Keyboards - IBM 3270 Operator's Manual

20
Operating the 3270
Keyboards
Having a keyboard as part of a 3270 Information Display System
is optional. That is, the display station need not have a keyboard
at all. However, the majority of 3270 users will want one because
applications for a display station without a keyboard are limited.
To the operators of the majority of 3270 display stations then,
the keyboard will be their main contact with the display station
and, through it, with the computer system.
With these things in mind in the discussions that follow, the
keyboard has been considered, as the majority of operators will
consider it, the heart of their 3270 display station.
The keyboard controls the display station and provides a
means of signaling the program. It is through the keyboard that
you display data on the display screen.
The 3270 operates like a typewriter but, in several ways, it
offers improved performance. Without looking at your keyboard,
you can easily fi nd the home-row keys. The F and J keys on
typewriter keyboards have a deeper than normal depression on
the key face. On data entry keyboards, the three numeric keys
on the home row (4, 5, and 6) have this deeper depression.
Locating these keys by touch will help your operating speed and
reduce your errors.
Typing on the keyboard prints the characters on the screen
instead of on paper. This is a great improvement when you have
to correct typing errors. Just move the cursor to the error and
key in the correct character. You can also easily check anything
you have keyed because the whole document is always visible.
Your keyboard contains an adjustment that allows you to
hear a click when you press any of the keys. You can control the
volume of the click or you can turn it off completely. Generally,
the click tells you that your keyboard is operational and that the
data you are keying is being accepted. Absence of a click
indicates that the keyboard input is inhibited. Therefore, by
being aware of the clicking, and of its absence, you can easily tell
when the operation of your keyboard is not normal. When
operation is not normal, your display station indicators aid you
in correcting the problem.
The control for adjusting the volume of the click is located
under the keyboard, near the rear left corner. To change the
volume of the click, tilt the keyboard forward and turn the
adjustment screw counterclockwise to raise the volume or
clockwise to lower the volume. Then, reposition the keyboard,
and press the keys to check that the volume level is right for
your operating environment.