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Term for Mac Plus and Earlier Keyboard Connector?

dcr

Well-known member
So, for PCs, there was the PS/2 connector and later USB.

For Macs, we had ADB and later USB.

But, early on, the Mac used a RJ11 4P4C connector for the keyboard which is like a phone handset connector but wired differently.

Question is, was there a specific name for that connector/port?

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but with PS/2, USB, ADB, it just seems like there would be something simple to distinguish it from everything else.
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
I just tend to call it "the pre-ADB keyboard port", which isn't much use. The mouse one can at least call "Apple Quadrature Mouse" which tells you how it works, even if it's not very useful as a term...
 

sfiera

Well-known member
If you're just talking about the connector, then 4P4C. If you're talking about the protocol, then I've seen and used “M0110” after the keyboard model number. Searching for “M0110 protocol” will get you information about it.
 

dcr

Well-known member
Whatever you do, just don't use a phone cable!

No worries. This is for fiction. Initially, I was going to have the character need an ADB keyboard and he could tell his companion to "Look for an ADB keyboard" but then I thought I wanted to go even more retro and have the character need the harder to find keyboard but having him tell the other character to "Look for an original Mac keyboard, the kind with the cord that looks like a coiled phone handset cable" is a bit wordy, especially since there's an urgency to the search.
 

mg.man

Well-known member
Sounds like it's an "unofficial" RJ-type (see "Similar jacks and unofficial names")
So you could use RJ9, RJ10 or RJ22. FWIW, it's definitely the same connector used back in the day for the handset to base on old school (wired) 'phones. :)
 

AeSix

Active member
I'm a bit late to the party, but I've had luck searching "Mac 128k keyboard" - long winded, but gets me there.
"Mac 4p4c" however, got me back to this post lol.

tinkerBOY calls his adapter "Mac 128k/512k/Plus" for PS2/USB keyboard -> Mac, but M0110 for M0110 to USB.

And, I had great luck finding a NIB 128k mouse on ebay with "Mac 9pin mouse"

If it's not too late for the fiction story, you could infer someone has created an adapter to use Meta Quest as input for the thing too... it /is/ fiction, after all. For now.
 

werdna

Well-known member
It wouldn't make much sense for your character to need a keyboard of that type unless they were specifically using a 128K, 512K, Plus, or 512Ke. As far as I know, no other computers use that protocol and connection for their keyboards. ADB is less ambigious, and was used for a much longer timespan on many more computers, including some NeXT systems.
 

Iesca

Well-known member
The Lisa, Apple IIc, and Apple IIe, all used interchangeable mice, in addition to the 128k, 512k, and the Plus, although their designs all differed slightly. Doesn't help with the keyboard though.
 

mikes-macs

Well-known member
Based on ADB being Apple Desktop Bus abbreviated, and USB being Universal Serial Bus abbreviated, wouldn't this be EMK, an Early Mac Keyboard port?
 
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