-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KB100 David Bump -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRIEF DESCRIPTION Adaptor for using an AT keyboard with an Amiga computer. AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION Name: Paxtron Address: 28 Grove Street Spring Valley, NY 10977 Telephone: (800) 815-3241, (914) 578-6522 FAX: (914) 624-3239 World Wide Web: http://www.paxtron.com LIST PRICE $49.95 (US) $59.95 (US) for an integrated adaptor and keyboard. DEMO VERSION None SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE A2000 (5 pin DIN) or A4000 (6 pin MiniDIN) keyboard connector required. SOFTWARE None COPY PROTECTION None HARDWARE USED FOR TESTING Amiga 1200 (Modified for an external keyboard) Amiga 2000 PC Concepts 104-Key keyboard (Model SK-1100CW) INSTALLATION Plug the cable from the adaptor box into the computer's keyboard connector plug, and the keyboard cable into the connector on the adaptor itself. The documentation suggests that you turn your computer off during installation. REVIEW The adaptor is a small box, roughly 3" by 2" by 1" in size, with a 6" long cable exiting one side of the box, and a socket on the opposite side. There are two models of the KB100, one for A2000 variants, using the 5 pin DIN connector, and another model with connectors that match the mini DIN connector of the A4000. The adaptor works very well, I haven't had any trouble with it in the several weeks I have been using it. The adaptor remaps certain keys to emulate an Amiga keyboard. The Caps Lock doubles as the Ctrl key (if you press it in conjunction with another key, it acts as Ctrl; if you press it alone, it acts normally). The left and right Ctrl keys are remapped to the left and right Amiga keys, respectively. The Print Screen/SysRq and Scroll Lock keys (to the right of the function keys) are also mapped to the left and right Amiga keys. F11 and F12 are mapped to the left and right parentheses. The Num Lock key (in the upper left of the keypad) is also mapped to the Ctrl key. The number lock function of an AT keyboard is not supported (the keypad acts only as a keypad, not doubling as a cursor pad). The block of keys above the cursor keys is mapped, oddly, to mouse movement. Insert, Home, Page Up and End correspond, respectively, to pointer left, up, right and down. Page Down is mapped to the Help key (this is undocumented). The rest of the keys function normally. The right Alt key may have some other function which I have been unable to discern--it is labeled, in the documentation's pictorial keymap, as "Alt Gr." The "Windows" keys of 104-key keyboards are not usefully mapped by the adaptor. The left and right windows keys both produce an apostrophe (`), and the menu key produces the letter A. The adaptor even duplicates the keyboard reboot key-combination (Ctrl-Left Amiga-Right Amiga) of normal Amiga keyboards. Users who have modified their A1200s for external keyboards should note that this feature may not function on their modified hardware, and may even disable the keyboard until a reboot is performed. DOCUMENTATION The documentation consists of a single, one-sided sheet which describes the installation, and diagrams the keymap. This is a little sparse, but really does include everything I needed to know. I would have appreciated a table of the special keys, rather than a pictorial representation. LIKES It's simple; it does precisely what it needs to. I especially like the use of the Caps Lock key doubling for Ctrl--I originally thought this would be troublesome, but I have found it is completely transparent in use. DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS The documentation could have been a bit more detailed. I would have liked support for the extra keys on 104-key keyboards, and configurable mapping of those keys. COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS I haven't used any other similar adaptor; it may be the only commercially available adaptor at this time. There is no noticeable difference, aside from becoming accustomed to new key locations, from using an Amiga keyboard. BUGS None found. VENDOR SUPPORT Unknown. WARRANTY The only mention of a warranty, that I found, is on the "Warranty Seal" covering the seam in the adaptor's enclosure. CONCLUSIONS The device does exactly what it claims; further, it maps the special keys found on a regular Amiga keyboard--which is an essential feature. It provides an alternative to the relatively expensive Amiga keyboard; though it may not provide significant savings on the initial investment, keyboard replacements in the future will be much less expensive. I won't recommend it as an upgrade for a user who already has a working keyboard, but for those who need to replace their keyboard, or who are interested in the specialized varieties of AT keyboards, it is an excellent choice. COPYRIGHT NOTICE This text is freely distributable. David Bump dbump@frii.com END ===