If your TP model is 370C, 760EL or 760ED or another model that has a C46 eeprom then continue.

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CAT146 Key Maker Interface PARTS LIST

1  X D Connector 9 pin Female Solder

 6  X  0.1uf low voltage Ceramic Capacitor or equivalent value; 100nF, 100,000pF or EIA code 104. 

The ceramic capacitors are not polarised, so it does not matter which lead is used, so long as the leads are connected as show on the high resolution image of the Key Maker Interface. 

 NOTE: if you can only obtain the HIN232, you will need to use 1.0uF capacitors for as the 0.1uF capacitor will NOT work with the HIN232.

1 capacitor is used by being solder near the unsoldered C46 eeprom connects to VCC and GND

3  X  4700 ohm resistor 0.25W any tolerance, 5% or 1 % is OK 

Most resistors can have a 4 or 5 band colour code, the resistors I used as shown on my images are 5 band colour code.

a 4 band colour code  4700 ohm resistor has the following coloured bands YELLOW, VIOLET, RED. The band at the far end can be silver, gold, brown etc, it is irrelevant for our purposes.

a 5 band colour code  4700 ohm resistor has the following coloured bands YELLOW, VIOLET, BLACK, BROWN. The band at the far end can be silver, gold, brown or red, it is irrelevant for our purposes.

1  X  330 ohm resistor 0.25W any tolerance, 5% or 1% is OK

Most resistors can have a 4 or 5 band colour code, the resistors I used as shown on my images are 5 band colour code.

a 4 band colour code 330 ohm resistor has the following coloured bands ORANGE, ORANGE, BROWN. The band at the far end can be silver, gold, brown or red, it is irrelevant for our purposes.

a 5 band colour code 330 ohm resistor has the following coloured bands ORANGE, ORANGE, BLACK, BLACK. The band at the far end can be silver, gold, brown or red, it is irrelevant for our purposes.

4  x  Diode 1N4148 or 1N914  

all diodes have a BAND at one end going all the way around the body of the diode, take care that the band end of all the diodes are oriented as depicted on the images of the Key Maker Interface.

1  X  Integrated Circuit  MAXIM MAX232CPE [Multichannel RS-232 Drivers/Receivers 16/PDIP .300 Package]  

PDIP [Plastic Dual Inline Pin] not SMD [Surface Mount Device]

or MAX232 or MAX232A or ICL232 or ST232.

 You could also use the HIN232 NOTE: if you can only obtain the HIN232, you will need to use 1.0uF capacitors for the capacitors mounted below the MAX232 [as depicted in the interface photos] as the 0.1uF capacitor will NOT work with the HIN232, You still need a 0.uF capacitor mounted above the MAX232 between pins 15 and 16..

Having difficulty finding the MAXIM MAX232CPE IC, then search on the net for MAX232CPE  or 232CPE using any search engine.

I have received reports that the SIPEX 232ACP does NOT work with the Key Maker interface.

1  X  Light emitting diode [used for LED1] 

The LED is not crucial to the operation of the Interface, it is there just to signal that the Interface is turned ON.

Any 5 mm or 10 mm led with Vf of about 2 volts will do.

The LED top is a almost a circle, with one side flat, the lead nearest the flat side is connected to the 330 ohm resistor, the lead furthest from the flat side is connected to VCC.

The flat side of the LED is on the left in the images of the Key Maker Interface.

1  X  Solderless Breadboard also wire to connect components, single strand copper wire, sometimes supplied with the breadboard. 

Search the net for "Solderless Breadboard, 

NOTE: The layout of the Solderless breadboards is universal, so you do NOT need a picture of the underside of the breadboard, if the top looks like the one I used the bottom connections should match.

DigiKey also have a solderless breadboard at http://rocky.digikey.com/scripts/ProductInfo.dll?Site=US&V=395&M=923252-I

The digikey Super-Strip part no is 923252_ND priced at $21.89

Or there is one at Radio Shack for $21.99  Catalog # 276-169

You may be able to obtain one cheaper elsewhere any good supplier of electronic components etc should have one.

1  x  PC Serial Cable with MALE DB9 connector at interface end DO NOT USE A "NULL MODEM CABLE" this cable has to be a standard serial cable with a 1 to 1 relationship between pins at either end of cable, NOT crossed over as they are in a "NULL MODEM" cable.

1  X  small quantity 0.18mm enamel coated wire [for soldering to eeprom pins] this can also be sourced from an old small transformer or coil.

The wire needs to be this small diameter to avoid shorting together adjacent pins on eeprom, and also the flexibility of the fine wire will avoid placing twisting forces on eeprom pins and will avoid breaking pins on the eeprom.

The copper wire should be insulated, NOT bare copper wire

The wire I use is 0.18mm in diameter and it has polyurethane insulation

0.18 mm diameter is equivalent to;

SWG   0.0100  

WIRE NUMBER  33

A.W.G or B&S   0.0071

A.W.G.Metric  0.1803

AWG = American Wire gauge

B&S = Brown & Sharpe

SWG = Imperial Standard Wire Gauge (British legal standard)

1  X  Battery holder 3 AA [preferably with on/off switch] or [1 AA + 2 AA wired in series] 

1  X  Small single pole switch [used for SW1] - Not required if the battery holder has a built in On/OFF switch.

You will also need some stiff copper wire to make the connections on the Solderless breadboard and possible a plug and socket to use between the interface and the eeprom or ThinkPad during eeprom analysis. 

Important: Make sure IC [MAX232 OR EQUIV] is a PDIP [Plastic Dual Inline Pin] and not SMD [Surface Mount Device]

 

1  X  Soldering iron with a fine tip for working on SMD devices

1 X   Small quantity of small diameter solder

1  X  Soldering iron tip cleaning sponge.