From: Ken Fairfield [My.Full.Name@intel.com]
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 6:55 PM
To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com
Subject: Summary: KVMs, LK461 and DECwindows

    Some time ago, I started a thread titled, "KVM between PWS600au
and IBM T20 Laptop".  I now have an update and perhaps another
question or two.

Executive Summary:

    The Rose Mini-Vista KVM "works" well between a PC running
Windows XP and an Alpha running VMS and DECwindows.  However, when
using an LK461-A2 keyboard, the 6-key editing keypad, function keys
F18-F20, and the numeric keypad minus keys are mapped incorrectly on 
the Alpha, and the top-row functions keys from F13 through F17, and the
Compose key, are not available at all.

    Most KVM vendors support only a standard PC 101/102-key
keyboard, but in there higher-end KVM series, Rose say they fully 
support the LK461 keyboard.


Details:

    I have an IBM T20 Laptop [this is my work platform] plugged into 
its port-replicator (which allows me to use a standard keyboard,
mouse and monitor), and a PWS600au hobbiest system.  I wanted to
share a sungle LK461-A2 keyboard, 3-button mouse (Digital logo) and
Samsung SyncMaster LCD monitor at home through an appropriate KVM
switch.

    The issues that I knew to research at the time were that the laptop
(on its port-replictor) wanted the keyboard in mode 2, whereas the VMS
(and I think Tru64) want the keyboard in mode 3.
The mouse stays in PS2 mode (if that's the right term) for both
platforms, and this LCD takes analog input so there were no 
compatibility problems there either.

    I found three candidate vendors (there may be more) which would
maintain the keyboard in different modes on different KVM ports:
Adder, Raritan and Rose Electronics.  When I looked into the Raritan, I
found it requires a "converter" on any port that runs in
other than mode 2, and the cost of the converter plus the KVM was
more than I wanted to spend.  I almost bought the small Adder 2-port 
model, but after exchanging some correspondance with tech support at 
Rose, wound up buying the Rose Mini-Vista KVM.

    The Mini-Vista comes in two models, one with standard PS/2-MD6
mouse and keyboard connectors and VGA-HD15 for the monitor, and the
other with DB25 connectors at the switch for the computer ports.
Since the later required Rose proprietary cables, I chose the
former...but wound up buying Rose cables for that anyway since you
need male-male for the video hook-up which I couldn't find at Fry's.
[The Rose cables I bought are nice in that there is a single cable
that carries all of the keyboard, mouse and video, but they were a
bit pricey.]
    
    For reasons that have nothing to do with the KVM, it took a 
while to get my PWS to the point I could start DECwindows (no, the
Radeon 7500 will NOT work with a PWS 600au! :-).  When I finally
did get to the point of trying to edit in a DECterm, I found that
the DO key had gone AWOL and that the eidting keypad keys had
been "shuffled":

		Keycap		Mapped To
		------	  	---------
		Find	  	Insert Here
		Insert Here	Find
		Remove		Select
		Select		Prev
		Prev		Remove

Oh, and the minus key, "-", on the numeric keypad, mapped to the
less-than character, "<".  F13, F14, Help, Do and F17 sent nothing
to the xev, while F18, F19 and F20 mapped to F13, F14 and Help as
viewed in xev.  Finally, the Compose key sent nothing.

    Subsequent correspondance with the three vendors, plus Avocent,
Black Box and Linksys, showed that all vendors say the support ONLY
101/102 key "standard" PC keyboards.  Except for Rose...

    The Rose technical support person found explicit referecnces to
LK461-xx in his database, one in the german language varient!  The
low-end Mini-VIsta that I purchased doesn't support the LK461, but
the more expensive ServeView Pro and UltraView Pro series of KVMs
do!  So if you have a situation where you must have full LK461
functionallity, there is at least one vendor out there who can help. 
Unfortunately, I can't afford $500US for the convenience...although
I have been keeping an eye on e-bay...

    Rose support did say that there is a 1-to-1 conversion from the
scan mode 2 to scan mode 3 sequences, and so I suppose there is a
possiblity to remap the keys using xmodmap.  However, for those keys
which didn't send anything to xev, I don't know whether the VMS
DECwindows driver is even processing the codes received (Fred???).

    For the time being, I will plug in two keyboards, one into the 
switch to be used with the laptop, and one directly into the PWS.
I have enough room on either side of my desk to lean the unused
keyboard against the side of the desk. :-}

    I hope this summary helps others who are looking for a KVM that
will work with there Alpha VMS systems.

	-Ken
--
I don't speak for Intel, Intel doesn't speak for me...

Ken Fairfield
D1C Automation VMS System Support 
who:   kenneth dot h dot fairfield
where: intel dot com