home > hardware > internal Newton MP2100 DIN8 |
Adding an internal DIN 8 serial connector to the Apple Newton
MessagePad 2100.
This is a rather low-tech hack which results in a built-in DIN8 serial port on the MessagePad 2000/2100. The particular connector chosen also includes a switch which, with some modification, can be used to trigger the NewtonOS dock/keyboard signal. : This information is supplied without any guaranty of any kind. You risk seriously damaging your MessagePad if you use this information and you do so entirely at your own risk.
Given the nature of my hack I'll just provide the wiring locations and
the part number for the connector I used.
The location of each of the various serial port connections is shown in these
photographs of the MP2100 circuit board:
diagram 2 / bottom and (less useful)
diagram 1 / top.
|
The connector used is the CUI Stack part, MD-80SMW,
which is available from
Digi-Key among other places.
You can find drawings and information for this connector family on this
page
at the
CUI Stack web site.
Note that the hole through which the connector will protrude is not
rectangular but rather has sloped sides. Also, the top, back portion of
the connector metal housing as well as some of the housing top near the
front (end with the connector) will need to be cut away so that the connector
will fit into the space. Note also that the connector's pins must be cut
down to less than 1mm in exposed length; some sort of protection against
wear and potential problems with the MessagePad casing interior coating
would probably also be a very good idea. Finally the switch pins must be
modified to be Normally Open in order to achieve the prodDockAttach pin
function. |
© 2001, d.holmes
CC BY-SA [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike] (info)