ir230@sdccsu3.UUCP (john wavrik) (06/29/83)
Many of those who have contributed their gripes about microcomputer
keyboards fail to distinguish between the keyboard (hardware) and
keyboard drivers (software). I was particularly intrigued by the flame
about the TRS-80 Model I keyboard. As it turns out, that is precisely
the keyboard I am using to type this ... and I didn't recognize it from
its description!.
It is true that the early TRS-80 Model Is suffered from keybounce
(including mine). This problem was corrected in later Model Is by a
change in hardware. It was easily corrected in the early models by
cleaning the key contacts or by a debounce routine ( which is built in to
the keyboard drivers in many operating systems for the TRS-80 ). The
standard Radio Shack driver produces upper case letters without shift
(which is the way I prefer it except for word-processing and
communicating with UNIX) ... most operating systems have drivers which
allow the user to toggle between this and unshifted lowercase. I use a
communications program written in MMS-FORTH. The good people at Miller
Microcomputer Services have provided a full ASCII keyboard with repeat
key ... the extra codes are not marked on keycaps, but they are in
logical places, so the arrangement is easy to use. I have never had any
trouble with rapid touch typing on this keyboard.
The TRS-80 keyboard is a set of switches which cross certain address
lines with data lines. All the interpretation is done in software. This
arrangement is very flexible: the sofware can recognize single and
multiple key presses and react in any way desired. It may well be that
other manufacturers also use this type of system .. in which case, don't
flame at the keyboard, just change the software if you don't like it!
John J Wavrik
.. ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!ir230