Chapter 5 Using Overlay Keyboards

control can be designed with a separate Overlay Maker program. IntelliPics is a multimedia program for creating early learning activities with sound and animation, and corresponding overlays, for access with IntelliKeys.

Key Largo / Ke:nx

Key Largo is an overlay keyboard for Macintosh. It needs a Ke:nx interface and software to work and the total cost of both is very high compared to other overlay keyboards. The keyboard is slightly larger than A4 and uses ‘US legal’ size overlays. The Ke:nx software provides full control over the Macintosh keyboard and mouse as well as digitised and synthetic speech. Many ready-made overlay files (called setups) are available for popular educational software packages.

Discover:Board / Ke:nx On:Board

Discover:Board (and the previous version Ke:nx On:Board) is an overlay keyboard that plugs into the Apple ADB keyboard/mouse port. It can be used with desktop computers or slides over an open Macintosh Powerbook and uses Ke:nx software to give full access to the Macintosh. Five overlays are supplied, with QWERTY, alphabetic, mouse control, numbers and multimedia layouts and new files and overlays can be made using the software supplied with the board. As well as good computer control, Discover:Board can be used to generate synthetic or digitised speech using the Mac’s built-in sound software. Keyguards with 32, 64 and 128 holes are available. There are ready-made curriculum activities and overlays for popular educational CD’s.

Others

The Saitek PCDash is a small overlay keyboard designed mainly for playing games on PC. It comes with ready-made overlays for games like Quake, plus one for controlling MS Word toolbars, and you can also design and print your own. It has 35 keys on the overlay, an eight-way ‘game-pad’; 2 fire buttons, and 3 programmable buttons. It is £49.95, from KCS and some computer suppliers.

Electrone manufacture a range of overlay keyboards (‘Keyport Touch Panels’) with 60 to 300 keys, for industrial, sales and healthcare applications. They are slightly larger than A4 size and are user programmable. They cost between £125 and £349.

Table 5-1 Overlay Keyboards

 

Overlay Keyboard

 

 

Overall

 

 

Overlay

 

 

No. of

 

 

Connects

 

 

Keyguard

 

 

Price

 

 

Supplier

 

 

 

 

 

size cm

 

 

size cm

 

 

keys

 

 

to...

 

 

& price

 

 

Guide

 

 

 

 

 

Acorn, BBC, Mac,

 

 

52 x 33

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMERC,

 

 

Nimbus, PC

 

 

 

 

42 x 30

 

256

 

 

Parallel or

 

2, 4, 6, 12,

 

 

 

 

 

Inclusive

 

 

Concept

 

 

(39 x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

32 holes,

 

£109

 

 

Technology,

 

 

 

 

 

 

(30 x 21)

 

 

- 16x16

 

 

serial port

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Universal A3

 

24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

£25 each

 

 

 

 

 

Concept

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(A4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keyboard Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acorn, BBC, Mac,

 

 

52 x 33

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parallel or

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMERC,

 

 

Nimbus, PC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2, 4, 6, 12,

 

£129

 

 

Inclusive

 

 

 

 

 

 

42 x 30

 

256

 

 

serial port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concept

 

 

(39 x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

32 holes,

 

 

(£177 for

 

 

Technology,

 

 

 

 

 

 

(30 x 21)

 

 

- 16x16

 

 

Infra-red

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Universal Plus

 

24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

£25 each

 

 

infra-red)

 

 

Concept

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

serial link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A3 (A4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keyboard Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acorn, BBC, Mac,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

256

 

 

Serial cable

 

 

 

 

£169

 

 

Concept

 

 

Nimbus, PC

 

 

28 x 10

 

 

24 x 16

 

 

 

or Infra-red

 

-

 

 

(£199 for

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 16x16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keyboard Co.

 

 

Touch ‘N’ Go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

serial link

 

 

 

 

 

infra-red)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acorn, PC

 

 

 

 

 

42 x 30

 

4096

 

 

 

 

2, 4, 6, 12,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

39 x 24

 

 

 

 

 

Serial port

 

 

32 holes,

 

£129

 

 

SEMERC

 

 

Informatrix 2

 

 

 

 

(A3)

 

 

(64x64)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

£25 each

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mac, PC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 different

 

 

 

 

 

KCS,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

576

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMERC,

 

 

 

 

44 x 26

 

 

33 x 22

 

 

 

 

 

types, £25

 

£239

 

 

 

 

IntelliKeys

 

 

 

 

 

 

(24x24)

 

 

port

 

 

 

 

 

Inclusive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to £39 each

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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