The Sinclair QL Forum

Can the QL serial line handle a serial keyboard? I have a couple knocking around from the days before the PC XT came out when all keyboards were serial as were the terminals. I think the keyboards sent the serial data and the monitors displayed the received serial characters.

Ruptor wrote:Can the QL serial line handle a serial keyboard? I have a couple knocking around from the days before the PC XT came out when all keyboards were serial as were the terminals. I think the keyboards sent the serial data and the monitors displayed the received serial characters.

I've written a utility that just does this. It copies the data coming in from the serial ports to the keyboard queue.

Just do: LRESPR xkbd_bin and then KBD_USE 1 (for ser1) or KBD_USE 2 (for ser2). KBD_USE 0 turns it off.
I wrote it back in 1988 to control my BBS-running BBQL (which resided in a cabinet to keep the noise down at night!) from a second QL (and a home-made switch to switch the video!).
Those were the old days with JS ROMs, I'm not sure if it will work with Minerva. The original Dutch manual stated that you must load if AFTER loading the Pointer Interface, if present.

Download link: https://files.bredenbeek.net/s/0D1qwBd8RTSqjIl

Jan.

Thanks Jan I thought someone would have done it. I have some good quality serial keyboards lying around that will get a new lease of life.

Note that synchronous serial keyboards (the ones that have a CLK line) won't work with the QL serial ports.

Tobias

Are AT keyboards (5 pin DIN connector) suitable?

Cristian wrote:Are AT keyboards (5 pin DIN connector) suitable?

AT keyboards have a synchronous serial interface, not suitable for the QL's standard serial ports. You can connect them to a SuperHermes, if you have one.

Tobias

OK I understand. Thank you!