Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!killer!jonm
From: jonm@killer.UUCP (Jon Meinecke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Caps/Num/Scroll lock tweaker wanted
Message-ID: <3478@killer.UUCP>
Date: 24 Feb 88 15:44:31 GMT
References: <205@ritcv.UUCP> <444@gvgspd.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 34
Keywords: numlock scrolllock capslock num lock scroll lock caps lock
Summary: 101 key keyboards

In article <444@gvgspd.UUCP>, mrk@gvgspd.UUCP (Michael R. Kesti) writes:
> In article <205@ritcv.UUCP> mpk9172@ritcv.UUCP () writes:
> >Hi folks.  Quick question:  Can someone post the procedure necessary to
> >turn on/off the caps lock, num lock, and scroll lock?  I'm sorry if it
> >is an easy answer -- I'm a novice.
> 
> This does the trick, but does not change the state of the lamps in the
> keyboard (at least not on my 6300).  [...]

Some so-called 101-key "enhanced" keyboards use the state of the num lock
indicator light to determine the scan code which are sent to the system
for the arrow keys or editing keys (insert, delete, home, etc...)
which are separate from the numeric keypad.  These keyboards send the
appropriate scan codes to alter the "shift" state.  For example,
The Compaq 286 Tech Ref Manual indicates that for the "INS" key
the follow scan code sequence is issued (make/break):

	Shift active with NUM LOCK off:
		E0 F0 12 E0 70/E0 F0 70 E0 12
	Shift inactive with NUM LOCK on:
		E0 12 E0 70/E0 F0 70 E0 F0 12

An utility which only sets the BIOS data area shift state variables
and does not inform these enhanced keyboards will cause the BIOS and
the keyboard to be "out of sync" until the user presses a scroll,
num, or caps lock key.  The BIOS will then send the keyboard command
to set the indicator LEDs to what the BIOS believes is the shift state.
It should fairly easy to write a utility which both sets the ROM data
shift state variables and issues the keyboard command to set the LEDs.

This applies only to keyboards which support the "set indicator"
command.  Some earlier keyboards (which had indicator LEDs) did
not support commands from the system to the keyboard...

						JonM