braner@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner) (03/09/90)
Hello, net.pc.programmers! I've just bought a Northgate Omnikey-102 keyboard. (Click a bit much for me but very positive action and, finally, "correct" key placement!) (Actually I'd like the capslock key FURTHER out of the way :-) It has an extra '*' key (to the right of the space bar). Don't know why they decided to use that key for an extra '*' when there are TWO of those already on the standard keyboard. I would have preferred an unshifted '_'! Even better, make that extra key programmable! (Dream on.) Anyway, I looked at the manual to see what can be done about that key, and noticed that there are _3_ scan code tables in the back of the manual, all 3 labeled as applicable to the PC/AT. What does that mean? The extra '*' key is in the schematic (yes, schematics included!) but not in the scan code tables. I presume the BIOS wouldn't know how to handle a novel scan code, so the keyboard controller translates it to the scan codes for shift-8. (Just a guess!) That means I cannot do anything to change the action of that key, uh? - Moshe
corum@bucsf.bu.edu (Gilbert Loomis) (03/18/90)
>>>>> On 8 Mar 90 17:21:22 GMT, braner@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner) said:
Moshe> Hello, net.pc.programmers!
Moshe> I've just bought a Northgate Omnikey-102 keyboard. (Click a bit much
Moshe> for me but very positive action and, finally, "correct" key
Moshe> placement!) (Actually I'd like the capslock key FURTHER out of the
Moshe> way :-)
I agree...I've just bought a Northgate Omnikey-Plus (~112 keys, I believe...
I haven't sat down and counted them), and it's they best keyboard I've seen
(subsequent discussion of keyboard merits is directed to comp.sys.ibm.pc, alt.
swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork -- this group is for programming).
[wishful but much shared thinking deleted]
Moshe> Anyway, I looked at the manual to see what can be done about that key,
Moshe> and noticed that there are _3_ scan code tables in the back of the
Moshe> manual, all 3 labeled as applicable to the PC/AT. What does that mean?
Now comes my plea--is there anyone out there who can explain a little better
than Northgate as to how I can use the extra keys as TSR hotkeys etc???
My experiments so far have been non-productive...as I've only written a few
simple (non-DOS-reentrant) TSR's, I'm not making much headway, and I've seen
no docs on handling the extra keys besides Northgate's somewhat badly written
ones.
Please email to me and I will summarize to the net if it seems warranted.
Thanx in advance,
--Rip
--
Rip Loomis -- BS (EE) '90 <corum@{bu-pub,bucsf}.bu.edu>
(a/k/a Corum Jhaelen Irsei, the Prince in the Scarlet Robe)