Keyboard Drivers
The keyboard is main input device used in a PC. A user can perform numerous tasks by using a keyboard. For example, the user can input data, access menus, play games, and so on. A PC keyboard is quite similar to the keyboard of a typewriter. The only difference is that a PC keyboard comes with some additional keys.
Generally a keyboard has 80 to 110 keys. These keys are classified into three categories:
- Alphabet Keys or Typing Keys: These keys consist of all the alphabets. The placement of typing keys is similar to that of typewriter. The most common layout of keyboard keys is knows as QWERTY, named after first six alphabetic keys of the keyboard. Other keyboard layouts are Dvorak, ABCDE, XPeRT, QWERTZ and AZERTY.
- Numeric Keys: This is a set of 17 keys. The placement of these keys is similar to the keys of a calculator.
- Control Keys: These keys consist of Arrow Keys, Home Key, End Key, Insert Key, Delete Key, Page Up Key, Page Down Key, Control (Ctrl) Key, Alternate (Alt) Key, and Escape (Esc) Key.
- Function Keys: These keys are generally shortcuts to menu functions, such as Help, Refresh, Save, Find, and so on.
Placement and type of keys on a keyboard differs from one manufacturer to another.
A computer keyboard is based on the principle of a typewriter. It follows the original QWERTY layout with a few additional function keys. In the initial days, transfer of data between keyboard and computer used to take lot time. This was because those keyboards were based on either teletype machine or on keypunches.
To overcome this flaw in the keyboard, video display terminals (VDT) technology was used with cathode ray tube technology. This allowed the users to have a visual of what they were typing and made it easier to edit, delete and create text.
With addition to the traditional or normal keyboards that are easily available and generally used, there are some more types of keyboards that have a few extra keys. These keyboards are:
- Multimedia keyboards: These keyboards come with additional keys using which you can directly access music, Internet and other commonly used programs. Some control buttons, such as mute and volume control are also available on these keyboards.
- Gaming keyboards: These keyboards come with additional function keys that make gaming easier for users.
- Virtual keyboards: A virtual keyboard comprises a full-size image of a QWERTY keyboard that is projected on a surface. When you touch the image of a key on this keyboard, a unique signal is generated that corresponds to the key you touch. This keyboard is also called as the projection keyboard.
The most commonly used keyboards today are dome-switch or membrane keyboards. When you press a key on this type of keyboard the rubber dome located beneath the key is pushed down. The under-side of the dome comprises a conductive contact that touches the conductive lines of the circuit located beneath keys. This circuit makes up the key matrix which is a grid of circuits with each circuit breaking at the point below each key. So, when you press a key, the circuit is completed and a small electric signal corresponding to this key is sent to the processor. The processor identifies the electric signal and its corresponding key by comparing the location of the key matrix circuit with the character map that is stored in its ROM or read only memory. The letter corresponding to the pressed key is then printed on the screen.
Some of the top manufactures of keyboards include, AOpen , Creative, DCT Factory, Focus enhancements, Gefen Systems, Kensington, Logitech, Microsoft, Nortech Engineering, Inc., Redmond Cable Corporation, Saitek, Shenzhen Lucallan Electronics CO. Ltd, and TelePrint Systems Inc.
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