[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Extended Keyboard

aoki@husc8.HARVARD.EDU (Edwin Aoki) (02/02/90)

In article <18870@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> lnb@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Speaker for the Dead) writes:
>I have Macintosh SE and an extended keyboard.  I have noticed that, of the
>three lock lights (num lock, caps lock, scroll lock), only the caps lock light
>works when the caps lock key is depressed.  I know the other two lights work
>because they flash when I turn on the computer, but when I hit the num lock or
>scroll lock keys, the lights don't turn on.  Does anyone know what the problem
>is, and if there is anything I can do about it?
>
Apple does not intend for the lights to do anything, really.  There is no
problem; they can be accessed through the ADB driver (I don't have my
Inside Mac V handy...), but they're not intended to be used by macintosh
software.  It think it's more for PC emulation stuff, though I don't know
if programs like SoftPC support it.

I suppose it's possible to hook up an INIT or something to get the lights to
turn on when the keys are pressed, but you'd probably have to talk to some-
one in comp.sys.mac.programmer about that....

Hope this helps (and if anyone out there has found a way to get the darn
lights to do something, please let ME know, too).

-Edwin Aoki
(aoki@husc8.harvard.edu/aoki@husc8.bitnet)

P.S.  The lights on the DataDesk 101 keyboard are Power On, Shift Lock, and
Window Lock...

wilkins@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Mark Wilkins) (02/02/90)

FullWrite Professional uses the num lock button to indicate whether the
keypad is being used in numeric mode or to move the cursor around, like an
IBM PC, presumably to speed the transition from a PC to FWP.

-- Mark Wilkins
   wilkins@jarthur.claremont.edu

tbutler@wpi.wpi.edu (Tim Butler) (02/02/90)

In article <1454@husc6.harvard.edu> aoki@husc8.HARVARD.EDU (Edwin Aoki) writes:

>   problem; they can be accessed through the ADB driver (I don't have my
>   Inside Mac V handy...), but they're not intended to be used by macintosh
>   software.  It think it's more for PC emulation stuff, though I don't know
>   if programs like SoftPC support it.

Microsoft Excel 2.2 uses the scroll lock light and the num lock light.
It often leaves the num lock light on too.
But I suppose this helps Excel Mac and PC versions be completely identical.
(when I can't find the mac manual, the PC one serves just as well)
					
						-tim