CHAPTER THREE - PL3000 BASICS
21
Mode Selectors of Alphanumeric Keypad
There are three dedicated keys on the keypad that
are intended to select input mode of the keys on an
alphanumeric segment of the keypad. If you need to
alter the functionality of these selector keys you are
compelled to rethink the use of the alphanumeric keys
as well and vice versa. For more information about the
alphanumeric segment of the keypad, see the section
‘Alphanumeric Keypad’ on the next page.
A
‘123’
selector and an
‘abc’
selector keys are
mutually exclusive, meaning that pressing the ‘abc’ key
negates the effect of the ‘123’ key, and vice verse.
Pressing the ‘123’ key sets the alphanumeric keys on numeric mode, and the ‘abc’
key press switches the keypad segment into alphanumeric mode. The backlight of
the keys communicates which one of those modes is in use. When the backlight of
the key is on, the input mode assigned to the key is enabled. However, the ‘F’ key’s
logic breaks the rule, see below.
The ‘abc’ key also has an extra property. It switches between the upper cases
and lower cases. If you press the ‘abc’ key when its backlight is turned on, you can
toggle between upper-case and lower-case letters
. This property of the ‘abc’
key can be considered a caps lock. The brightness of the key’s backlight suggests
which one of the cases is enabled. By default the brighter light denotes the upper
cases. (Be aware that there is a shift key on the bottom key row of the keypad,
when held down while being pressed a letter key a capital letter is inserted. As you
would expect, if the alphanumeric keypad is caps-locked, the effect is reverse.)
Pressing the
‘F’
key overrides the effects of the ‘abc’ and ‘123’ keys by setting
the alphanumeric keypad into function key mode. The ‘F’ key works in two different
ways. Its basic operation is as follows: When you press the ‘F’ key, the ‘123’ key’s
or the ‘abc’ key’s effect is negated for a keystroke of a function key i.e. a key on the
alphanumeric key segment. However, there is no indication of negating the current
input mode by turning off the ‘123’ key’s or the ‘abc’ key’s backlight, but only the
backlight of the ‘F’ key is turned on. After you have pressed the key on the
alphanumeric segment the alphanumeric keypad resumes its previous input mode
being either ‘abc’ or ‘123’. At the same time, the backlight of the ‘F’ key is turned
off.
You can also use the ‘F’ key for toggling between the function key mode and
the other two input modes of the alphanumeric keypad. If you hold down the ‘F’ key
until its backlight becomes brighter the alphanumeric keypad switches to the
function key mode. The keys on the alphanumeric keypad segment remain as
function keys up to the point you repress the ‘F’ key and hold it down until its
backlight was turned off.
