Re: Problem with Apple IIe

[rubywand@aol.com]

In article <32C5E446.6232@worldnet.att.net>, Eugene Frederick
<frederick.fred@worldnet.att.net> writes:

>
>I am having a problem with my IIe. It boots up OK, but when I go into a 
>program like Appleworks, it asks for the date.  I will push the 1 key, 
>but then the computer repeats the 1 over and over.  And when I use the 
>arrow key, it keeps scrolling w/o stoping.  It does this in all my 
>programs.  In fact, when I reboot using Control, Open Apple and Reset, it

>keeps on rebooting.  It seems that the computer repeats the last 
>keystroke that I made. ....


     Since so much of the Apple II KB stuff has been integrated into a
couple IC's, a good try at a fix is to scootch up and re-socket the KB IC
(UE14, probably a 40-pin 3600 PRO)  and the IOU IC (UE5, a 40-pin chip).

     It sounds like a line coming from the KB IC-- probably KSTRB-- is not
making connection with the IOU IC (pin 16 on the KB IC to pin 32 on the
IOU IC).  According to the skimpy available info on the 3600 PRO, KSTRB,
or "Key-down Strobe", goes high to signal that a key is pressed. If this
signal should, somehow, become disconnected from the IOU, the IOU's input
at pin 32 would, by default, be a logic "1" and the IOU would always
believe that the last-pressed key is being held down.

     There is another line coming from the KB IC, called "AKD" (pin 5),
which may be  involved. It goes to IOU pin 31. It's function is not
described in the docs I have.

     Since the KB IC has no problem scanning the KB lines and delivering
the correct key code to the IOU, it does not seem likely that it is
defective. Also, the keyboard seems to be okay; and, it does not seem very
likely that the IOU would develop just this one fault.

     So, mainly, the symptoms sound like a bad connection between the KB
IC and the IOU IC involving KBSTRB and/or AKD. If scootching-up and
re-socketing the IC's does not help (or, if the IC's are soldered in
place), you may need to remove the case and check the circuit board for a
bad connection (e.g. a fractured solder connection at the pins of an IC).