Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET (Z4648252) (09/22/89)
A while back, I asked the net if anyone has any clues on how to
build a caps/lock indicator for the ST. Most replies bordered on
the fact that this is typically done via software display, i.e.,
corner indicators, etc.
However, since the ST lends itself so well to emulating anything
other than the Amiga (grin) that it loses software caps/lock
indication. Heck, how was Atari to know back in 85 that it was
going to regularly run IBM and Macintosh software???
Bill Hendricks mailed me a working Giodata product called
The TIME-SOURCE. Essentially, it is a unit that plugs into
the keyboard. One removes the keyboard encoder chip, plug the
Giodata in and then install the encoder chip in a provided area.
TIME-SOURCE gives no only a battery backup to the clock but also
a LED caps/lock indicator.
Since I have a Mega, I ignored the battery installation for
the clock. Happily, the caps/lock LED still worked. So, if you
emulate other systems, you might try to dig up TIME-SOURCE. As far
as I know, the product died a couple of years ago.
Why...?
Well, the caps/lock indicator is not particulary intelligent
during crashes and bombs. If the ST is in all upper case mode
during a crash, and if you reset the computer, the LED will not
bump off, reverting to lower case as the computer does. In other
words, after recovery and if the LED was originally shining, it
will remain shining, in spite of the true condition of the case.
This is a minor fault for me, though. However, I'll bet that
the problem was a major reason for the product to be pulled.
Secondly, if one wants to hack on the product and try to
fix the aforementioned problem, all the chips are unmarked. EEK!
Anyway, this is a nice addition. I'm impressed. Sure wish
that someone could work on this concept... With the ST emulating
so many other products, it is needed.
Larry Rymal: |East Texas Atari 68NNNers| <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (09/23/89)
Larry Rymal asked about a hardware "Caps Lock" indicator for the ST... I'd think something like this would be fairly easy to implement.. *IF* you could detect the closure of the CapsLock key without disturbing the keyboard scan of the keyboard CPU... I'm not sure if you could isolate it with diodes or not... but if so, a simple "flip-flop" with a power-on reset would do the job. I'm not motivated by the idea enough to try it on my own ST, but I think I'll try to remember to mention it to Mark Sloatman of Practical Solutions.. (makers of the Monitor Master, Mouse Master and other assorted "Masters"..) maybe he can come up with the "CapsLock Master"...! BobR