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Japanese MSX Keyboard


http://www.msxcafe.com/modules/smartsection/category.php?categoryid=7

The Japanese MSX keyboard is used in the generic MSX Japanese, MSX2 Japanese, MSX2+ and MSXturboR machines.

Here's the list of the concerned specific machines (* = this machine is without numeric keypad) :

- MSX machines : National CF-1200 (*) / National CF-2000 (*) / National CF-2700 (*) / National CF-3000 / National CF-3300 / National FS-1300 (*) / National FS-4000 / Pioneer PX-V60 (*) / Sony HB-201 (*)

- MSX2 machines : National FS-4500 / National FS-4600 / National FS-4700 / National FS-5000 / National FS-5500F1 / National FS-5500F2 / Panasonic FS-A1 (*) / Panasonic FS-A1 (a) (*) / Panasonic FS-A1F / Panasonic FS-A1FM / Panasonic FS-A1MK2 / Sanyo Wavy MPC-25FD / Sanyo Wavy PHC-23 / Sony HB-F1 (*) / Sony HB-F1II (*) / Sony HB-F1XD / Sony HB-F1XDMK2 / Sony HB-F500 / Sony HB-F900 / Sony HB-F900 (a)

- MSX2+ machines : MSXPLAYer 2003 / Panasonic FS-A1FX / Panasonic FS-A1WSX / Panasonic FS-A1WX / Panasonic FS-A1WX (a) / Sanyo Wavy PHC-35J / Sanyo Wavy PHC-70FD1 / Sanyo Wavy PHC-70FD2 / Sony HB-F1XDJ / Sony HB-F1XV

- MSXturboR machines : Panasonic FS-A1GT / Panasonic FS-A1ST / Panasonic FS-A1ST (a) / Panasonic FS-A1ST (b)

The MSX keyboard is very similar to a standard PC keyboard. The typewrite keys are almost the same as well as the numeric keypad. The Caps key toggles bigger sized alphabet characters in normal mode.

The MSX keyboard has five physical function keys. To access function key 6 to 10, you need to hold down the SHIFT key and press one of the keys F1 to F5.

As some MSX keys don't exist on a PC keyboard, the emulator makes also some adjustements to support the complete MSX keyboard :
- the PC key before the "1" key is used for emulate the extrem right MSX key on the third row
- the extrem right PC key on the third row is used to emulate the extrem right MSX key on the first row

Specific MSX keys are mapped to the following PC keyboard keys :

MSX key   PC key    
         
Select   End   Used in some games and applications (it's also the case of the Esc key).
Stop   Page Up   Allows to pause and resume a task in the MSX-BASIC or MSX-DOS environment. When you press this key while holding the Ctrl key, the current task will be abruptly broken.
Clr Home   Home   Allows to move the cursor to the top left of the screen. If you press Shift + Clr Home, the screen will be cleared.
Graph   Left Alt   Gives graphical characters by pressing it with a normal character. Can be combined with Shift.
Kana   Right Alt   Toggles between Japanese and normal mode; if the Caps key is off, you access to the Hiragana mode, otherwise you access to the Katakana mode.

Kanas characters are mapped in two different ways : ANSI (all the MSX1 machines and some MSX2 machines) and JIS (the other machines). Only the JIS layout is supported in current version of blueMSX.

Remark : To be able to type in Kanji, you'll have to enter the Basic command CALL KANJI (doesn't work on MSX1 machines).
Comma on numpad   Page Down    
Underscore   Right Ctrl   Combined with Shift, it allows to write the Underscore character (_).

Most Panasonic MSX2+ machines and all Panasonic MSXturboR machines have two special Japanese keys, that allow in some programs to validate or invalidate a choice. The Panasonic FS-A1FX does not have these additionnal keys.

MSX key   PC key    
         
Iee   Left Windows or Back (Explorer)   Invalidates the choice.
Hai   Right Windows or Forward (Explorer)   Validates the choice.

The tables underneath show you how to generate special characters with key-combinations of your PC keyboard :

Normal mode   Normal mode + Shift
 
ANSI Hiragana mode   ANSI Hiragana mode + Shift
 
JIS Hiragana mode   JIS Hiragana mode + Shift
 
ANSI Katakana mode   ANSI Katakana mode + Shift
 
JIS Katakana mode   JIS Katakana mode + Shift
 
Graph  
 

The extrem right character of the fourth row can be typed by using the RightCtrl key (+ eventually Shift).


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