Saitek Eclipse Owners, Read Please!

On your Saitek Eclipse, can you do the W-E-D and W-Q-A combination?

  • Yes

    Votes: 17 40.5%

  • No

    Votes: 25 59.5%
  • Total voters
    42
X

xSnowmaNx

Gawd
Joined
Aug 11, 2004
Messages
708
I've had my Eclipse for a few months now and I am quite satisfied with it except for ONE thing... I cannot use the W-E-D combo or the W-Q-A combo. I find these combo's extremely important in first person shooters where there is peeking/leaning involved. I had always thought it was just the limitation of the keyboard and that all Eclipses were like this. Until of course I found that one of my gaming buddies has the same keyboard and I had noticed that he does all the same basic moves as I do with the Running-Strafe-Peeking in Raven Shield. I asked him what his controls were (I thought he had some custom ones because at that point in time, I assumed that all Eclipses were the same). He replied that his controls are completely default.

Default controls in Raven Shield are WASD with Q being peek left and E being peek right. I thought maybe it was just this combo and maybe he can't do a combo that I can do. Turns out to be the other way around. He can do every combo that I can, and more. With the numbers up at the top of the keyboard (0-9 in the same row as backspace) he can hit 1-2-3-4-7-8-9 at the same time. I can only do 1-2-3-4-7-8 at the same time. While this combination is quite useless, it does bring up something that I believe is extremely important.

For those of you out there that have the Eclipse keyboard, can you use the W-E-D or W-Q-A combination? When did you buy your keyboard? REMEMBER, ONLY SAITEK ECLIPSE OWNERS! This does not mean those of you with the Saitek Gamer's Keyboard which is a completely different keyboard.
 
I'm not sure if that would really make any real difference but yes I am using USB.
 
Does the keyboard haev a full N-key rollover? I konw my old logitech media keyboard didn't, but my G15 does. That allows me to hit those button combos with it going *BEEP* and not working.
 
Entropy said:
Does the keyboard haev a full N-key rollover? I konw my old logitech media keyboard didn't, but my G15 does. That allows me to hit those button combos with it going *BEEP* and not working.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't, but some forum post on here claimed there was 5 key rollover. But this isn't the issue here. I have the same keyboard as others and I would assume they are made in the exact same fashion. Yet some people are able to do things that I (and others) cannot.

Just as a note, on my computer with the Eclipse, I can hit the W-E-D/W-Q-A combo and my computer won't make a sound. But one of the three keys is not recognzied. Be sure that when you test that you use a program like keyscan or open notepad and hit the 2 of the three keys, and then add in the 3rd key. If all 3 keys are being recognized you will find that notepad will start typing in the 3rd key. If not, it will continue with the last recognized key.
 
It seems that some of the key work together and some don't. I can use more than three, but not E or W, I don't know which other combos don't work.
 
i just tried using notepad to do the W-E-D/W-Q-A combo w/ the last recognized.

and it didn't work.

I have a das keyboard, not a saitek.
 
Rich Tate said:
I cannot use the same combo myself.

According to what Saitek told me when I spoke to them for the KB/Mouse thread it is supposed to have 5 key rollover, not full support.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=975909
Click to expand...

What do you mean? Like the Eclipse *should* have 5 key roll over, but isn't guaranteed? I emailed them asking them about 5 key roll over just about a week ago. They replied that the Eclipse had no such thing.

You see, the real issue I'm having here is that I had always thought that the amount of keys that you can press simultaneous and still have all the keys recognized were determined by the way the keys were matrixed. And I had also assumed that all Eclipses were made the same and that no revisions have been made. But obviously, if some people with the same keyboard can do combinations that others can't, either this isn't true or Eclipses are being made differently.
 
Ive got the same problem with my eclipse... In nfs:mw when i hold the nos and forward button and try to turn it wont yet me... its very annoying only being able to go in the straight line when using the nos
 
well this sux, I was just about to purchase one, this will definately influence my decision.
 
I can't do it either. I picked mine up last month.

I doubt that I would have ever noticed this myself. I keep my my middle finger on the W or S and use my index and ring fingers on the coresponding sides... Which makes it impossible for me to lean, move sideways and move forwards.

