Re: DEC Keyboard Question
From: John E. Malmberg (wb8tyw_at_qsl.network)
Date: 01/27/05
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Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 23:00:19 -0500
Ken Fairfield wrote:
> John E. Malmberg wrote:
>>
>> I need to get a copy of the HP Pathworks 32 product for home use and
>> see if that works.
>
> I presume you mention Pathworks 32 because you want to try Powerterm?
Actually the real motivator is to put X-11 on one of the test PCs for
other purposes, and I figured that I would use the product that my
employer is selling :-)
>> I can not get the autoscan feature to work.
>
> Can you elaborate? I'm not clear what you mean by "autoscan".
Autoscan is where it every 8 seconds it switches the screen from one
system to the next. Not really a feature that I would use, but I got
curious about it.
> And after reading your note on DECUServe,
> http://www.encompasserve.org/DECUServe/DECnotes/VMS/3141.8 ,
> I have a few other questions:
>
> 1) The basic one, with both your DS10 and PC booted and connected
> to the KVM, does the keyboard "behave properly" when you switch
> back and forth between the two systems? This would answer
> whether the switch maintains different modes on the two ports.
Both machines behave properly. However it does not really answer the
question, as it is possible that the PC operating system is also using
mode 3.
The only issue is that sometimes I have to key in a single ALT-F19 to
get either DECWindows-Motif or Windows back in the right mode.
> 2) Can you "program" the switch to remember to use mode 3 on the
> DS10 port and mode 2 on the PC port?
No programming options. The switch is as it is. Just a couple of
status LEDs, cables and connectors. It gets power from the two systems.
No switches. No status screens. Just ALT-F19-F19-UP_ARROW to switch
sessions, and if the keys do not work on Windows hit F19 again, and if
the mouse on VMS tries to move a window instead of the normal mouse
action, then hit ALT-F19 one more time.
The only control is through the keyboard.
> 3) You wrote, "Of course this is not a complete test, and I have not
> seen what happens during or after a reboot of either the Microsoft
> Windows 2000 or XP system, or a reboot of the DS-10." Does this
> mean each system was already booted when you connect the KVM to
> them? Have you done a "cold boot" of either one with the KVM
> connected?
Yes, I connected it live to both systems.
A few weeks later we had a power outage, and I was able to do an orderly
start up of both systems with no problems. I thought I put that in a
followup note.
> 4) The key question for me is the one that Christoph Gartmann
> has raised and discussed with Fred: if you boot the DS10,
> either cold, or as a "hot" reboot, does the LK461 get put
> into the correct mode for VMS?
I have booted the DS10 several times now with the KVM and it has not had
any problems.
I am running the field test of 8.2 still. I will be switching to the
official release soon. I had one case of the keyboard/mouse
malfunctioning where I needed to restart DECwindows to get it working
again. I do not know if that resets the keyboard driver.
Unplugging the keyboard or plugging it directly into the DS10 did not
clear the problem before I restarted DECWindows from a Telnet session.
> I'm really close to purchasing one of these switches for my hobbiest
> setup. :-) At present, I share the monitor and mouse via a KVM, but
> I have _two keyboards_, one directly plugged into my PWS600au.
I used to have a KVM that I just used to switch the monitor. But
keeping the audio stuff organized on the desk was a pain. I did not
have room for a second set of powered speakers on the desk.
So when this KVM with audio went on sale for close to $20 after rebates,
I figured that it was worth the risk. And as the keyboard was not used
with the old KVM, I got rid of a wall wart that powered it at the same time.
I think that sale is over, but check around. I saw somewhere that there
was a web site that tracks who is offering rebates for electronic stuff.
I do not have the URL for it handy, but I supposed that either someone
here would know it, or a search engine could find it.
It now has me wondering if the older Belkin KVM that I replaced would
have worked if I ran the keyboard through it. I will have to try that
sometime. But first I would have to get the proper cables from it to
the computer.
Fred, Chris, you and other have clearly done more research in this area
then I have. I just bought the cheapest KVM I could find and plugged
it in to see what happened. I did not understand what the scan mode
issue really was when I did this.
If someone is primarily used to a PC layout, they may be a bit surprised
at the difference. For me, this makes the PC easier to use, except
getting use to the change of the "<>" labeled key becoming "~`".
If you get one, I hope it works as well for you as this one has for me.
No one is claiming that this is supported though, so make sure that you
can return it if it does not work.
-John
wb8tyw@qsl.network
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