APPLEBOX

APPLEBOX

Adaptor for Apple ][ computerseries to be used with either Apple-Joystick or PC-Joystick
- and additional 4-Bit Connector to Annunciators

Nowadays not all Apple-fans have access to the original Apple-Joystick do it might be usefull to create an adaptor
the enables these people to use instead a common PC-Joystick......

This description shows how to make such an adaptor and besides offers to create a version that permits the use
of one of both kinds of joystick and besides it permits to add a further plug that gives access to the 4 annunciators
of the gameport - they may be used with external electronics to switch by softwarecontrol from the computer
and few external electronics external devices. Per Switch only one transistor and a relay is needed in the most
simple version. You can switch up to 16 devices if you add a decoder and few additional electronic parts.
This permits for example to make a burglar-alarmset by computercontrol or a lightorgan for the partyroom.....
Some examples for such projects will be added within the next weeks..... in ealier schooldays such projects
have been rather common to learn how to programm a system as controlsystem... so it is quite good idea to
add that connector to the adaptor....

Note: In the picture below each line is desplayed in one single color - allthough different colors may cross eachother
the connections only exist within one single colorshade - never connect any of the different colorshades together !

First Update :

   here i introduce the PCB that might be used for the experiments and programms
   that will be introduced in the update No.4
   the purpose is to start allready with the creation of the PCB
   that will be used in the further updates !

   The PCB contains:
    1 x 16 pol DIP Socket
    2 x DB 9 Plug female
    1 x DIN 5 pol Plugconnector
    1 x 24 pol DIP Socket
    1 x 74LS154
    16 x Transistor BC337 NPN midpower 625 mW 50 V or SD 667
    16 x 1 N 4001 SI Diode 50 Volt
    16 x 5 Volt Relay ( 2 x Maker / Closing switch 110 Volt USA / 220 Volt Europe )
           as low as possible needed power to activate ( 150 mA if possible ! - but not more than 250 mA ! )
           [ otherwise a external powersupply must be used and the 5 Volt powerlines from computer must
             become truncated ! ]
    16 x 4 pol screwed connection block
    2 x 15 pol. pinstrip
    1 x 16 pol. pinstrip

PCB-board 160 mm x 100 mm

Here the placementplan as PDF-file

    while making the PCB with Photoprocess please keep attention to text marks
    to keep sure that during the lightingprocess the film is correctly positioned ( see text at the bottom ! )

   For correct sized Film download it as PDF by the link of the image below and print it according to the Text within the PDF-page !

download this code as PDF.file

   Here comes the next large Update
with the introduction of the "Piggy-Pack-PCB"
   it´s designed to be pluged on the top of the Base PCB introduced above.
   It´s first purpose is to display the state of the switches with LEDS so the status of the
   softswitsches AN0 to AN3 and the Pushbuttons PB0 to PB 3 are indicated by red
   LEDs that turn on, if the line is "High" and it also shows by LED which line of the
   16 outputs from the 74LS154 is turned on by switching to "LOW".

   The other part of the extension provides the user with the possibility to connect
   different devices to the Pushbuttonlines and it gives access to the variable resistors
   of an "open joystick" as well as the ability, that the 74LS154 may be interfaced
   with so called "Solid State Relays"instead of normal Relays on the Base PCB.
   Solid Stae Relays do not use that much power from the powersource and are
   more simple in use ( but indeed they are more expensive ! )

   With this expansion we will proceed with new coding and we will solve some experiments
   with devices like Reed Relays, which are used in home-security-systems to keep doors and
   windows under survilience. We will also do some experiments with the variable resistors to
   learn something about positioning coontrol which is used in devices like robotic-controls.

So lets start at the moment with the "Piggy-Pack-PCB":

and here is the PCB-film itself:

and here are the links - to the placementplan - and the PCB film - both as PDF-Files

and here is the link to the two datasheets for the "Solid State Relays" Datasheet simple Datasheet complete