Vintage Apple keyboard from 1986 receives modern OLED and wireless enhancements

A vintage Apple IIGS keyboard from 1986 is updated with OLED display and wireless capabilities by YouTuber 'mtt'.

: A YouTuber named 'mtt' modernized an Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard from 1986. Using Retrobright to restore its color, he integrated an OLED display and wireless features. A Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040 microcontroller and custom PCB were pivotal. He open-sourced the modification files on GitHub.

A YouTuber known as 'mtt' took it upon himself to modernize an Apple Desktop Bus Keyboard from 1986. He began by restoring the keyboard's original off-white color using the Retrobright method, which utilizes hydrogen peroxide and UV light to reverse yellowing.

The next step involved integrating a modern microcontroller, specifically the Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040, paired with custom firmware to capture keypresses and provide USB-C or Bluetooth output. Mapping the original keyboard matrix required meticulous work with a multimeter, ultimately leading mtt to design and fabricate a custom PCB.

Aside from updating its technological capabilities, mtt added an OLED keycap displaying various information and a wheel for volume control. The final product supports both wired and wireless connectivity, and mtt has shared the modification files on GitHub for others to replicate.

KeyboardModdingTech Culture