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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mtune!codas!peora!randy
From: randy@peora.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Rants and requests
Message-ID: <2604@peora.ccur.com>
Date: Thu, 7-May-87 15:12:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: peora.2604
Posted: Thu May  7 15:12:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 9-May-87 05:27:12 EDT
References: <8705042240.aa00535@SPARK.BRL.ARPA>
Organization: Concurrent Computer Corporation, Orlando, Fl
Lines: 30
Summary: Adding detached keyboard

In article <8705042240.aa00535@SPARK.BRL.ARPA>, CYerkes@UMASS.BITNET (Chuck Yerkes / Hampshire College) writes:
>    Has anyone tried making their keyboard separate from the case.

Yes.  Long ago when I started using my Apple ][+ as a Unix terminal, I quickly
became tired of monocase without many of the special keys that Unix loves
to use (can you say '{', '|', etc?).

I bought a full ASCII Cherry keyboard w/ case which now sits on my lap
while I type.  It was fairly simple to pull the dip plug on the Apple and
plug in a dip terminated cord running to my keyboard.  I was worried
that the signals might get lost in a distant detached keyboard, but
my cable is ten feet long and I've never had any problems.

You'll need that manual you wanted to get the pinouts.  I had to build the
cable w/ terminators myself.  The keyboard generates parallel data w/
strobe (just what the apple wants).  It has several user defined keys (if
the user has a soldering iron).  I even used one key (with an extra wire to
the Apple) for the reset key.

For awhile, I had the two keyboards ORed together (yes, actually
using two OR chips).  I could type on either keyboard.  It was in
interesting idea, but I never really used it.  I finally took the OR
board out.

I would recommend Cherry (if they're still in business).  I've never had
any problem with the board and their documentation was excellent.

Summary:  You can have a detached keyboard without much effort.

Randy (A2S2 01471) Hendry