'===========================================================================
' Subject: KEYBOARD PORT TO SET DELAY         Date: 07-01-97 (19:00)       
'  Author: Robert Fortune                     Code: QB, QBasic, PDS        
'  Origin: Ethan Winer's BASIC Techniques   Packet: KEYBOARD.ABC
'===========================================================================
'>I am making this "action"-game, where you have to avoid asteroids to get
'>points. However, I don't know how to get rid of keyboard delay, which is
'>VERY disturbing in a game like this. Does anyone know to get completely
'>rid of it? I have gotten it to minimum with DOS-command:
'>"mode con rate=32 delay=1", but there is still delay. Can anyone help
'>me?

'   From Ethan Winer's book "BASIC: Techniques and Utilities" (available
'   in freeware form in the WINER.ZIP file):

'   Keyboard Ports

'   There are several ports associated with the keyboard, and one is of
'   particular interest. The enhanced keyboards that come with AT-class
'   and later computers allow you to control how quickly keystrokes are
'   repeated automatically. There are actually two values - one sets the
'   initial delay before keys begin to repeat, and the other establishes
'   the repeat rate. By sending the correct values through the keyboard
'   port, you can control the keyboard's typematic response. The complete
'   program that follows shows how to do this, and Table 10.3 shows how
'   the delay and repeat values are determined.

   OUT &H60, &HF3        ' get keyboard's attention
   FOR D& = 1 TO 100     ' brief delay to give the hardware time to settle
   NEXT

   Value = 7             ' 1/4 second initial delay, 16 CPS
   OUT &H60, Value

'   Table 10.3 shows only some of the possible values that can be used.
'   However, you can interpolate additional values for delay times and
'   repeat rates between those shown.

'  Table 10.3
'  Sample Values for Setting the initial and Repeat Rate on AT-Style Keyboard
'  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
'     Initial Delay                 0.25  0.50  0.75  1.00
'     30 characters per second       00    20    40    60
'     16 characters per second       07    27    47    67
'      8 characters per second       0F    2F    4F    6F
'      4 characters per second       17    37    57    77
'      2 characters per second       1F    3F    5F    7F

'     Note: All values are shown in hexadecimal
'  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------