I recently picked up an original Macintosh 128k (for the grand price of free) that I got working after swapping in some Mac Plus ROMs (originally gave a sad mac with a ROM Checksum error. Anybody got a dead 128k LB with good ROMs?). I hope to make it fully original someday, but in the meantime I'd like to use it for a serial console for my Cisco router and Linux server. However, the serial ports are the old-style female 9 pin port similar to the mouse ports. Does anyone know of an adapter that converts it either to a Mac standard RS-422, or even a PC-standard RS-232 port? I found a few places online offering Imagewriter cables that'd work for Appletalk networking, but I was hoping for an adapter to a standard serial port or some sort rather than a cable end.
I did find pinouts so I could make my own if it came down to it, I'd just prefer to find a more... reliable solution considering my soldering skills.
Been enjoying getting this machine running again. It's amazing what they managed to stuff into 128k RAM, especially compared to the Atari 130XE I grew up with with the same amount.
The pin outs would be amazing to have - my search today is for a
proper pin out for the keyboard. I have been thinking what to do with
this "new MAC" of mine. You idea to connect it to a Cisco is a grand
one. What software would need to be run to connect - was there a
built in terminal / console application on the M0001 versions?
Ian
On Jan 22, 12:06 pm, Scott Holder <sc...@iamscott.net> wrote:
> I recently picked up an original Macintosh 128k (for the grand price of
> free) that I got working after swapping in some Mac Plus ROMs
> (originally gave a sad mac with a ROM Checksum error. Anybody got a dead
> 128k LB with good ROMs?). I hope to make it fully original someday, but
> in the meantime I'd like to use it for a serial console for my Cisco
> router and Linux server. However, the serial ports are the old-style
> female 9 pin port similar to the mouse ports. Does anyone know of an
> adapter that converts it either to a Mac standard RS-422, or even a
> PC-standard RS-232 port? I found a few places online offering
> Imagewriter cables that'd work for Appletalk networking, but I was
> hoping for an adapter to a standard serial port or some sort rather than
> a cable end.
> I did find pinouts so I could make my own if it came down to it, I'd
> just prefer to find a more... reliable solution considering my soldering
> skills.
> Been enjoying getting this machine running again. It's amazing what they
> managed to stuff into 128k RAM, especially compared to the Atari 130XE I
> grew up with with the same amount.
> The pin outs would be amazing to have - my search > today is for a > proper pin out for the keyboard.
See http://pinouts.ru They have pinouts for a large number of connectors including the different pinouts for different devices that use the same connectors.
yeah using a Mac as a serial terminal might be cool, but there are also other cool vintage units (and terminals) that just might be better suited. Good luck with that though. For serial mac-to-peecee transfers, the imagewriter cable worked fine. I think that's what it was - I still have mine somewhere, originally having found it for 1$ at a Salvation Army in Lawn Guylind. His truth is marching on...
> The pin outs would be amazing to have - my search > today is for a > proper pin out for the keyboard. I have been > thinking what to do with > this "new MAC" of mine. You idea to connect it to a > Cisco is a grand > one. What software would need to be run to connect > - was there a > built in terminal / console application on the M0001 > versions?
> Ian
> On Jan 22, 12:06 pm, Scott Holder > <sc...@iamscott.net> wrote: > > Heya,
> > I recently picked up an original Macintosh 128k > (for the grand price of > > free) that I got working after swapping in some > Mac Plus ROMs > > (originally gave a sad mac with a ROM Checksum > error. Anybody got a dead > > 128k LB with good ROMs?). I hope to make it fully > original someday, but > > in the meantime I'd like to use it for a serial > console for my Cisco > > router and Linux server. However, the serial ports > are the old-style > > female 9 pin port similar to the mouse ports. Does > anyone know of an > > adapter that converts it either to a Mac standard > RS-422, or even a > > PC-standard RS-232 port? I found a few places > online offering > > Imagewriter cables that'd work for Appletalk > networking, but I was > > hoping for an adapter to a standard serial port or > some sort rather than > > a cable end.
> > I did find pinouts so I could make my own if it > came down to it, I'd > > just prefer to find a more... reliable solution > considering my soldering > > skills.
> > Been enjoying getting this machine running again. > It's amazing what they > > managed to stuff into 128k RAM, especially > compared to the Atari 130XE I > > grew up with with the same amount.
mcyork wrote: > The pin outs would be amazing to have - my search today is for a > proper pin out for the keyboard. I have been thinking what to do with > this "new MAC" of mine. You idea to connect it to a Cisco is a grand > one. What software would need to be run to connect - was there a > built in terminal / console application on the M0001 versions?
> Ian
Here's the direct link: http://pinouts.ru/SerialPorts/MacSerial_pinout.shtml . The keyboard was, I'm pretty sure, just a straight-through four-conductor wire. RJ-11 plugs are a little too wide, but I'm told filing them down to fit works.
I have an old copy of MacTerminal, which seems to run just fine on it. Just haven't had a chance to tweak the cables yet to make it work. The Cisco's serial console is just a plain ol' RS-232 connection, so the connection itself should be the only tricky bit.
