The shortcomings of keyboard PTT on a multi-function computer
For many years LMC Systems, along with other industry leaders, has used keyboard keystrokes as hotkeys for activating PTT (Push to Talk) in many well known VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications. This use continues today for certain computer specific VoIP applications.
As computer usage and performance has increased, there has been a move away from task specific VoIP computers. With increasing regularity desk top computers are being called to perform as multi-function machines. This causes a conflict with keyboard based PTT with other non-voice applications. When a user is in a VoIP application and any PTT is active, this causes the keyboard interrupt to be active or in use. Put simply, no other application using a keyboard is able to function.
Our solution to this problem is to utilize a different internal interrupt. The game port was a likely candidate. By using a game port command for PTT, this leaves the keyboard functions free to be used in other simultaneous applications.
Now a multi-use computer can have full keyboard function while still having a PTT command working with the users’ VoIP applications.
