Re: Using PC keyboard and mouse on GS

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <3qntln$84n@asia.lm.com>,
Matt Portune <mportune@telerama.lm.com> wrote:
> Well, the subject says it all.  Can it be done?

In short, the answer is "not as such".

Keyboard: no, except if it is connected to a PC Transporter, where it
can be used as the PC Keyboard, but not for the Apple II.  In theory,
someone could make an interface card that allowed a PC keyboard to be
connected to an Apple II, but it wouldn't work with most software
(except on a IIgs, where it could be arranged to emulate the standard
keyboard via a roundabout method, or it could be connected to the
Apple Desktop Bus if an interposing controller was used).

Mouse: most PC mice are simple serial devices.  Theoretically, there is
nothing stopping the use of a PC mouse on an Apple II.  All you need is
an appropriately configured serial card, ... and software that works
with it.

The second half is the problem.  All 8-bit software that supports a
mouse expects to find an Apple mouse card in a slot (or an emulation
of it, such as the IIc or IIgs mouse firmware).  A serial card does
not have the necessary ID bytes or firmware to support a mouse
automatically.

It might be possible to replace the ROM in a Super Serial Card with
custom firmware that does a "protocol translation" between the PC mouse
and Apple II mouse firmware, but I think there wouldn't be enough ROM
space.

Again, it would be more possible on the IIgs (under native software),
because it is possible to set up drivers to create an emulated mouse
(which I have done for a TouchScreen, for example).  Another
possibility would be to patch out the mouse routines in the toolbox,
which would allow the mouse to be used in 8-bit software on a ROM 3
IIgs (but not on a ROM 1).

It would also be possible to write software to talk directly to a PC
serial mouse, as an alternative to supporting the standard Apple II
mouse.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand