Apple Numeric Keypad IIe: Difference between revisions
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Convert bare reference list to real <ref> citations (Deskthority, neatnik.net teardown, Apple Tech Info Library #883). Added the 342-0132-C ROM incompatibility that stops the function keys working - Apples own, and the single most useful fact on the page. Deleted unsourced 1987 discontinuation, US$75 price, dimensions, weight and the Macintosh Numeric Keypad influence claim |
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| type = Numeric keypad | | type = Numeric keypad | ||
| released = 1983 | | released = 1983 | ||
| interface = DB-15 to an 11-pin internal header | |||
| interface = DB-15 | |||
| compatible = Apple IIe | | compatible = Apple IIe | ||
| predecessor = [[Apple Numeric Keypad II]] | | predecessor = [[Apple Numeric Keypad II]] | ||
| model = A2M2003 | | model = A2M2003 | ||
}} | }} | ||
<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" /> | |||
The '''Apple Numeric Keypad IIe''' (model A2M2003) is an external numeric keypad for the [[Apple IIe]], introduced in '''1983'''.<ref name="dtiie">"Apple Numeric Keypad IIe", [https://deskthority.net/wiki/Apple_Numeric_Keypad_IIe Deskthority wiki]. Model A2M2003; FCC ID BCG9GRNUMERCPAD2E (1982); introduced 1983; Alps SKCC Tall Black and Alps integrated dome (black cross mount) switches. Also the note that '''Apple's own switch part numbers give the switches in the Keypad II and IIe as SMK short stem (presumably the SMK J-M0404 series), but examined IIe units have been found to contain Alps switches''', and the ROM incompatibility recorded below. '''Community wiki, cited as a secondary source'''.</ref> Its FCC identifier, '''BCG9GRNUMERCPAD2E''', is dated 1982.<ref name="dtiie" /> | |||
'''Two versions shipped under the same model number''', and they are told apart by the legends before anything else.<ref name="neatnik">Adam Newbold, "The Numeric Keypad //e", [https://neatnik.net/adam/bucket/numeric-keypad-iie/ neatnik.net], a documented teardown and QMK conversion of a physical example. Source for: two versions both under model number A2M2003 — the earlier (1982) with Alps SKCC tall black switches and double-shot PBT keycaps with larger capitalised white legends, the later (1983 onwards) with Alps black cross-mount integrated dome switches and dye-sublimated PBT keycaps with smaller dark legends; a rounded ABS clamshell case at a fixed seven-degree angle with the Apple logo at the lower left of the top surface; 24 keys in a 6 × 4 grid and the cluster-by-cluster layout, including the 1.5 u zero key and the PRINT key legended with a single question mark as shorthand for the AppleSoft BASIC statement; boxed contents (keypad, Operations Manual, service wrench and VisiCalc notice); '''four bottom screws — two exposed at the rear and two hidden beneath the rubber feet at the front'''; plate-mounted switches on a simple PCB with all connections routed to an 11-pin header plus ground connections; and a single fixed cable terminating in a DB-15. '''Enthusiast documentation of one physical unit'''.</ref> | |||
== | == The Two Versions == | ||
=== | {| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:90%;" | ||
|+'''A2M2003 versions'''<ref name="neatnik" /> | |||
! !! Earlier (1982) !! Later (1983 onwards) | |||
|- | |||
| Switches || '''Alps SKCC Tall Black''' (mechanical) || '''Alps black cross-mount integrated dome''' | |||
|- | |||
| Keycaps || Double-shot PBT || Dye-sublimated PBT | |||
|- | |||
| Legends || Larger, capitalised, white || Smaller, dark | |||
|} | |||
The legend size and colour are visible without opening anything, which makes them the practical identifier. Removing one keycap confirms it. | |||
= | '''A caution on switch part numbers.''' Apple's own switch part numbers give the switches in both this keypad and the [[Apple Numeric Keypad II|Keypad II]] as '''SMK short stem''' — presumably the SMK J-M0404 series — but '''examined IIe units have been found to contain Alps switches'''.<ref name="dtiie" /> Trust the unit, not the part list. | ||
== Design == | |||
''' | A rounded ABS clamshell case at a '''fixed seven-degree angle''', with the Apple logo at the lower left of the top surface.<ref name="neatnik" /> | ||
=== Layout === | |||
'''24 keys in a 6 × 4 grid''', in three clusters:<ref name="neatnik" /> | |||
=== | |||
''' | |||
''' | * '''Left column:''' Escape, left arrow, right arrow, space. | ||
* | * '''Centre:''' a standard numeric keypad with a '''1.5 u zero key''' at the bottom left, a comma to its right and a decimal point after that. | ||
* | * '''Right (two columns):''' open and close parenthesis, minus, divided by, plus, multiply, Return, and Print. | ||
'''The Print key is legended with a single question mark''' — shorthand for the AppleSoft BASIC <code>PRINT</code> statement, and one of the more cryptic legends Apple ever shipped.<ref name="neatnik" /> | |||
== | === Internals and connection === | ||
