Author Topic: Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?  (Read 2599 times)

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Offline bcpk

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« on: Sat, 23 July 2011, 05:36:45 »
Hi all. Recently got a Noppoo Choc mini which, as it is tenkeyless, is perfect for gaming. However, thinking myself a right clever clogs, I decided to buy a cheap $5 USB numpad from Dealextreme (at the same time as buying the $18 scissor switch keyboard, reviewed by ripster, for sound-sensitive environments) so that I could place it to the left of the board in case I need to do some serious number crunching.

I received it yesterday and a problem immediately arose. To use the numpad as an actual number-entering device I have to enable the Num Lock. That Num Lock also enables Num Lock on my Choc Mini (and the DX scissor switch), which makes it impossible to type with the full keyboard due to the integrated keypad. With Num Lock disabled it works as page navigation keys, which is less useful as the Choc Mini already has those.

This rather defeats the purpose of an auxiliary numpad. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to get the independent number pad working without enabling the Choc Mini's Num Lock?

Offline alaricljs

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 23 July 2011, 07:14:59 »
AHK maybe... more details when I have a chance.
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Offline keyb_gr

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 23 July 2011, 07:29:55 »
The PS/2 / DIN versions of the Cherry G80-3700 / G84-4700 numpads supported something like that (mode 2). Not sure about the USB ones which do not seem to be hardware programmable and partly rely on software for the respective functionality.
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Offline alaricljs

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 23 July 2011, 13:11:48 »
So here's an autohotkey script that remaps the numpad to act as tho numlock is on whether or not it really is on.  There are programs where this will not work, but I do not know what they are because I've never run into one.  Just know that there are programs that don't cooperate with AHK.


Code: [Select]
#NoEnv
SendMode Input
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%

NumpadIns::Numpad0
NumpadEnd::Numpad1
NumpadDown::Numpad2
NumpadPgDn::Numpad3
NumpadLeft::Numpad4
NumpadClear::Numpad5
NumpadRight::Numpad6
NumpadHome::Numpad7
NumpadUp::Numpad8
NumpadPgUp::Numpad9
NumpadDel::NumpadDot

Filco w/ Imsto thick PBT
Ducky 1087XM PCB+Plate, w/ Matias "Quiet Click" spring-swapped w/ XM Greens

Offline bcpk

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 23 July 2011, 13:27:16 »
Thank you alaricljs, I will give that a shot. I hope that it will not interfere with the navigation keys already present on the keyboard.

Edit: Sweet, that works perfectly! I was also able to bind the somewhat useless "Pause" key to Home. Very appreciated!
« Last Edit: Sat, 23 July 2011, 13:33:35 by bcpk »

Offline alaricljs

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 23 July 2011, 13:28:41 »
It shouldn't, those nav keys really should be using the standard keycodes from the block normally located between the keypad and the main keyboard (on a 104key).
Filco w/ Imsto thick PBT
Ducky 1087XM PCB+Plate, w/ Matias "Quiet Click" spring-swapped w/ XM Greens

Offline flatlined

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Num Lock intervention for multiple keyboards?
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 30 July 2011, 14:39:11 »
works great. is there any way i could rebind the switch lock key? i'm assuming it's not, but would love to be surprised.

edit:
or the fn key, for that matter.