Xref: utzoo comp.std.misc:154 comp.windows.misc:1156 comp.misc:6548 comp.periphs:1903 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!ucbvax!agate!apple!arc!steve From: steve@arc.UUCP (Steve Savitzky) Newsgroups: comp.std.misc,comp.windows.misc,comp.misc,comp.periphs Subject: Re: User Interface Standards -- *Keyboards!* Keywords: keyboards,standardize,plug-n-play,freedom,ADB Message-ID: <440@arc.UUCP> Date: 14 Jul 89 16:59:07 GMT References: <115518@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <13@ark1.nswc.navy.mil> Reply-To: steve@arc.UUCP (Steve Savitzky) Followup-To: comp.std.misc Organization: Advansoft Research Corp, Santa Clara, CA Lines: 58 In article <13@ark1.nswc.navy.mil> dsill@relay.nswc.navy.mil (David Sill) writes: >The best keyboard proposal I've heard consists of defining a standard >hardware/software interface between the terminal or computer and the >"keyboard". The two keyboard interfaces I'm acquainted with are PC and ADB, both of which are serial, but with different protocols. Both expect the keyboard to generate different codes for key-down and key-up, which allows any key to be a shift (a feature which is not very well supported in the PC or Mac software). ADB handles arbitrary devices (e.g. mice); the PC can be made to do the same by mapping them into keystrokes or modifying the keyboard driver to handle more scancodes. >Most equipment would come with a "standard" qwerty keyboard, but third >party vendors would supply various alternatives including smart >keyboards, keyboards with built-in trackballs, digitizing tablets, >voice recognition boxes, handicap input devices (like the one Stephen >Hawking uses), etc. This is done more with ADB than PC, but there are plenty of alternate PC keyboards, some of which DO have things like trackballs on them. >Serious hacks would carry their keyboards around with them from >machine to machine replacing whatever keyboard was provided. They'd >never have to worry about adjusting to a different keyboard. What I'd like to see is a little box I can carry around with either a keyboard or a portable PC that lets it emulate arbitrary keyboards and do arbitrary remapping on the keys. To be really general you'd have to be able to program it to handle the oddballs, like Apollo and Sun, as well as PC's and Macs. For things like PC's you'd want the ability to map mouse motion and buttons into different keystrokes for different programs; this would require some smarts on the PC side. >I don't know much about Apple's Desktop Bus, but it may be something >like what I'm talking about. If so, it sure seems like some third >party vendors are missing an opportunity. Can anyone familiar with >ADB comment on this? ADB is sort of in the right direction, but because it's Apple it has all the usual problems: small market, high price, and weird problems (e.g. if you unplug your keyboard you risk blowing up your Mac, because the ADB also includes the "on" button!) Also the CPU has to poll it--no interrupts. >-- >-Dave (dsill@relay.nswc.navy.mil) -- Steve Savitzky | steve@arc.uucp | apple.com!arc!steve ADVANsoft Research Corp. | (408) 727-3357(w) / 294-6492(h) 4301 Great America Parkway | #include Santa Clara, CA 95054 | May the Source be with you!