Serial Wacom ArtPad II for Macintosh Plus Question

[Pezdude]

I have a possibly stupid question, so please bear with me. I wanted to get into graphic design on my Macintosh Plus and purchased a Wacom ArtPad II from eBay. I knew before hand it was a DB9 serial connection but have seen adapters that go from DB9 to mini din8 ports like the Macintosh Plus has for its serial connections. I tried it out with some of the adapters I bought for it, but the Wacom software does not detect anything in the serial ports. I didn’t think there was a difference in serial connections from db9 to mini din8. I’m guessing that this tablet was originally sold for PCs as they also had ADB ones of the same model. Is this an issue with PC serial to Apple serial?

I didn’t think there was a difference, but wouldn’t be the first time I made a stupid mistake haha. For more context, I did have the tablet plugged in with a 12v power supply. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[paws]

I don't know but it's perfectly possible that the Mac driver only looks for the tablet at the ADB port, in which case you're out of luck.

 

[Pezdude]

I don't know but it's perfectly possible that the Mac driver only looks for the tablet at the ADB port, in which case you're out of luck.

There is an option to select serial port or adb so it should be okay as far as I know.

 

[Phipli]

Have you tried multiple driver versions?

Do you have any other serial devices that you can use to verify the adapters? There are... several ways of wiring them :/

 

[Pezdude]

Have you tried multiple driver versions?

Do you have any other serial devices that you can use to verify the adapters? There are... several ways of wiring them :/

I have not tried other driver versions yet, but I am hoping that is the issue.

I don't have too much other serial devices that I could use to verify the adapters actually work. Would they be wired differently from PC to Mac? If I am not mistaken, they both use RS-232 right?

 

[Phipli]

I don't have too much other serial devices that I could use to verify the adapters actually work. Would they be wired differently from PC to Mac?

The adapters can be wired in different ways, there wasn't really a standard adapter, and flow control was done in a few ways.

If I am not mistaken, they both use RS-232 right?

Nope, the macintosh is RS-422, not RS-232. A bodge is used to make it mostly function, but technically an RS-232 device connected to a Mac is non-compliant... but it works 99% of the time.

Its a technicality really, but you did ask me if a Mac is RS-232 and the pedantic answer is "no, it isn't".

 

[Pezdude]

Nope, the macintosh is RS-422, not RS-232. A bodge is used to make it mostly function, but technically an RS-232 device connected to a Mac is non-compliant... but it works 99% of the time.

Huh, learned something new today! Thanks for the new (to me) info. I always assumed it was RS-232.

For the time being, I will try different drivers and see if I can't get this thing going. I would love to start "doing art" on the Mac Plus. I will keep this posted with my findings.

 

[Pezdude]

A bit of an update! Unfortunately, I am still unable to get the Mac to detect the ArtPad II from the drivers. I have tried other ones to no success. I keep reading documentation out there for the ArtPad II, but most of the stuff I can find are for the Macintosh ADB version. The one I have is a serial connection that does require a 12v power supply connected to it.

I am currently unsure where to go from here. Does anyone have any recommendations on adapters that are know to be fully wired from DB9 to mini DIN8? Or any other recommendations on other drawing tablets that can connect up to a Macintosh Plus?

 

[cy384]

I have a wacom pen partner ct-0405-a that I use with my Mac SE. Make sure to get an ADB one (can tell by the cable and the model number ends in A, not R). The artpad models and the UD models like UD-0608-A should also work.

 

[Phipli]

I have a wacom pen partner ct-0405-a that I use with my Mac SE. Make sure to get an ADB one (can tell by the cable and the model number ends in A, not R). The artpad models and the UD models like UD-0608-A should also work.

Thats the issue - their Plus doesn't have ADB. The SE and the Mac II were the first Macintosh line computers to have ADB after the Apple IIgs introduced it.

Makes tablets more tricky than usual.

 

[cy384]

Thats the issue - their Plus doesn't have ADB. The SE and the Mac II were the first Macintosh line computers to have ADB after the Apple IIgs introduced it.

Makes tablets more tricky than usual.

oh, whoops, totally forgot, sorry!

 

[Pezdude]

Another update! I haven't troubleshooted the issue for about a week or so, but I have found some tools that may help. @Phipli let me know that the serial ports on the Macintosh Plus are actually RS-422 not RS-232 like the tablet is currently wired to be. I am going to take another shot in the dark and get a converter and wire it up to a cable that plugs into the Mac's serial port. I saw a post that someone made on their own blog about using this converter to get USB to work on the Mac. Here is the converter I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/Serial-Commu...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2VPXM5R5067ZO

We will have to see if it ends up working! I am determined to get this Mac Plus hooked up to a tablet and get drawing! (or MacDrawing?..... I will see myself out.)