-dB
 
Thats my only problem with the eclipse. While playing need for speed most wanted, I cant use ALT as the nos key. Pressing foward to accelerate, and alt for nos, doesnt allow me to turn left with the left arrow key...

I use my nostromo for FPS games though so I dont notice the problems with the WASD area.
 
xSnowmaNx said:
What do you mean? Like the Eclipse *should* have 5 key roll over, but isn't guaranteed? I emailed them asking them about 5 key roll over just about a week ago. They replied that the Eclipse had no such thing.
Click to expand...

In a response from Saitek I was told that they had 5 key rollover. This came officially from Saitek.
 
Rich Tate said:
In a response from Saitek I was told that they had 5 key rollover. This came officially from Saitek.
Click to expand...

This is very interesting...

Directly from my email:

Hi,

No, it doesn't have that feature, I'm afraid.


Best Regards
Richard Neville
Tech Support
Saitek UK

- Hide quoted text -

-----Original Message-----
From: Dale
Sent: 25 December 2005 07:07
To: [email protected]
Subject: Saitek Eclipse 5-Key Rollover?

Does the Eclipse have this feature? There was a forum topic on hardforums.com that touched on keyboards and listed several models from different companies. It denoted that both the Saitek Gamer's Keyboard and the Saitek Eclipse have 5-key rollover. However, I have a Saitek Eclipse and it does not seem to have 5 key rollover. What is the real deal here?



Disclaimer:
http://www.saitek.com/uk/info/email.htm
Click to expand...

Hi,

That sounds like a faulty keyboard - please return it to the store for an exchange.


Best Regards
Richard Neville
Tech Support
Saitek UK

- Hide quoted text -

-----Original Message-----
From: Dale
Sent: 02 January 2006 23:26
To: [email protected]
Subject: Saitek Eclipse Key Combinations

I was under the impression that all Saitek Eclipse keyboards were functionally the same. However, I have recently discovered that this is not the case. Although it seems that majority of people have the issue that I have with this keyboard, I know of a few people that own the same exact model but their keyboards are able to do things my keyboard cannot. This issue deals with key combinations.

I play games frequently and the majority of those games are first person shooters. It is quite essential to be able to do certain key combinations in order to play proficiently at certain games. What I am primarily concerned with is the combinations that deal with peeking and movement in first person shooters. The typical setup for a first person shooter is WASD with W being the forward run, A being sidestepping to the left, S running backwards, D sidestepping to the right. For games with peeking (leaning) included, typically those actions are tied to Q for peek/lean left, and E to peek/lean right.

On my Saitek Eclipse keyboard, I cannot hit W-E-D or A-Q-W at the same time. Only 2 of those keys will be registered and recognized by my computer, therefore cutting out one of my desired actions in a game.
I thought this was just a universal issue with the Saitek Eclipse because key recognition is tied to the key matrix of the keyboard.
However, a few of my friends that DO have the same keyboard as I, are able to use these combinations without any issue. They are also able to do combinations that have more keys pressed than I can. One such example is holding down 1234 and 789 at the same time. I can only do
1234 and 78 at the same time. While this is unrealistic to use in any typical day to day use, I find it surprising that people can have the same keyboards, but some people to have what I believe is a better keyboard.

Is this difference in functionality due to a different/revised design of the Eclipse? Or possibly a mistake in manufacturing that allowed for this to happen? Or could it be on the software side and something is interfering with my keyboard?

I am really very curious because if this is indeed a revised version of the Eclipse, then I would like to know how I can identify and acquire one.



Disclaimer:
http://www.saitek.com/uk/info/email.htm
Click to expand...

It's obvious that there are conflicting statements. Another thing I find puzzling is that they claim it is a faulty keyboard. However, I know of many people who have the same problem as I do, and very few people who do not. I can hardly see that all these people have what is a 'faulty' keyboard. But then again, maybe the few people that I do know that have what I would consider is essentially a flawless keyboard, have Eclipses that were manufactured and function as they are supposed to function?
 
