HelpPC 2.10 Quick Reference Utility Copyright 1991 David Jurgens

                    8042 - Keyboard Controller  (AT,PS/2)

       8042 Status Register (port 64h read)

       │7│6│5│4│3│2│1│0│  8042 Status Register
        │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └──── output register (60h) has data for system
        │ │ │ │ │ │ └───── input register (60h/64h) has data for 8042
        │ │ │ │ │ └────── system flag (set to 0 after power on reset)
        │ │ │ │ └─────── data in input register is command (1) or data (0)
        │ │ │ └──────── 1=keyboard enabled, 0=keyboard disabled (via switch)
        │ │ └───────── 1=transmit timeout (data transmit not complete)
        │ └────────── 1=receive timeout (data transmit not complete)
        └─────────── 1=even parity rec'd, 0=odd parity rec'd (should be odd)

       Port Mode                 Description

       64h  read   8042 status register. Can be read at any time.  See
                   table above for more information.
       64h  write  8042 command register.  Writing this port sets Bit 3
                   of the status register to 1 and the byte is treated
                   as a controller command.  Devices attached to the
                   8042 should be disabled before issuing commands that
                   return data since data in the output register will
                   be overwritten.
       60h  read   8042 output register (should only be read if Bit 0 of
                   status port is set to 1)
       60h  write  8042 data register.  Data should only be written if
                   Bit 1 of the status register is zero (register is empty).
                   When this port is written Bit 3 of the status register
                   is set to zero and the byte is treated as a data.  The
                   8042 uses this byte if it's expecting data for a previous
                   command, otherwise the data is written directly to the
                   keyboard.   See KEYBOARD COMMANDS for information on
                   programming the actual keyboard hardware.


               8042 Commands Related to PC Systems  (Port 64h)

       Command                    Description

        20   Read 8042 Command Byte: current 8042 command byte is placed
             in port 60h.  
        60   Write 8042 Command Byte: next data byte written to port 60h is
             placed in 8042 command register.  Format:

            │7│6│5│4│3│2│1│0│  8042 Command Byte
             │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └──── 1=enable output register full interrupt
             │ │ │ │ │ │ └───── should be 0
             │ │ │ │ │ └────── 1=set status register system, 0=clear
             │ │ │ │ └─────── 1=override keyboard inhibit, 0=allow inhibit
             │ │ │ └──────── disable keyboard I/O by driving clock line low
             │ │ └───────── disable auxiliary device, drives clock line low
             │ └────────── IBM scancode translation 0=AT, 1=PC/XT
             └─────────── reserved, should be 0

        A4   Password Installed Test: returned data can be read
             from port 60h;  FA=password installed, F1=no password
        A5   Load Security: bytes written to port 60h will be read
             until a null (0) is found.
        A6   Enable Security: works only if a password is already loaded
        A7   Disable Auxiliary Interface: sets Bit 5 of command register
             stopping auxiliary I/O by driving the clock line low
        A8   Enable Auxiliary Interface: clears Bit 5 of command register
        A9   Auxiliary Interface Test: clock and data lines are tested;
             results placed at port 60h are listed below:

               00  no error
               01  keyboard clock line is stuck low
               02  keyboard clock line is stuck high
               03  keyboard data line is stuck low
               04  keyboard data line is stuck high

        AA   Self Test: diagnostic result placed at port 60h, 55h=OK
        AB   Keyboard Interface Test:  clock and data lines are tested;
             results placed at port 60h are listed above with command A9
        AC   Diagnostic Dump: sends 16 bytes of 8042's RAM, current input
             port state, current output port state and 8042 program status
             word to port 60h in scan-code format.
        AD   Disable Keyboard Interface: sets Bit 4 of command register
             stopping keyboard I/O by driving the clock line low
        AE   Enable Keyboard Interface: clears Bit 4 of command register
             enabling keyboard interface.
        C0   Read Input Port: data is read from its input port (which is
             inaccessible to the data bus) and written to output register
             at port 60h;  output register should be empty before call.

              │7│6│5│4│3-0│  8042 Input Port
               │ │ │ │ └──── undefined
               │ │ │ └───── 1=enable 2nd 256K of motherboard RAM, 0=disable
               │ │ └────── 1=manufacturing jumper not installed, 0=installed
               │ └─────── 1=primary display is MDA, 0=primary display is CGA
               └──────── 1=keyboard not inhibited, 0=keyboard inhibited

        C1   Poll Input Port Low Bits: Bits 0-3 of port 1 placed in
             status Bits 4-7
        C2   Poll Input Port High Bits: Bits 4-7 of port 1 placed in
             status Bits 4-7
        D0   Read Output Port: data is read from 8042 output port (which is
             inaccessible to the data bus) and placed in output register;
             the output register should be empty.  (see command D1 below)
        D1   Write Output Port: next byte written to port 60h is placed in
             the 8042 output port (which is inaccessible to the data bus)

               │7│6│5│4│3│2│1│0│  8042 Output Port
                │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └──── system reset line
                │ │ │ │ │ │ └───── gate A20
                │ │ │ │ └─┴────── undefined
                │ │ │ └───────── output buffer full
                │ │ └────────── input buffer empty
                │ └─────────── keyboard clock (output)
                └──────────── keyboard data (output)

        D2   Write Keyboard Output Register: on PS/2 systems the next data
             byte written to port 60h input register is written to port 60h
             output register as if initiated by a device; invokes interrupt
             if enabled
        D3   Write Auxiliary Output Register: on PS/2 systems the next data
             byte written to port 60h input register is written to port 60h
             output register as if initiated by a device; invokes interrupt
             if enabled
        D4   Write Auxiliary Device: on PS/2 systems the next data byte
             written to input register a port at 60h is sent to the
             auxiliary device
        E0   Read Test Inputs: 8042 reads its T0 and T1 inputs; data is
             placed in output register;  Bit 0 is T0, Bit 1 is T1:

               │1│0│  Test Input Port Bits
                │ └──── keyboard clock
                └───── keyboard data

        Fx   Pulse Output Port: Bits 0-3 of the 8042 output port can be
             pulsed low for 6 μs;  Bits 0-3 of command indicate which
             Bits should be pulsed; 0=pulse, 1=don't pulse; pulsing
             Bit 0 results in CPU reset since it is connected to system
             reset line.

       - PC systems previous to the AT use the 8255 PPI as a keyboard
         controller and use the keyboard's internal 8048.
       - the keyboard's internal controller buffers up to 16 bytes of
         make/break code information.  This is common among all PC systems
         and shouldn't be confused with the (32 byte) keyboard buffer
         maintained by the BIOS.
       - see  KEYBOARD COMMANDS for information on programming the
         keyboards internal microprocessor

Esc or Alt-X to exit 8042 Home/PgUp/PgDn/End ←↑↓→
Converted to HTML in 2006 by Timo Bingmann