Homebrew Apple II clone rebuilds hardware, skips emulation

homebrew Apple – A new project called SB Mini II recreates the Apple II Plus in hardware, leaning on modern parts instead of emulation. The design swaps DRAM for SRAM, feeds video through an Apple II VGA card, and uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to interface a USB keyboard—then wraps

The next time someone boots up an Apple II for the “real” experience, they may not need an emulator at all.

Simon Boak’s SB Mini II project is a homebrew Apple II Plus clone that rebuilds the vintage machine in hardware. using modern components while keeping the behavior grounded in the original design. Posted on Sunday. the project frames its goal simply: getting the Apple II experience by focusing on circuitry instead of software.

Boak points out that many of the classic building blocks still exist in the consumer market. The core logic chips, including the 6502 CPU, remain available. From there. he used circuit diagrams from Apple’s original manual and drew on a library of books on the subject to build a plan—and a parts list.

The biggest shift comes with memory. The original Apple II Plus used dynamic RAM (DRAM) to keep costs down. In SB Mini II. Boak replaces that with static RAM (SRAM). which is cheap enough now to make the redesign practical. The clone uses one and a half 32K SRAM chips to reach the 48K memory size the Apple II Plus needs. Because SRAM doesn’t require the same refresh behavior as DRAM. Boak says there was no need to include DRAM refresh circuitry. allowing the memory to function without that added complexity.

Video output gets another deliberate simplification. Boak remarks that much of the original circuit generated a composite video signal. Instead, he uses an Apple II VGA card to deliver sharper output. That choice also removes the need for the original video generation logic inside the clone.

Taken further, the project is described as a “headless” clone if it’s used without the VGA card. Boak also reshapes timing where he can: instead of relying on the original approach, he uses a 4.096 MHz crystal oscillator, divided down to 1.024 MHz—close to the 1.023 MHz of the original machine.

For inputs, the clone leans on a modern bridge. A Raspberry Pi Pico—more powerful than the Apple II Plus itself—connects a USB keyboard to the Apple II system. The Pico generates the same parallel data signals as the original keyboard and, by doing that, removes the need for voltage level shifters.

The build isn’t just functional. Boak designed a “smart case” for the SB Mini II. with a housing created from 3D-printed parts that were glued and painted together. Those part files have been released via GitHub. The case is based on the design of Apple’s ProFile hard drive. but it adds extra vents and a rear panel so connections can be reached. Like the original Apple hardware. the enclosure is meant for easy access: the lid clips shut and can be opened without tools.

To complete the setup, Boak also designed a matching Studio II LCD monitor.

SB Mini II isn’t Boak’s first Apple-inspired hardware project. In June 2024, he created an Apple 1 clone with a printer, using an SD card for storage.

And the larger trend of hardware recreations—rather than emulation—has been showing up in the wider Maker world too. In 2024, a Hackintosh project aimed to recreate the original Macintosh Plus with modern components internally. That effort also used 3D printing to produce a highly accurate, full-scale recreation of Apple’s hardware.

For anyone who’s ever chased that vintage feeling, SB Mini II makes the chase feel different: less like running a simulation, more like building the machine again—clock, memory, video, and all.

Apple II clone SB Mini II hardware emulation 6502 CPU SRAM DRAM refresh Apple II VGA card Raspberry Pi Pico USB keyboard 3D printed case ProFile enclosure