DisrupTer911 said:
i just tried using notepad to do the W-E-D/W-Q-A combo w/ the last recognized.

and it didn't work.

I have a das keyboard, not a saitek.
Click to expand...

So can you actually notice the different weight zones with that thing?
 
Well, even though I bought the keyboard months ago, newegg is allowing me to RMA it. I am still concerned though. Something in my gut tells me that I am going to get a replacement Eclipse that has the same problem. My best friend bought this keyboard from best buy a few weeks after I got mine after having a little test drive. Unsurprisingly, he has the same problem as I, and many of us have. Oh well, at least its worth a try right...?
 
inotocracy said:
So can you actually notice the different weight zones with that thing?
Click to expand...


most definetally.

you can feel which keys are heavy and which are very light and require almost no touch to press.

you really need to be able to type in the proper fashion. fingers start on home keys and such to get the full effect of the keyboard.

the key's are spaced slightly more then i'd like but i got used to it rather quickly.
 
DisrupTer911 said:
most definetally.

you can feel which keys are heavy and which are very light and require almost no touch to press.

you really need to be able to type in the proper fashion. fingers start on home keys and such to get the full effect of the keyboard.

the key's are spaced slightly more then i'd like but i got used to it rather quickly.
Click to expand...

Was it worth the $70? I was thinking of picking one up to keep the wife off of my computer, plus the different weight zones sound like it would give great feedback.
 
Thought I'd bring this thread back to life. I found it interesting that a support rep conflicted himself like that. Have others emailed them and gotten different answers? I am still interested in this keyboard, it's actually on sale at Best Buy for $47, but that rollover or lack thereof is concerning.
 
Well... I am currently in the process of RMA so we'll see soon enough whether I get a keyboard that 'isn't faulty'. The interesting things here are this:

Support reps submit contradicting statements.

Support rep claims my keyboard is faulty, however, I know just as many people that have the same problem as I do, and almost as many people that don't have the same problem.

While it is a very small number of people to go with, it is still almost in line with the percentage of people that do and do not have this problem in the poll. However, I am worried about the results of this poll because I have a feeling that either people aren't testing correctly and getting wrong results, or some people that do not have the Eclipse are voting. But that really isn't such a big deal to me, because if a product is mass produced, I would expect that I would get the same product as everyone else, but this isn't the case right now. So hopefully, I DID actually get a faulty keyboard and I will get one that operates as it should.
 
xSnowmaNx said:
You see, the real issue I'm having here is that I had always thought that the amount of keys that you can press simultaneous and still have all the keys recognized were determined by the way the keys were matrixed. And I had also assumed that all Eclipses were made the same and that no revisions have been made. But obviously, if some people with the same keyboard can do combinations that others can't, either this isn't true or Eclipses are being made differently.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought as well. There are a few fairly standard keyboard controller chips that various manufacturers use. (from what I understand) Some will allow any key to be pressed at once, and some are grouped into different zones or something like this. This is why in the old days, (before truly fancy keyboards) I always used Keytronic boards. Most of their boards (if not all) allowed all the combinations I used for DOS games. :)
 
inotocracy said:
Was it worth the $70? I was thinking of picking one up to keep the wife off of my computer, plus the different weight zones sound like it would give great feedback.
Click to expand...


I love it, well worth the $70 or 80 for it.

it's also great watching your friends who can't type very well, use it and get frustrated and then stop trying all together and step away from the computer haha.
 
I have a newish eclipse and wed doesn't work for me either.

Most key-right-down won't: erf yuj iol etc.
 
hs95p user said:
I have a newish eclipse and wed doesn't work for me either.

Most key-right-down won't: erf yuj iol etc.
Click to expand...

I couldn't do any combination of 3 keys in that orientation on my keyboard. Yet one of my buddies could do pretty much all of them.
 
Pretty much a dead topic until I get my keyboard back... But newegg approved of my RMA and should be shipping a new one out tomorrow.
 
Alright, here we go. I just got my replacement Eclipse keyboard. As soon as I pulled the Eclipse box out of the shipping box, I had extremely high hopes. The box had a slightly different design than the previous one I had. This one is a purple colored background with the moon. Very excited to see if this keyboard had the issue or not, I whipped it out, disconnected my old keyboard and connected this Eclipse.

