djb@wjh12.harvard.edu (David J. Birnbaum) (05/09/90)
Subject: keyboard bios quirks
Expires:
References:
Sender:
Reply-To: djb@wjh12.UUCP (David J. Birnbaum)
Followup-To:
Distribution:
Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge MA
Keywords:
Dissatisfied with the marshmallow-like texture of the Keytronic
keyboard that came with my CompuAdd 286, I purchased a Chicony
101-key keyboard with much better response. Alas, the Chicony
does strange things with my print screen key. Specifically,
using this key often puts the keyboard into a peculiar type of
shift lock, where all keys (not just alphabetic) behave as if the
shift key was depressed (note: this is not the normal effect of
shift lock, which affects only alphabetic keys). Depressing shift
and control simultaneously restores the keyboard to its former
civilized state. (Ah, trial and error.)
This problem is particular acute when I have loaded several tsrs
into high dos memory with Qram or Move'em. It does not seem to
depend on any particular tsr and reducing the total number makes
the problem less frequent.
This prompts a couple of questions:
1) Anyone know what's going on, why, and what to do about it?
2) Can anyone send me an address or telephone number to get in
touch with Chicony?
3) Are there any diagnostics I can try to determine which tsrs
might be at fault? I've tried random rearrangement, but there are
a lot of variables and no pattern seems to emerge. (So much for
trial and error!)
4) Can I use chips from the Keytronic keyboard to replace chips
in the Chicony and, if so, what and how? I am not particularly
afraid of taking a screwdriver to the keyboard, but I have never
done so before, I am not a computer professional, and I don't
know what I should be looking for and whether this type of trans-
plant is reasonable. I'd be grateful for any advice.
--David
============================================================
David J. Birnbaum djb@wjh12.harvard.edu [Internet]
djb@harvunxw.bitnet [Bitnet]
============================================================