Chris M wrote: > yeah using a Mac as a serial terminal might be cool, > but there are also other cool vintage units (and > terminals) that just might be better suited. Good luck > with that though. > For serial mac-to-peecee transfers, the imagewriter > cable worked fine. I think that's what it was - I > still have mine somewhere, originally having found it > for 1$ at a Salvation Army in Lawn Guylind. His truth > is marching on...
Yeah, I'm sure there are plenty of other things that'd work better. I actually have an old Wyse terminal still in my parents' basement. But, I have this 128k Mac sitting here. I could either leave it sitting on my desk to boot up and play with now and then, use it as a word processor which then I have to spend time and effort converting document formats, or I can set it up for use as a serial console where it might actually get some use. I could use it with both my Cisco router and a couple Linux boxes I have that also take serial consoles. I figure it's probably the best bet I have for actually making use of it rather than have it collecting dust in the closet or taking up space on my desk. I already have a Mac Classic with a dead HD being a diskless clock, so I'm pretty well covered there. I'm also working on getting an old TI-92 graphing calculator hooked up with the appropriate adapters to do the same thing again - I've done it in the past. The interesting thing there is the TI-92 has a 10mhz 68000 compared to the Mac's 8mhz 68000. Kind of crazy to think the little calculator has more raw processing power than the whole Mac.
Yeah, I saw the Imagewriter cable, but it's not quite what I'm needing I don't think. I wasn't sure if maybe the Imagewriter cable + PC-Mac Serial adapter on the PC/Cisco side of things might do it, but I was going to look around a little more.
> The keyboard was, >I'm pretty sure, just a straight-through four-conductor wire. RJ-11 >plugs are a little too wide, but I'm told filing them down to fit works.
It's a telephone handset connector made for just 4 wires. The RJ-11 supports 6. There is an RJ number for the handset, RJ-10 comes to mind but I'm really not sure.
And. . .
Ordinary telephone handset cables are NOT wired straight through. they connect 1,2,3,4 to 4,3,2,1 which is standard for telephone wiring. It's a question of whether you flip the rather flat wire over as you crimp the second end.
So. Don't try to use a telephone cable on a Mac 128 keyboard. It is possible to damage something by inverting the power supply voltage.
-- --> If it's not on fire it's a software problem. <--
Scott, people have ben trying for years to adapt other keyboards to a
Mac and vice-versa. There is only one adapter I know of that was ever
commercially manufactured and that is the PS-2 interface. Nothing
about the 128Ks keyboard is standard serial compatible, it is
proprietary. You plug the wrong thing in there and you'll need a new
VIA chip. What you need it this: http://dclausen.net/projects/tfam/ and this: http://www.stockly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11
On Feb 4, 10:07 am, Scott Holder <sc...@iamscott.net> wrote:
> mcyork wrote:
> > The pin outs would be amazing to have - my search today is for a
> > proper pin out for the keyboard. I have been thinking what to do with
> > this "new MAC" of mine. You idea to connect it to a Cisco is a grand
> > one. What software would need to be run to connect - was there a
> > built in terminal / console application on the M0001 versions?
> > Ian
> Here's the direct link:http://pinouts.ru/SerialPorts/MacSerial_pinout.shtml. The keyboard was,
> I'm pretty sure, just a straight-through four-conductor wire. RJ-11
> plugs are a little too wide, but I'm told filing them down to fit works.
> I have an old copy of MacTerminal, which seems to run just fine on it.
> Just haven't had a chance to tweak the cables yet to make it work. The
> Cisco's serial console is just a plain ol' RS-232 connection, so the
> connection itself should be the only tricky bit.
I just joined the forum, so I'm not used to navigating yet so I
apologize if this is a repeat. If you take a modular phone cord, the
kind that goes from the handset to the phone(they're usually the
coiled kind) and clip off one end, then reverse it, you have a
keyboard cable.
On Feb 4, 2:01 am, mcyork <i...@mcyork.com> wrote:
> The pin outs would be amazing to have - my search today is for a
> proper pin out for the keyboard. I have been thinking what to do with
> this "new MAC" of mine. You idea to connect it to a Cisco is a grand
> one. What software would need to be run to connect - was there a
> built in terminal / console application on the M0001 versions?
> Ian
> On Jan 22, 12:06 pm, Scott Holder <sc...@iamscott.net> wrote:
> > Heya,
> > I recently picked up an original Macintosh 128k (for the grand price of
> > free) that I got working after swapping in some Mac Plus ROMs
> > (originally gave a sad mac with a ROM Checksum error. Anybody got a dead
> > 128k LB with good ROMs?). I hope to make it fully original someday, but
> > in the meantime I'd like to use it for a serial console for my Cisco
> > router and Linux server. However, the serial ports are the old-style
> > female 9 pin port similar to the mouse ports. Does anyone know of an
> > adapter that converts it either to a Mac standard RS-422, or even a
> > PC-standard RS-232 port? I found a few places online offering
> > Imagewriter cables that'd work for Appletalk networking, but I was
> > hoping for an adapter to a standard serial port or some sort rather than
> > a cable end.
> > I did find pinouts so I could make my own if it came down to it, I'd
> > just prefer to find a more... reliable solution considering my soldering
> > skills.
> > Been enjoying getting this machine running again. It's amazing what they
> > managed to stuff into 128k RAM, especially compared to the Atari 130XE I
> > grew up with with the same amount.
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