• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Pc Speaker Sounds on Keyboard Presses

S

shan2752

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2017
Messages
41
Location
Ohio, USA
Hello,

I have a DECpc lpv 486 dx2-66 that I have been using for some time now. Recently I noticed that whenever I use the keyboard, the PC Speaker will make a subtle click upon each key press. It is very annoying. I can’t figure out what caused this. It continues even when I load a game. Any ideas? Thanks!
 
As someone who has implemented key click code, I'm sure that DEC considered this to be a feature.
Code: 
KCLICK  EQU     NO      ; AUDIBLE CLICK ON KEYSTROKE?
Do the keys produce clicks before you boot the system? If so, the code's likely in the BIOS; if not, it's probably in the OS code. If DOS or Windows you might actually have a TSR or device driver that provides the click functionality.

Retro-tidbit: The DD60 two-CRT operator's console from the 1960s used on the CDC 6600 had a speaker and volume control installed in the keyboard area. It didn't so much "click" as "chunk".
 
Last edited:
Chuck(G) said:
Retro-tidbit: The DD60 two-CRT operator's console from the 1960s used on the CDC 6600 had a speaker and volume control installed in the keyboard area. It didn't so much "click" as "chunk".
Click to expand...

What was the activator? Was it a tone produced sensing some key activation/line/etc., or something else (mechanical, microphone that amplified the inside of the housing, etc. :)
 
I had a TSR for MS-DOS that was toggled by Scroll Lock, but it played Jean Michel Jarre's "Popcorn" over the speaker, each note with each keypress.

Phil
 
Trixter said:
What was the activator? Was it a tone produced sensing some key activation/line/etc., or something else (mechanical, microphone that amplified the inside of the housing, etc. :)
Click to expand...
I'll check the DD60 docs, but I think it was a simple capacitive discharge triggered off the keyboard strobe into the speaker--no mics involved.
 
I checked the BIOS settings and there are no options that I can see for keyboard click. This just started happening a couple of weeks ago. I recently added a SCSI2SD and NOS SCSI Adaptec card. I looked for TSR’s but nothing shows up.

It’s a very subtle click, not something that would serve any purpose.
 
Okay, Jim. Here's the DD60 service manual. You'll see the speaker and volume control notated on the diagrams on PDF pages 106 and 112. The "speaker card, type 478" is shown on PDF page 92. Interesting in that the speaker is driven by a couple of TO-3 PNP transistors, driven from a relay, whose sole purpose is to provide the "click". A2C2 is a 50 µF electrolytic and the volume control pot, A2R54 is 10 ohms.
 
The clicks begin once the PC gets to a certain point in its POST, after memory test is skipped. There is a number lock option in the BIOS, which I turned off, but that didn’t matter. Only other BIOS option relative to the keyboard is to turn it off.

I could just unplug the speaker, but there are some games I have that need it. Wish there was a volume control for it as it’s too loud to begin with.

So glad that I was a US Amiga Owner in the 80’s and didn’t have to deal with this PC nonsense.
 
Not sure if this will help, but I have an old 286 board that in process of trying to find the key combination to turn on and off the Turbo mode, I discovered that pressing ctrl, alt and + turned on a key click from the speaker and doing it more made louder. Doing it with the - key made it softer until it turned off. Maybe you should try some of the key combinations.
 
Tincanalley said:
Not sure if this will help, but I have an old 286 board that in process of trying to find the key combination to turn on and off the Turbo mode, I discovered that pressing ctrl, alt and + turned on a key click from the speaker and doing it more made louder. Doing it with the - key made it softer until it turned off. Maybe you should try some of the key combinations.
Click to expand...
You know this could be the issue. I’ve been loading up a SD card with games and it’s a struggle sometimes to figure out the quit to dos key combinations. I may have triggered this trying the different key combinations. I’ll try To see if I can undo it and check back. Thanks!
 
You seem to know the reason for your monitor: you are pressing the ENTER key on the keyboard. That is another component that can make noises, clicking noises from HDD is bad. According to my milestone, the main causes are active filter, toggle, and sticky keys. Filter keys cause Windows to suppress or discard keystrokes sent too fast, or keystrokes sent simultaneously, for example when you type hurriedly or while shaking. Toggle keys cause Windows to emit a beep or audible indicator when any lock keys are pressed. So, maybe you should try some of the key combinations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top