As per OtherThread...
Has anyone looked at the Keyboard Babel project for ADB -> PS/2 conversion to implement in a microcontroller of some description? They've done a great job documenting the low-level protocols for various means of turning button-mashing into characters.
Dealing with the mouse could be done in discrete logic with apparent ease, if the stream of bits coming down the serial or PS/2 could be reduced (again, on a micro) to its base "events" - motion forwards/backwards on axis x/y, and button_down and button_up - examining how the teardrop ADB mouse does this would be a good strategy to reproduce the desired behaviour. Better yet, a two or three button ADB mouse (such as the one on some NeXTstations?) so that it's apparent how to handle multiple buttons. Not sure how scroll wheels would work, but examining existing implementations would once again prove beneficial there.
An elegant solution taking minimal space would involve a CPLD with a softcore microcontroller onboard (6811, 6502, whatever), and using the remaining space for the (negligible) logic necessary to turn mouse input into Magical Wonderful ADB Goodness.
Even were one not to use a CPLD, such a converter could be made sufficiently compact by the use of SMT devices and (of course) a double-layer PCB.
Of course, to be truly impressive, the Power button needs to be a big red palm-sized thing on the top of the converter, not that tiny little thing on the Keystone box ... we need some sense of theatrics after all! }
Has anyone looked at the Keyboard Babel project for ADB -> PS/2 conversion to implement in a microcontroller of some description? They've done a great job documenting the low-level protocols for various means of turning button-mashing into characters.
Dealing with the mouse could be done in discrete logic with apparent ease, if the stream of bits coming down the serial or PS/2 could be reduced (again, on a micro) to its base "events" - motion forwards/backwards on axis x/y, and button_down and button_up - examining how the teardrop ADB mouse does this would be a good strategy to reproduce the desired behaviour. Better yet, a two or three button ADB mouse (such as the one on some NeXTstations?) so that it's apparent how to handle multiple buttons. Not sure how scroll wheels would work, but examining existing implementations would once again prove beneficial there.
An elegant solution taking minimal space would involve a CPLD with a softcore microcontroller onboard (6811, 6502, whatever), and using the remaining space for the (negligible) logic necessary to turn mouse input into Magical Wonderful ADB Goodness.
Even were one not to use a CPLD, such a converter could be made sufficiently compact by the use of SMT devices and (of course) a double-layer PCB.
Of course, to be truly impressive, the Power button needs to be a big red palm-sized thing on the top of the converter, not that tiny little thing on the Keystone box ... we need some sense of theatrics after all! }