Black Box KV162A manual Multiplatform Keyboard Mapping Character Translation, Servswitch Multi

SERVSWITCH™ MULTI

8.4 Multiplatform Keyboard Mapping (Character Translation)

With the ServSwitch Multi, you can use any type of keyboard to operate any type of attached computer. However, when you “cross platforms” (operate a computer of one platform with a keyboard of a different platform), the Switch has to “remap” certain keys (that is, substitute another character for the one they normally generate) in order to provide all of the functions available on the keyboard native to the computer’s platform. For example, if you access a Sun workstation with a Macintosh keyboard, you will notice that the Macintosh does not have (among others) the [Stop] and [Again] keys that are on a true Sun keyboard. But when you turn Scroll Lock on, the ServSwitch Multi remaps the [F1] and [F2] keys on the Macintosh keyboard so that they function as the Sun [Stop] and [Again] keys. With Scroll Lock off, [F1] and [F2] function normally.

Tables 8-2 through 8-5 on the following pages are the “translation tables” for PC, Macintosh and Sun keyboards respectively. Where a key is listed in one of these tables as “undefined,” the ServSwitch Multi absorbs the character generated by that key without transmitting any characters to the the computer. Where a key is listed in one of these tables as “untranslated,” the Switch passes the character generated by that key directly through to the computer without altering or substituting for it, regardless of the state of the Scroll Lock.

All of the key mappings listed in these tables are valid only when Scroll Lock is on, except for the special [Alt]/[Start] “swap” (shown in Table 8-3) activated by the “Remap WIN95 Keys” System Configuration option (see Section 9.4.3.E). This mapping is active for that console’s keyboard regardless of the state of Scroll Lock, for as long as that remapping option is turned on, and takes effect whenever the user at that console selects a computer channel with a Macintosh attached.

NOTE

If you use Macintosh console equipment in a multiplatform system, you must use a serial mouse rather than an Apple mouse. This is because, while the remapping functions discussed in this section make it possible for a Mac keyboard attached to the Switch to emulate the functions of a PC or Sun keyboard, at the time of this writing there is no way for a one-button Apple mouse attached to the Switch to emulate a mouse with more buttons.

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