I know this is non-responsive to the topic, but...

See Kilobaud Issue #9 on how to, "Build Your Own ASCII Keyboard". Might prove to be useful!

There comes a time in every computer hobby-ist's life, after he has put his computer kit together and before he has invented the software program to control the world, when he has to choose the ASCII keyboard to talk with his digital creation...

(I never got my computer kit together - I got hung up on the power supply! - I still have the parts.)

GG