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An Arduino-based ADB-to-USB adapter for NeXT keyboards

Alessandro PaganelliJanuary 10th, 2013

Have you ever wondered to use your old-fashioned NeXT keyboard with your current, non-ADB computer? The main issue that needs to be solved regards how to interface this ADB keyboard (standing for Apple Desktop Bus, an old protocol used in former NeXT and Apple computers) with a standard USB interface.

In this nice tutorial, Ladyada and Pt describe the approach they have used, based on an Arduino Micro board and… some luck in searching for the right information about the scancode table of the keyboard  ^^.

More information can be found here.

[Via: Adafruit Learning System]

 

3 Responses to “An Arduino-based ADB-to-USB adapter for NeXT keyboards”

  1. computer service fraserburgh Says:

    Sounds like great news for any ADB-attached keyboard owner, who would like to give it another go on the modern computers. Would like to learn more on availability of those adapters.

  2. Terry Lockhart Says:

    What I’d like to see is a more universal ADB to USB adapter, applicable to other ADB devices such as game controllers and especially Wacom tablets. I have several perfectly functional Wacom devices which are pretty much useless with modern macs and pc’s.

  3. jammi Says:

    This is not an ADB to USB adapter, it’s an non-ADB / pre-ADB adapter for the older style NeXT keyboards, which use a proprietary protocol.

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