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Care and maintenance of your keyboard and touchpad
Keyboard
The Kinesis Evolution adjustable keyboard uses mechanical switches. While
providing low force and very long life, mechanical switches can be damaged by
liquid or solid debris that gets inside the switch mechanism. Avoid eating or
drinking while using your keyboard. Periodic vacuuming will help remove dust
that might otherwise work its way inside the switches.
Touchpad
The Cirque touchpad is a precision, solid-state device which has no moving
parts other than the mechanical buttons. The surface of the touchpad is
extremely durable and requires no maintenance other than occasional wiping
with a damp cloth (after turning off your computer).
Periodic cleaning will help ensure the long life of your keyboard. Use vacuum
rather than compressed air, which could blow external dust inside the switches.
For the most effective cleaning, remove keycaps before vacuuming, using a
keycap removal tool (available from Kinesis or your Kinesis dealer).
Liquid spills
If a liquid spill does occur, immediately unplug your keyboard and touchpad
from the computer. Often the effects of liquid spills can be reversed by rinsing
the keyboard with water, then shaking the keyboard sections firmly to remove
all water droplets. Allow the keyboard t dry with good ventilation (e.g. in front
of a fan) for
several
days before testing it for normal function. Damage from
spills is not covered by your warranty.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is intended to differentiate between three possible sources of
problems, and thus lead to a likely solution. Possible problems included (1)
improper setup, (2) defective devices, and (3) incompatible devices. If your
Evolution keyboard is new and has never worked successfully with your
computer, all three problem sources are possible. However, if your
keyboard/touchpad has previously worked on the current computer (and you
have not recently upgraded it or installed new software), you can rule out
incompatibility.
For new keyboards, the most effective troubleshooting is accomplished if you
can largely rule out incompatibility by testing your new keyboard and touchpad
on a different computer, and also check a different keyboard and mouse on the
first computer.
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The touchpad doesn’t work at all.
1. PS/2 adapter cable might be defective. Try installing the touchpad on your
serial port, which doesn’t require the adapter.
2. On computers having two PS/2 ports, mouse and keyboard connections
might be reversed. If the ports are not clearly labeled on your computer, check
your computer’s User’s Manual
Keyboard keys create the wrong output
Your keyboard has a memory chip which is used with the available
programming software to save customized settings. Sometimes static electricity
can scramble the memory even if you haven’t intentionally programmed the
keyboard. Try one of the memory reset options: hold down both Shift keys at
the same time, then add Esc. The LED in the “up arrow” key will flash during
a keyboard memory reset. If that doesn’t solve the problem, shut down your
computer and hold the F12 function key as you turn on the power to start up
again. After a few seconds, you can release the F12 key (the “up arrow” LED
will flash for several seconds). When the computer finishes booting, test to see
if full function has been restored.
A single key on the keyboard seems dead
Reset the keyboard memory (see above). If the problem isn’t fixed, the key is
probably electrically defective and will need servicing. The most common
cause of such a problem in a new keyboard is a bad solder joint.
Keyboard doesn’t work at all
The Kinesis Evolution keyboard has a feature which disables the keyboard
temporarily, in order to allow the user to treat the keyboard as a work surface.
Pressing the Scroll Lock key four times in rapid succession turns the keyboard
off and on.
The touchpad surface works, but one or both buttons don’t work
Try wiggling the buttons to the left and right. Remember that tapping gently on
the touchpad surface can substitute for button clicking. If the touchpad drivers
are installed, tapping in the upper right corner substitutes for the right mouse
button.
Touchpad seems to be operating erratically
Shut down your computer and attach your previous keyboard and mouse. If the
problem goes away, check your Device Manager screen for signs of problems.
You can find this screen by highlighting the “My Computer” icon, then
selecting “Properties,” or by going to the Control Panel (“Start,” then
“Settings”) and select the “System” icon.
