Re: Big Time IIe mod

["Jason Whorton" <jason at microxl.com>]

Hi.  That sounds like an ambitious project.  How are you going to get an
Apple IIe motherboard to turn on with an ATX "soft power" power supply?
Besides that, you are looking at major heat issues.

Hope this helps,
Jason Whorton



"Bill Knight" <admin@ghettogamer.com> wrote in message
news:WgZPa.14758$C07.13925@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> Hey all, I'm embarking on an interesting mod project with one of my
old
> Apple IIe machines. My goal is to fit a decent PC inside it (making
use of a
> microATX Nforce 2 motherboard and AMD processor) while simultaneously
> retaining the Apple IIe functionality. Basically what I'm going to do
is
> this:
> 1. Mount the new motherboard on top of the Apple IIe board. Issues:
need to
> find a way to mount the memory expansion and disk controller from the
IIe at
> a 90* angle. I have seen this for AGP cards, so some creating
soldering
> should work.
> 2. Wire Apple IIe keyboard to ps/2, but include switch to change input
from
> going to ps/2 port to going to Apple IIe. Issues: either need to
create a
> circuit to translate signals along the Apple IIe ribbon cable to
something
> the ps/2 port can handle OR solder the keys from the Apple IIe
keyboard to a
> ps/2 controller from an IBM keyboard (and then have a switch to cut
off
> either the ps/2 output or Apple IIe output so that its either
bypassing the
> traces and going to the IBM vs. bypassing IBM and using original
traces &
> ribbon cable to go with Apple IIe.
> 3. Mount a 2u 300watt PSU, which is close enough in size to the
original:
> apple IIe PSU:
> 9.75" long, 3.5" wide, 2.25" tall
> 2u:
> 8.2" long, 4" wide, 2.8" tall
> This should work in powering the IIe fine, since all it needs is a
series of
> 12v and 5v inputs (can pull from a drive attachment on the 2u)
> 4. Mount CDROM in external IIe disk drive enclosure. I just gutted a
broken
> one and test fitted my slot loading CDROM, but it looks like the CDROM
is
> just a bit too long to fit in with the original floppy faceplate (I
was
> hoping to keep that and just stick the CD through the slot for the
disk... I
> may be able to take the CDROM apart and shave down the length a bit,
other
> option is a laptop CDROM drive, but as far as I can tell none are slot
> loading. Maybe able to make floppy front swing up like a door...). I
will
> use a custom ribbon cable of ~ 50 wires and a thick gauge wire to
provide
> the 40 IDE required signals, the +/-12 and +/- 5 volt lines for power,
and
> the R, L and Ground for audio through one cable, preserving original
look.
> 5. Hard drive will be mounted inside, either below keyboard or above
PSU. PC
> speakers will be taken apart and mounted inside. PC fans will be
mounted at
> angles to provide airflow through existing ventilation holes on sides.
A
> SLK-800 copper CPU heatsink will be used, but with the fan blowing air
> through it sideways (no vertical clearance).
> 6. Apple IIe motherboard will be moved back some, and new outputs
fashioned,
> with switch to go between PC output and IIe
>
>
> Yes this is ambitious, and yes I am crazy :-)
> BUT... If anyone has any suggestions, or more importantly, ideas as to
how
> to do some of this (especially concerning the switching between IIe
and PC
> mode, and other electrical things) feel free to comment...Preliminary
> fitting looks good
>
>