Gateway Any Key - Programming

Programming

The AnyKey keyboard is extensively programmable. This takes two forms: Remapping, and macro programming. The only keys on the AnyKey that cannot be programmed in at least some way are those used to control the programming itself – Program Macro, Suspend Macro, Repeat Rate, and Remap. Any other key on the keyboard including letters, numbers, arrow keys, and even special keys like modifiers, Enter, and the Space Bar can be programmed.

A key can be remapped (copied to a different location on the keyboard) by pressing the Remap key once (depending on the revision of the keyboard, the Ctrl key may also need to be held down), pressing the key to be copied, and then pressing the new key that will serve as the new destination for the old key's command. The Program light on the keyboard will flash as long as it is awaiting remapping commands. Multiple keys can be remapped without pressing Remap again – The Program light will continue blinking after one key has been remapped and the keyboard will await more remapping commands with the same method as before. On each key press the Program light will pause flashing momentarily to signal that a keypress has been registered. Pressing Remap again before completing a remapping cancels the operation. Pressing Remap after at least one remapping has been completed will save all the remappings but will cancel an incomplete one if it is in progress.

After remapping, the old key will retain its original function even after being remapped elsewhere, effectively creating two copies of the same key. After it is remapped somewhere else, the original or 'old' key can be remapped to a different function or have a macro programmed to it. Pressing the Remap key and then pressing the same key twice (known as “remapping a key to itself”) resets it to its original function. Key modifiers are not significant with remap key, so sequence Ctrl+A Ctrl+B that would remap Ctrl to the A key and then Ctrl to B key it does not remap Ctrl+A to Ctrl+B.

Any key can also be programmed with a macro and can be combined with key modifiers Alt, and/or Ctrl (e.g. Ctrl+Alt+Q, Ctrl+Alt+F1). Macros are multiple presses of various keys in sequence of arbitrary length. The “extra” F keys on the left of the keyboard are essentially reserved for having macros programmed to them, though they mirror the function of the F keys along the top of the keyboard before they are programmed. The keyboard treats both sets of F keys as separate, however – Remapping or programming one of the F keys will not change the function of its counterpart.

A macro is programmed to a key by pressing the “Program Macro” button once (depending on the revision of the keyboard, the Ctrl key may also need to be held down), pressing the key that will have the macro assigned to it once, and then entering the commands to be programmed. Any sequence of key presses is valid input, including letters, numbers, keys used in conjunction with shift, alt, and control, F keys, cursor movement, remapped keys, and even other keys programmed with macros. The Program light flashes as long as the keyboard is accepting programming input. It pauses momentarily when the key to be assigned the macro is pressed to indicate that the keypress was picked up. Pressing Program Macro for a second time ends the programming session and saves the macro to the target key. Pressing it again before entering any programming input cancels the operation. A key can be cleared of its macro by pressing Program Macro and then pressing the key twice. Pressing a programmed key will “play back” all the keypresses that were programmed into it at the current repeat rate of the keyboard.

On versions that require Ctrl + "Program Macro" at start the programming session, you still use "Program Macro" to end programming session. If the last 2 keystrokes are ctrl + "Program Macro" the ctrl stroke becomes part of the macro. When this macro is run "ctrl" key is stuck on preventing other macros running until another ctrl key press to clear the keyboard state.

The Program light normally remains solidly on or off depending on whether the keyboard is set to use macros, which can be toggled by pressing the Suspend Macro key. The state of the Program light does not reflect whether there are any macros programmed into the keyboard, merely whether the keyboard is in macro mode.

Pressing the Suspend Macro key will cause the Program light to go out and will cause all keys programmed with macros to behave with their usual functions instead of their programmed macros. Keys that have been remapped do not reset themselves while macros are suspended. Pressing Suspend Macro again relights the Program light and restores the macros to all programmed keys.

Holding the Control and Alt keys and pressing the Suspend Macro key clears all of the keyboard's programming. The Program light will flash while the keyboard erases its memory. Afterwards, it will go dark and all keys will be reset to their original function, all macros deleted, and all remappings reset. Holding down the Suspend Macro key while powering on the computer will also reset all keys to their original function.