[net.lang.apl] multi-font keyboard

jbww@ukc.UUCP (J.B.W.Webber) (06/17/85)

		Could you make use of a 

		      KEYBOARD

		(Cherry G80-0361,  cased)

supporting all of :	1)	Standard ASCII characters
			2)	APL  symbols
			3)	Numerous  maths symbols
			4)	Greek symbols

[If not, skip the rest, my apologies for posting in a number of groups]


I was recently tempted into laying out a keyboard design, by an initial low
quote for the engraving.  The final quote is higher than we are prepared to
pay, due mainly to the cost of the engraving masters, spread over just half
a dozen keyboards.
I am writing this in the hope that there might be others interested in a
keyboard like this, resulting in a sharing of the costs. (Roughly, in $sterling:
$110 for the standard keyboard + $30 for the engraving + $400/N for the masters
+ 15%VAT).  Another dozen keyboards would probably give a realistic value for N.


My main aim was to produce a keyboard that provides easy access to a wide
range of characters that are used often,   by physicists, mathematicians, 
computer scientists ....
With printers and screens now supporting loadable character sets, and the
software tools like TEX, troff and eqn, one of the remaining impediments
(particularly for the occasional user, who may be used to scattering maths
and Greek symbols freely in handwriting) is the limited character sets
available directly on a standard keyboard.

The keyboard I chose provides 8 bit data (serial or parallel available),
but software switching can provide more than 256 characters.
As is normal in APL, extra characters can be accessed by 'overstriking'.
Simple translators could be added to provide interfaces to the text and
equation tools TEX, troff, eqn,  and to drive extended character set APL.

There is a cursor/number pad,   a row of 17 function keys along the top,
and four to the right.  It has n-key-rollover, with mechanical gold crosspoint
contacts, autorepeat, is low profile, has nunerous baud-rates, uses +5 volt .


The design criteria that I tried to follow were :

1)	As 'standard' an ASCII keyboard as possible.
	(It is amazing how they	differ). Note :  NOT selectric layout.

2)	As little duplication of maths symbols as possible.
	This conflicts with (3), and get broken in a number of places
	for reasons of symmetry, standardization and convenience.

3)	An APL keyboard as standard as possible,
	where this does not conflict too violently with (2)

4)	As 'natural' a positioning for Greek symbols as possible,
	usually as per troff \(*a for alpha.  All the 'standards' differ in
	a few characters.  For these I deviate in favour of more natural
	lexical relationships.  Includes varphi, vartheta, terminal sigma.

5)	A general purpose set of functional, relational and logical maths
	symbols (avoiding those I only found in one particular reference).
	Includes such as infinity, identical, <<, >>, approx, ....
	plusminus, minusplus, sum, integral, partial d, ....
	because, therefore, there exists, for all time, ....

6)	A few textual symbols, and a $sterling symbol 
	(as well as dollar in the  standard ASCII shifted-4 position.)

I added some bracket building characters, for users that do not want to call
eqn.  Some of the function, special + cursor keys can be labled for use with
a local processor, working in a unix-like environment with host communications,
multipaging text screen, and graphics.

	IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

We are now in the position where we will have to order standard ASCII keyboards,
within days, if there is no likelyhood of us getting the multi-character ones.
Do please indicate if you are making a general enquiry, or a firm commitment.


				J.B. Webber
				Rm 15, Univ. of Kent, Canterbury. CT2 7NR
				Canterbury (0227) 66822   Ext 487

Sorry about the length - I felt it best to give enough info. to evaluate the kbd