Re: Mystery hardware Part I

[cschroed@hercii_31hercii.lasc.lockheed.com (Curt Schroeder)]

In article <3knnl7$pkn@coyote.csusm.edu>, tdiaz@coyote.csusm.edu (Tony Diaz) writes:
|> Kid (neiderma@eden.rutgers.edu) wrote:
|> > On a ][+ (looks to be an original ][ upgraded to a ][+ because it
|> > has a REPT key) there is a membrane-keyboard strip attached to the
|> > front lip of the computer lid.  The strip has about 12 buttons on it
|> > and a ribbon cable which attaches via a db-9 connector to a daughter-
|> > board attached to the keyboard board inside the machine.  The membrane
|> > buttons display 0-9 and some other numerical stuff (period, plus, etc).
|> > With the db-9 connector attached, the ][+ keyboard works OK, with it
|> > unattached (which was how we got it) the keyboard prints the wrong
|> > characters (push H-G-R and you get "IGS").  There is a Videx company
|> > stamp on the strip.  What is this thing for?
|> >  
|> 
|> That is a Videx function Strip. It plugs into where the numeric keypad
|> would plug into on a ][+'s encoder board. 

Er, no.  The Videx Keyboard Enhancer hardware included a _replacement_ for
the keyboard encoder board (that board piggybacked behind the keyboard).
The membrane function strip plugs into the DB-9 on this encoder board.  
The other hardware provided was a replacement 40-char display ROM that 
included lowercase characters and 2 wires that when installed allowed the 
user to upload macro definitions into the Enhancer.  With a software 
utility provided by Videx, this allowed the user to create macro files 
for that could be uploaded prior to running an application.  Since the 
macros are actually stored in RAM on the Enhancer, they are immune to 
all but a cold-boot, thus you can even use them with games!

If memory serves, the numeric keypad socket was first introduced on the IIe
motherboard.

|> There is a disk needed in order
|> to use it, but it shouldn't be messing up the keyboard if the software is
|> not installed.

Correct, unless there is a switch or jumper that needs to be changed 
telling the Enhancer whether the keystrip is plugged in or not.  It has 
been a while since I have looked closely at mine, and I don't have the 
keystrip.  I have toyed with the idea of interfacing a digital joystick to 
it for playing intensive arcade games that use a limited number of keys on 
the keyboard (Apple Panic comes to mind), but have never gotten around to
actually designing the required circuitry.

|> With the software, you could program those keys to do different things.
|> ..and example would be having it say [PRINT "] in basic so you wouldn't
|> have to type that in all the time. Or other words you don't want to type
|> constantly.

Oh, it is much more powerful than that!  You can create macros on the fly
from the keyboard, not just with the utility I mentioned.  Thus, you may
create keyboard macros for ANY software you are using.  One of the ways I
use it is to remap the II+ keyboard, in conjunction with CP/M's remapping
capability, to eliminate the dumb keyboard mappings Microsoft hardcoded in
the Apple II CP/M 2.2 BIOS.  ;-)

Also provided were lowercase capable versions of Integer and Applesoft 
BASIC for DOS 3.3 that loaded into the 16K RAM card.  Has anyone out 
there ported the Videx keyboard handler patch from DOS 3.3 to be a Prodos 8 
memory patch?  This might solve some of the Prodos 8 application 
keyboard problems one runs into on the II+ occasionally...

Curt
-- 

Curt Schroeder                       | cschroed@hercii.lasc.lockheed.com
=====================================| cschroed@source.asset.com
These opinions are mine, mine, mine! | marylynn@netcom.com (lasc prefered)
      --- Apple II Forever! ---      |====================================