keyboard

hardware A hardware device consisting of a number of

mechanical buttons (keys) which the user presses to input

characters to a computer.

Keyboards were originally part of terminals which were

separate peripheral devices that performed both input and

output and communicated with the computer via a serial line.

Today a keyboard is more likely to be connected more directly

to the processor, allowing the processor to scan it and detect

which key or keys are currently pressed. Pressing a key sends

a low-level key code to the keyboard input driver routine

which translates this to one or more characters or special

actions.

Keyboards vary in the keys they have, most have keys to

generate the ASCII character set as well as various

function keys and special purpose keys, e.g. reset or volume

control.

(2003-07-04)