Re: DEC Keyboard Question

From: John E. Malmberg (wb8tyw_at_qsl.network)
Date: 01/25/05

  • Next message: j.lance wilkinson,: "Re: disposition of largest private DEC collection in USA" 
    Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:19:12 -0500

    Ken Fairfield wrote:

    >
    > I don't know specifically about the Outlook ES, but when I queried
    > Avocent's technical support that Fall, the answer I got back was,
    >
    > "While our switches do support mode 3 keyboard, it is
    > currently only in the 101/102 keyboard layout. The
    > additional keys would not pass through."
    >
    > I got similar negative responses from Adder, Linksys and Belkin.
    > I didn't expect anything different from Belkin, but Adder had a
    > nice little switch I would've liked to buy...too bad...

    A google search shows that there are several mode 3 keyboards available
    for x86 PC devices from several vendors.

    > The other piece of information I've gleaned from my research is
    > that essentially all of the switches put the physical keyboard
    > into mode 2, then translate to/from mode 3 for the VMS connection.

    A google search which I do not have handy indicates that x86 PCs not
    only regularly use mode 3 for keyboards, support for the LK series
    appears to be present in many versions of Microsoft Windows. The only
    version known not to support the LK4xx keyboards is the first retail
    version of Microsoft NT 4.0. The betas had support.

    Unfortunately I could not find a list of what versions of Microsoft
    Windows will support a NT 4.0 keyboard.

    It also appears from google that Linux will support an LKxxx keyboard.

    > Apparently Raritan does the translation with a per-system-connection
    > adapter (Alan, correct me if I'm wrong; I don't have any personal
    > experience with Raritan).

    Google is indicating that such translation is not needed as the x86 PCs
    operating systems already know about and use mode 3, but that conflicts
    with what others who have studied this more than I did.

    It seems what is needed is a scan code map for the LK4xx keyboards so
    that you can predict what key does what. All I have found so far with
    google is a web page that shows them for a large number of keyboards,
    but not the LK4xx keyboard.

    Based on the posting I found about Windows NT 4.0 specifically not
    working with an LK4xx keyboard, I am starting to wonder if that is what
    the real issue was.

    I have not been able to find search terms to get any information about
    this topic on the Microsoft site.

    > Rose does the translation in the switch if you get a model that
    > supports this: "ServeView +" / "ServeView Pro" do, as well as
    > their more expensive UltraView series.
    >
    > Christoph Gartmann has noted that even with the ServeView, you
    > may need to (temporarily?) connect a/the keyboard directly to
    > the Alpha system on reboot to get the full set of keys recognized.
    > Again, I don't have personal experience with the ServeView...
    > although I'm trying to find one I like on eBay...

    So far in my limited tests, Windows 98/2000 are quite happy with an LK
    keyboard connected through the cheap Belkin KVM.

    The Reflections 4 version I have appears to be able have their keyboard
    map reprogrammed to use the LK4xx keys, but do not have an easy way to
    do so, even though they have an LK4xx keyboard in their selection list,
    by default they leave the key mapping as if you have a PC keyboard.
    So it looks like I will have to see if there is a way to do the mapping
    and just put those settings in their own file.

    On the other hand, Powerterm in Pathworks 32 running on Windows XP
    automatically detected that the PC suddenly acquired (and with out a
    reboot), a LK4xx keyboard and immediately made the keys available. No
    changes required. That was not through a KVM, I just plugged in the
    keyboard to see what would happen. The powerterm keyboard map display
    however did not admit to the extra keys, but that could be a setting
    that I have not found yet, as I really have not looked.

    -John
    wb8tyw@qsl.network
    Personal Opinion Only

  • Next message: j.lance wilkinson,: "Re: disposition of largest private DEC collection in USA"

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