Hi folks, First post here but i've lurked here and there over the years. I've currently got my mind on a somewhat ambitious project, but I'm stuck on part of it. I want to make the wallstreet keyboard connect via USB. I've come across this (https://hackaday.io/project/907-usb-adapter-for-apple-adb-keyboard#menu-description), so I know turning ADB to USB isn't terribly difficult, but that's obviously for a desktop keyboard. From what I can tell the ribbon cables on the wallstreet keyboard are still ADB, but I've been unable to find anything more on them.
Any advice on how to potential frakenstein this thing into existence?
Thanks!
Are you sure it's ADB? It's been a long time since I've looked at one, but I don't think they were.
Honestly, no, I'm not. Best I have is a line from the wikipedia entry that says the Lombard "eliminated ADB entirely (although the keyboard and touchpad still used an ADB interface internally)"
The keyboard has two flat flex cables coming from it that plug into a y-adapter that then ends in a 40-pin flex cable that plugs into a port on the PMU. None of these are well labeled with much aside from part numbers or copyright notices. :-/
Unfortunately, from what I've found so far, the tech sheets and service manuals don't go into much detail about what these internal ports and connectors might be.
Whatever it is, I'm determined that there's got to be some way to create an adapter for this sort of thing, just gotta figure out how. ;)
I've got it torn apart already so I took some pictures.
Keyboard into Y-connector:
keyboard1.JPG
Other end of y-cable and its port on the PMU board:
keyboard 2.JPG
I think that's more likely a matrix. You probably want something along the lines of this.
Awesome, thanks a bunch! I'll dig into that. It'll probably be awhile but I'll post a new thread here when my project is complete. :)