The switches are '''plate-mounted''' on a simple PCB, with all connections routed to an '''11-pin header plus ground connections'''. Those are tied into a '''DB-15''' — physically the same connector as VGA — on a single fixed cable.<ref name="neatnik" /> There are no active electronics; the keypad presents a bare X/Y matrix. | |||
== A Real Compatibility Fault == | |||
This is the most useful thing on the page, and it is Apple's own: | |||
'''If the Apple IIe has the 342-0132-C ROM fitted, the function keys on the Numeric Keypad IIe do not work properly.''' Revision B — and a presumed later revision D — do not have the problem.<ref name="til883">Apple Computer, Inc., ''Tech Info Library'' article #883, "Apple IIe and the Numeric Keypad: Some problems", last revised 25 February 1989 — cited via [https://deskthority.net/wiki/Apple_Numeric_Keypad_IIe Deskthority]. Apple's own note that the function keys do not work properly on an Apple IIe fitted with the 342-0132-C ROM, and that revision B (and a presumed later revision D) do not have the problem.</ref> | |||
The failure looks exactly like a faulty keypad. Check the ROM part number on the IIe's motherboard before condemning the keypad, replacing switches or rewiring anything. | |||
The keypad | |||
' | |||
== Maintenance == | == Maintenance == | ||
=== Disassembly === | === Disassembly === | ||
'''Four screws on the bottom''': two exposed at the rear, and '''two hidden beneath the rubber feet at the front'''.<ref name="neatnik" /> Peel the feet back carefully rather than cutting them; they are not available as spares. | |||
Apple shipped a '''service wrench''' in the box alongside the Operations Manual and a VisiCalc notice, which says something about how the keypad was expected to be installed and maintained.<ref name="neatnik" /> | |||
''' | |||
=== Cleaning === | |||
The two versions need different treatment: | |||
* '''Alps SKCC Tall Black (mechanical).''' Open the housing at its retaining tabs, clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol, check the spring, reassemble. | |||
* '''Alps integrated dome.''' '''Do not flood these with alcohol.''' Clean around the slider with a swab and compressed air, and clean the keycap stems. The dome is not a part you want to soak. | |||
== | === Keycap removal === | ||
Use a wire puller. The mount is Alps-compatible on both versions. Pull straight; do not twist. | |||
=== | === Dead keypad === | ||
The | # Check the IIe's ROM revision first — see above.<ref name="til883" /> | ||
# The keypad has no electronics, so a completely dead unit is a cable, a connector, or the internal header, not a failed controller.<ref name="neatnik" /> | |||
# Check continuity from a key's pads through to the DB-15 pins with the switch held down. | |||
== What Is Not Documented == | |||
No Apple figures for the keypad's dimensions, weight, retail price, discontinuation date or production volume could be traced, and none are stated here. Nor could any source be found for a claim that it "influenced" the Macintosh Numeric Keypad, so that is not asserted either. | |||
=== | == Modern Use == | ||
Because the keypad is a passive matrix on a DB-15, converting it is straightforward: a DB-15 breakout board and any ATmega32U4 microcontroller (Arduino Micro, Pro Micro, Teensy 2.0, Elite-C) will do, and QMK carries a converter profile for it at <code>/keyboards/converter/numeric_keypad_IIe</code> with the pin mapping recorded in its <code>config.h</code>.<ref name="neatnik" /> The conversion is non-destructive — nothing inside the keypad is modified. | |||
== See Also == | == See Also == | ||
* [[Apple Numeric Keypad II]] | * [[Apple Numeric Keypad II]] | ||
* [[Apple IIe]] | * [[Apple IIe]] | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references /> | |||
{{Navbox-AppleVintageAccessories|state=collapsed}} | |||
[[Category:Apple Vintage Accessories]] | [[Category:Apple Vintage Accessories]] | ||
Revision as of 19:10, 23 September 2026
| Apple Numeric Keypad IIe | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Apple Numeric Keypad IIe (Model A2M2003) | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Numeric keypad |
| Interface | DB-15 to an 11-pin internal header |
| Compatible | Apple IIe |
| Predecessor | Apple Numeric Keypad II |
| Model | A2M2003 |
The Apple Numeric Keypad IIe (model A2M2003) is an external numeric keypad for the Apple IIe, introduced in 1983.[1] Its FCC identifier, BCG9GRNUMERCPAD2E, is dated 1982.[1]
Two versions shipped under the same model number, and they are told apart by the legends before anything else.[2]
The Two Versions
| Earlier (1982) | Later (1983 onwards) | |
|---|---|---|
| Switches | Alps SKCC Tall Black (mechanical) | Alps black cross-mount integrated dome |
| Keycaps | Double-shot PBT | Dye-sublimated PBT |
| Legends | Larger, capitalised, white | Smaller, dark |
The legend size and colour are visible without opening anything, which makes them the practical identifier. Removing one keycap confirms it.
A caution on switch part numbers. Apple's own switch part numbers give the switches in both this keypad and the Keypad II as SMK short stem — presumably the SMK J-M0404 series — but examined IIe units have been found to contain Alps switches.[1] Trust the unit, not the part list.
