Re: DEC Keyboard Question

From: John E. Malmberg (wb8tyw_at_qsl.network)
Date: 01/23/05 

Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:26:16 -0500

johnhreinhardt@yahoo.com wrote:
> Thanks John. Maybe this will work then. The Avovent KVM has a
> "version" page and when I check it while it is connected to a Win2k
> machine it says the keyboard mode is "2" with a 101/104 key keyboard,
> while when it is connected to the VMS system it is mode "3". This KVM
> uses the "Print Screen" key to switch systems.

The "Print Screen/SYS REQ" key is F18 on the LK461, but I do not know if
it is shifted or not for each function code. I have not used the Print
Screen on a PC in years, and have never seen an application that used
the "SYS REQ" key.

> Currently I have no
> problem switching back and forth between the two using a standard PC
> keyboard, but I really want something more compatible with TPU/EDT/etc
> so I've been looking at the LK46X series. I also use
> telnet/PuTTY/XWindows to access the VMS systems mostly once they are
> set up on the network. I'm hoping the terminal emulator will also work
> with the LK46X keyboards. Looks like experimentation time.

Windows 2000/98/XP appears to work with the LK46x in my limited
experiments. Most of the labeled keys work as expected, and I do not
remember when the last time I needed to use the unlabeled functions on a PC.

It also appears that in my limited tests that the Pathworks 32 Powerterm
terminal emulator also recognized the additional LK keys that I tried.
I have not tried other terminal emulators, and I did not do a
comprehensive test.

An estimate of how the keys may work on a Windows PC can be found at the
following links:

http://www.encompasserve.org/DECUServe/DECnotes/VMS/3141.8

http://www.encompasserve.org/DECUServe/DECnotes/VMS/3141.9

It also appears that when the Left Alt F19 changes the Motif mouse mode,
only the Left Alt F19 changes it back. The same for using the Right Alt
key.

Let us know how your experimentation goes.

-John
wb8tyw@qsl.network
Personal Opinion Only