE-9.  Mine is the 312, and I don't have the expansion box,
but I do have the dual floppy drive.  Any help getting a keyboard
working would be appreciated.