Classic Computers vs. Classic Computingt

From: Jerome Fine <jhfine_at_idirect.com>
Date: Sun Sep 16 08:26:14 2001

>Zane H. Healy wrote:

> >>The PIII will emulate the keyboard layout of a VT220 if you use an LK461
> >>keyboard.
> >What makes the LK461 special?
> It has all the keys a keyboard should, not just the ones that the loser
> that designed the PC keyboard thinks it should. I just wish I could stick
> a LK461 on my Mac, I hate not having all the keys on it since I use it as a
> front end to my VMS systems.

Jerome Fine replies:

I realize that there are many individuals who will not accept a partial solution
to any problem. So if you are one of those who insist on a 100% perfect
emulation of the LK201/LK401, do not bother to read further.

HOWEVER, if you use the E11 emulator by John Wilson and you are doing
so on a PC (what other possibility is there?), then so long as you do not insist
that every function key on the LK201 is available and in the correct place,
there is a VERY viable solution that I am using with a normal 104 key PC
keyboard. Most of the function keys are available, but not quite in their
normal position. I found that the following map seems very useful, but
anyone can modify it to their own choices.

PC FUNCTION KEYS LK201
F1 maps to F6
F2 maps to F7
F3 maps to F8
F4 maps to F9
F5 maps to F10
F6 maps to F11
F7 maps to F12
F8 maps to F13
F9 maps to F17
F10 maps to F18
F11 maps to F19
F12 maps to F20
Insert maps to Find
Home maps to Insert Here
Page Up maps to Remove
Delete maps to Select
End maps to Prev Screen
Page Down maps to Next Screen

Note that since all of the above mapping is specified in a text file, each
user can make any modifications that suit their unique preferences.

PLUS, I found one modification that really helps a great deal. E11 allows
the CAPS LOCK/LCTRL to be swapped so that their location more
closely resembles the VT100/VT220/VT320 usage. I went one step
further and abandoned the easy use of the CAPS LOCK function (it is
still easily available, just not as obvious) and accepted the CAPS LOCK
to be the LCTRL. IN ADDITION, the LCTRL has become a SUPER
NO SCROLL key that had that same position on the VT100 which I
always found extremely inconvenient on the LK201 keyboard - since
the NO SCROLL key was at the top and out of easy reach. Now, the
LCTRL key acts as the NO SCROLL key on the VT100 does with
the following modifications:

(a) Depressing the key sends the "CTRL/S" character.
(b) Releasing the key sends the "CTRL/Q" character EXCEPT when the
      LSHIFT key is also pressed.

If anyone wishes the plain ASCII text file to make their own changes, please
ask. If you wish to discuss why the EXCEPT is in (b) and why the action
is now a toggle based on one DOWN/UP motion rather than two DOWN/UP
motions as with the actual VT100, the answer is very simple. The PC display
is so fast that the (a)/(b) specified provides about twice the response time
(actually half if you look at it the other way) an allows MUCH fines control
of the number of lines that a user allows between successive DOWN/UP
motions of the key. When I try to duplicate the VT100 keyboard, about
the fewest lines that I can manage is around 10 additional lines. With the
above (a)/(b) set-up, I can usually manage to display only around 5 additional
lines on the monitor of the PC for each DOWN/UP motion of the LCTRL
key. Actually, in practice, the initial freeze of the display is a DOWN motion
which is held as long as the display is to be frozen. Then, when I wish to
display as few additional lines as possible, a very quick UP/DOWN motion
is used. If two UP/DOWN motions (or DOWN/UP which ever way you
look at the emulation) are required, the toggle aspect required to send the
"CTRL/Q" followed by the "CTRL/S" as quickly as possible takes just about
twice as long and that is not acceptable to me when I use E11 on the PC.

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
Received on Sun Sep 16 2001 - 08:26:14 BST