So far......................... NOT FIXED!

I have tried playing a few games and also use the utility found on this page http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=872771

The SAME problem with this replacement keyboard. Could I have been just unlucky? Is this REALLY a fault in the keyboard? I really want answers from Saitek, but so far they haven't given me any. I emailed them a few days ago asking about it in further detail and they have not replied.

How can this be? Saitek claims that this keyboard has 5 key rollover (As Rich Tate was told), but Saitek also says that the Eclipse does NOT have 5 key rollover (As I was told). Then I am told I have a faulty keyboard, and to have it sent back to retailer to be replaced. From the poll results (assuming they are accurate), about 50% have no problems doing the key combinations I have mentioned, and 50% can NOT do these combinations. Now, I get my replacement, and it also cannot do it.

WTF SAITEK?!

Maybe a reboot will do something.... :rolleyes:
 
Mine can't do it either, but I think we're probably missing something. I don't believe all the people who voted no have faulty keyboards, & I also don't believe that Saitek has several different internal circuit designs out there.

I'm running on a A8N32-SLI with the keyboard plugged into one of the ports on the motherboard (instead of into a hub). I've also got legacy USB set to 'Auto' in the bios (side note, I can get into the bios with this keyboard, unlike some who have posted they can't). There's some configuration difference, bios setting difference, or something that's letting others use these 3key combo's while others can't.
 
I can't be arsed reading the thread, so I'm just going to suggest something, and if it's already been brought up, then I apologize.

Try your keyboard on your buddies machine, and vice versa.
 
Nuzzles said:
I can't be arsed reading the thread, so I'm just going to suggest something, and if it's already been brought up, then I apologize.

Try your keyboard on your buddies machine, and vice versa.
Click to expand...

I have only tried on 2 other computers than the one I am using now. The problem persists on all machines.
 
I have this keyboard and I've noticed the problem with sometimes only going straight when using NOS in NFS:MW so I thought I'd try the notepad test. I can do some combinations ie holding down q+w and then pressing e works, as does w+e and then r, however holding e+r and then pressing t results in t not registering. The same is true for w+e and then d as well as s, x and c.

I can't for the life of me figure out what the pattern is... this is of course connected through USB by the way.

Im glad I found this thread, that NOS "bug" in NFS:MW really bothered me :D :confused: Now I know it's just a keyboard bug :(
 
The only thing I can think of is maybe it is "5 key" as long as you aren't using keys that are on the same circuit?

Perhaps using 5 keys that are spread out is ok?

Granted this is misleading, but perhaps it would explain our dilemma here.
 
Rich Tate said:
The only thing I can think of is maybe it is "5 key" as long as you aren't using keys that are on the same circuit?

Perhaps using 5 keys that are spread out is ok?

Granted this is misleading, but perhaps it would explain our dilemma here.
Click to expand...

True, but then how can we explain the issue with some people being able to do these combinations, and others cannot do the same ones even though they have the same model keyboard?

Could this really be some sort of system setting difference? I don't see it as an impossibility seeing as how everyone has different configurations, but what would change the way the keyboard works besides the way it is wired?
 
xSnowmaNx said:
True, but then how can we explain the issue with some people being able to do these combinations, and others cannot do the same ones even though they have the same model keyboard?

Could this really be some sort of system setting difference? I don't see it as an impossibility seeing as how everyone has different configurations, but what would change the way the keyboard works besides the way it is wired?
Click to expand...

I agree that it is doubtful on the system itself. It is possible we all could be dealing with two different revisions of the same model. Which could explain the different answers from Saitek.
 
someone with one that doesn't work, needs to swap with someone who has one that does work and check that its not the computer.

mine doesn't do the combinations and is serial: PZ30AU / 5JC3200085B
 
I find this thread really interesting. I was thinking about getting one, but, other than the pretty lights, this keyboard doesn't sound any better for gaming than my $6 keyboard.
 
how no one who posts here owns a keyboard that does this.

maybe only very old models work in this way?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top