Design
A rounded ABS clamshell case at a fixed seven-degree angle, with the Apple logo at the lower left of the top surface.[2]
Layout
24 keys in a 6 × 4 grid, in three clusters:[2]
- Left column: Escape, left arrow, right arrow, space.
- Centre: a standard numeric keypad with a 1.5 u zero key at the bottom left, a comma to its right and a decimal point after that.
- Right (two columns): open and close parenthesis, minus, divided by, plus, multiply, Return, and Print.
The Print key is legended with a single question mark — shorthand for the AppleSoft BASIC PRINT statement, and one of the more cryptic legends Apple ever shipped.[2]
Internals and connection
The switches are plate-mounted on a simple PCB, with all connections routed to an 11-pin header plus ground connections. Those are tied into a DB-15 — physically the same connector as VGA — on a single fixed cable.[2] There are no active electronics; the keypad presents a bare X/Y matrix.
A Real Compatibility Fault
This is the most useful thing on the page, and it is Apple's own:
If the Apple IIe has the 342-0132-C ROM fitted, the function keys on the Numeric Keypad IIe do not work properly. Revision B — and a presumed later revision D — do not have the problem.[3]
The failure looks exactly like a faulty keypad. Check the ROM part number on the IIe's motherboard before condemning the keypad, replacing switches or rewiring anything.
Maintenance
Disassembly
Four screws on the bottom: two exposed at the rear, and two hidden beneath the rubber feet at the front.[2] Peel the feet back carefully rather than cutting them; they are not available as spares.
Apple shipped a service wrench in the box alongside the Operations Manual and a VisiCalc notice, which says something about how the keypad was expected to be installed and maintained.[2]
Cleaning
The two versions need different treatment:
- Alps SKCC Tall Black (mechanical). Open the housing at its retaining tabs, clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol, check the spring, reassemble.
- Alps integrated dome. Do not flood these with alcohol. Clean around the slider with a swab and compressed air, and clean the keycap stems. The dome is not a part you want to soak.
Keycap removal
Use a wire puller. The mount is Alps-compatible on both versions. Pull straight; do not twist.
Dead keypad
- Check the IIe's ROM revision first — see above.[3]
- The keypad has no electronics, so a completely dead unit is a cable, a connector, or the internal header, not a failed controller.[2]
- Check continuity from a key's pads through to the DB-15 pins with the switch held down.
What Is Not Documented
No Apple figures for the keypad's dimensions, weight, retail price, discontinuation date or production volume could be traced, and none are stated here. Nor could any source be found for a claim that it "influenced" the Macintosh Numeric Keypad, so that is not asserted either.
Modern Use
Because the keypad is a passive matrix on a DB-15, converting it is straightforward: a DB-15 breakout board and any ATmega32U4 microcontroller (Arduino Micro, Pro Micro, Teensy 2.0, Elite-C) will do, and QMK carries a converter profile for it at /keyboards/converter/numeric_keypad_IIe with the pin mapping recorded in its config.h.[2] The conversion is non-destructive — nothing inside the keypad is modified.
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Apple Numeric Keypad IIe", Deskthority wiki. Model A2M2003; FCC ID BCG9GRNUMERCPAD2E (1982); introduced 1983; Alps SKCC Tall Black and Alps integrated dome (black cross mount) switches. Also the note that Apple's own switch part numbers give the switches in the Keypad II and IIe as SMK short stem (presumably the SMK J-M0404 series), but examined IIe units have been found to contain Alps switches, and the ROM incompatibility recorded below. Community wiki, cited as a secondary source.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Adam Newbold, "The Numeric Keypad //e", neatnik.net, a documented teardown and QMK conversion of a physical example. Source for: two versions both under model number A2M2003 — the earlier (1982) with Alps SKCC tall black switches and double-shot PBT keycaps with larger capitalised white legends, the later (1983 onwards) with Alps black cross-mount integrated dome switches and dye-sublimated PBT keycaps with smaller dark legends; a rounded ABS clamshell case at a fixed seven-degree angle with the Apple logo at the lower left of the top surface; 24 keys in a 6 × 4 grid and the cluster-by-cluster layout, including the 1.5 u zero key and the PRINT key legended with a single question mark as shorthand for the AppleSoft BASIC statement; boxed contents (keypad, Operations Manual, service wrench and VisiCalc notice); four bottom screws — two exposed at the rear and two hidden beneath the rubber feet at the front; plate-mounted switches on a simple PCB with all connections routed to an 11-pin header plus ground connections; and a single fixed cable terminating in a DB-15. Enthusiast documentation of one physical unit.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Apple Computer, Inc., Tech Info Library article #883, "Apple IIe and the Numeric Keypad: Some problems", last revised 25 February 1989 — cited via Deskthority. Apple's own note that the function keys do not work properly on an Apple IIe fitted with the 342-0132-C ROM, and that revision B (and a presumed later revision D) do not have the problem.