Trouble getting White characters

[Richardc64]

Keyboard CTRL2 or PRINT "[CTRL2]" doesn't change character color: it stays what it was previously.

I can get white chrs by POKEing color RAM or location 646, but by keyboard or by PRINT doesn't produce White chars.

Has anyone seen this or know of a fix?

[groepaz]

Are you sure the CTRL key works at all?

[Richardc64]

Are you sure the CTRL key works at all?

Every color key works with CTRL except White (2).

[chysn]

When you do something like

PRINT "{ctrl}+2"

does it show a reverse E, but just not change the color to white? Or does the reverse E fail to appear?

You're getting white without the keyboard, so it's probably not the VIC chip. The last time I had a weird inexplicable I/O problem (in my case, with the IEC), replacing the 6522s (VIAs) cleared it right up. They're pretty cheap, and easy to replace if socketed, and VIA2 is responsible for scanning the keyboard. And it is possible for them to misbehave in ways that don't bring down the whole VIC.

[Richardc64]

Just my luck it would be the VIA that isn't socketed.

Reverse E doesn't appear. That key combination has no effect at all.

When you do something like

PRINT "{ctrl}+2"

does it show a reverse E, but just not change the color to white? Or does the reverse E fail to appear?

You're getting white without the keyboard, so it's probably not the VIC chip. The last time I had a weird inexplicable I/O problem (in my case, with the IEC), replacing the 6522s (VIAs) cleared it right up. They're pretty cheap, and easy to replace if socketed, and VIA2 is responsible for scanning the keyboard. And it is possible for them to misbehave in ways that don't bring down the whole VIC.

[eslapion]

Just my luck it would be the VIA that isn't socketed.

Reverse E doesn't appear. That key combination has no effect at all.

I take it, pressing '2' by itself works fine. Pressing SHIFT-2 will give you a quote and pressing CTRL with numbers 3 to 8 will provide the respective color.

Possibly, pressing CTRL-9 and CTRL-0 will activate and deactivate reverse characters.

Only the specific combination CTRL-2 will not turn the cursor to white and it will not provide the special character for white when used in quote mode.

If all the above is true then there may be a problem with the BASIC ROM.

[Richardc64]

Correct, eslapion, 2 alone works, shifted gives quote, and CTRL-9 and -0 turn RVS on & off.

If all the above is true then there may be a problem with the BASIC ROM.

Luck is not with me for this possibility, either: Only the Kernal ROM is socketed.

[srowe]

Key mapping is done by code in the region of $E600, that's in the KERNAL, not BASIC, ROM.

[eslapion]

Key mapping is done by code in the region of $E600, that's in the KERNAL, not BASIC, ROM.

I stand corrected... possible Kernal ROM problem then.

[Noizer]

By all the unsocket chips finally you need a new vicy