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Chapter 5 Using Overlay Keyboards
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control can be designed with a separate Overlay Maker program. IntelliPics is a multimedia
program for creating early learning activities with sound and animation, and corresponding
overlays, for access with IntelliKeys.
Key Largo / Ke:nx
Key Largo is an overlay keyboard for Macintosh. It needs a Ke:nx interface and software to work
and the total cost of both is very high compared to other overlay keyboards. The keyboard is
slightly larger than A4 and uses ‘US legal’ size overlays. The Ke:nx software provides full
control over the Macintosh keyboard and mouse as well as digitised and synthetic speech. Many
ready-made overlay files (called setups) are available for popular educational software packages.
Discover:Board / Ke:nx On:Board
Discover:Board (and the previous version Ke:nx On:Board) is an overlay keyboard that plugs
into the Apple ADB keyboard/mouse port. It can be used with desktop computers or slides over
an open Macintosh Powerbook and uses Ke:nx software to give full access to the Macintosh.
Five overlays are supplied, with QWERTY, alphabetic, mouse control, numbers and multimedia
layouts and new files and overlays can be made using the software supplied with the board. As
well as good computer control, Discover:Board can be used to generate synthetic or digitised
speech using the Mac’s built-in sound software. Keyguards with 32, 64 and 128 holes are
available. There are ready-made curriculum activities and overlays for popular educational CD’s.
Others
The Saitek PCDash is a small overlay keyboard designed mainly for playing games on PC. It
comes with ready-made overlays for games like Quake, plus one for controlling MS Word
toolbars, and you can also design and print your own. It has 35 keys on the overlay, an eight-way
‘game-pad’; 2 fire buttons, and 3 programmable buttons. It is £49.95, from KCS and some
computer suppliers.
Electrone manufacture a range of overlay keyboards (‘Keyport Touch Panels’) with 60 to 300
keys, for industrial, sales and healthcare applications. They are slightly larger than A4 size and
are user programmable. They cost between £125 and £349.
Table 5-1 Overlay Keyboards
Overlay Keyboard Overall
size cm
Overlay
size cm
No. of
keys
Connects
to...
Keyguard
& price
Price
Guide
Supplier
Acorn, BBC, Mac,
Nimbus, PC
Concept
Universal A3
(A4)
52 x 33
(39 x
24)
42 x 30
(30 x 21)
256
- 16x16
Parallel or
serial port
2, 4, 6, 12,
32 holes,
£25 each
£109
SEMERC,
Inclusive
Technology,
Concept
Keyboard Co.
Acorn, BBC, Mac,
Nimbus, PC
Concept
Universal Plus
A3 (A4)
52 x 33
(39 x
24)
42 x 30
(30 x 21)
256
- 16x16
Parallel or
serial port.
Infra-red
serial link
2, 4, 6, 12,
32 holes,
£25 each
£129
(£177 for
infra-red)
SEMERC,
Inclusive
Technology,
Concept
Keyboard Co.
Acorn, BBC, Mac,
Nimbus, PC
Touch ‘N’ Go
28 x 10 24 x 16
256
- 16x16
Serial cable
or Infra-red
serial link
-
£169
(£199 for
infra-red)
Concept
Keyboard Co.
Acorn, PC
Informatrix 2
39 x 24
42 x 30
(A3)
4096
(64x64)
Serial port
2, 4, 6, 12,
32 holes,
£25 each
£129 SEMERC
Mac, PC
IntelliKeys
44 x 26 33 x 22
576
(24x24)
Keyboard
port
14 different
types, £25
to £39 each
£239
KCS,
SEMERC,
Inclusive
Technology