Keyboard repurposing: USB/ADB converter boards

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Trash80toG4

Active Tinkerer
Apr 1, 2022
1,197
363
83
Bermuda Triangle, NC USA
Found a couple of great links for Laptop KBD conversions:
Conversion of some PowerBook KBDs are listed, but target is the PB1400 KBD, which hasn't been posted as yet.

Interested in converting mechanical KBD switches to USB (and by extension ADB) for multiprocessor projects. Wondering just how different the switch types might be electrically? If too different for Teensy application, there has to be a readily available controller out there for the Mechanical KBD building craze. Anyone have links handy? "Controller" used as a search term results in a deluge of gaming related links, quite frustrating. :rolleyes:

Target would be the Macintosh Portable KBD/NumPad with their very convenient IDC header interface. Not interested in doing the Luggable's Trackball, but TrackPoint conversions lead the way for that as well.

This one appeared to be for mechanical switches, but no luck, still very cool.

Tangential, but loosely related:

Infatuated with the notion of integrating RPi CM4 into various PowerBooks etc. by using customized carrier I/O boards.

Too many ideas, so moving a single CM4 could be the answer? Can't afford Pi in quantity, can't even afford the CM4 at this point. Pulling this kind of thing off would be something I'm planning to learn to do a couple of years from now in retirement.

Thinking a topic listing my crazy notions for "Hacks I can't Afford" might be in order at some point. :oops:
 
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Trash80toG4

Active Tinkerer
Apr 1, 2022
1,197
363
83
Bermuda Triangle, NC USA
KBD Target 01:

KBDhack01-00.JPG


My favorite layout. Donor is an ancient Laptop from a three letter Federal Agency. :)