DEC STD 107

This document, DEC STD 107, is a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) standard for terminal keyboards, divided into two main sections:

Section 0: Standard Keyboard Layouts (Revision B, dated January 3, 1980)

• Purpose & Scope: Defines the requirements for keyboard layouts, key codes, and keypads for all DEC terminal designs introduced after January 1, 1978. Its goal is to ensure continuity and compatibility with existing designs, allowing new features to be supplements rather than fundamental changes. It applies to equipment with high volume shipments (over 500 units per year) and excludes older or highly specialized keyboards.
• Content:
  • Details the "current" 65-key main keyboard layout and an 18-key numeric keypad, noting variations from the ANSI X4.14-1971 standard.
  • Describes keyboard operation modes (NORMAL, SHIFT, CAPS LOCK, CONTROL).
  • Provides specific keyboard layouts and codes for various European countries (France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway/Denmark).
  • Covers special keyboard designs for applications like APL, Canadian-French, Katakana printers, Word Processing Systems (WPS), and Typeset terminals.
  • Documents "obsolete" keyboard configurations, including a 62-key main keyboard and an 11-key numeric pad.

Section 1: Registry of Graphic Character Sets (Revision B, dated August 6, 1981)

• Purpose & Scope: Defines the graphic character sets and their corresponding codes to be used in Digital hardware and software products for information interchange. It aims to promote compatibility and prevent duplication in character set development.
• Content:
  • Specifies that DEC products use the 7-bit coded character set (DEC STD 051) and employs code extension techniques with ISO escape sequences (DEC STD 138) for additional or dynamically invoked character sets (G0 and G1 graphic sets).
  • Provides comprehensive tables listing graphic characters, their names, and octal codes for numerous regions and applications, including: Great Britain, United States, Finland, Norway and Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada (French), Japan (Roman and Katakana), and APL.
  • Requires that any character sets not listed must be assigned a registered escape sequence and added to the document.

In essence, DEC STD 107 establishes a comprehensive framework for the design and coding of terminal keyboards and their supported character sets within Digital Equipment Corporation, promoting standardization and interoperability across its product lines, especially for international and specialized applications.