Keyboard Modifiers and Special Keys
Description
When given a printable ASCII character as an argument, the
functions Keyboard.write(), Keyboard.press() and Keyboard.release() simulate actuations on the corresponding keys.
These functions can also handle ASCII characters that require pressing a key in combination with Shift or, on
international keyboards, AltGr. For example:
Keyboard.write('a'); // press and release the 'A' key
Keyboard.write('A'); // press Shift and 'A', then release both
A typical keyboard, however, has many keys that do not match a printable ASCII character. In order to simulate those
keys, the library provides a set of macros that can be passed as arguments
to Keyboard.write(), Keyboard.press() and Keyboard.release(). For example, the key combination Shift+F2 can be
generated by:
Keyboard.press(KEY_LEFT_SHIFT); // press and hold Shift
Keyboard.press(KEY_F2); // press and hold F2
Keyboard.releaseAll(); // release both
Note that, in order to press multiple keys simultaneously, one has to use Keyboard.press() rather than Keyboard.write(),
as the latter just “hits” the keys (it presses and immediately releases them).
The available macros are listed below:
Keyboard modifiers
These keys are meant to modify the normal action of another key when the two are pressed in combination.
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE NOTES
KEY_LEFT_CTRL 0x80 128
KEY_LEFT_SHIFT 0x81 129
KEY_LEFT_ALT 0x82 130 Option (⌥) on Mac
OS logo, Command (⌘) on
KEY_LEFT_GUI 0x83 131
Mac
KEY_RIGHT_CTRL 0x84 132
KEY_RIGHT_SHIFT 0x85 133
also AltGr, Option (⌥) on
KEY_RIGHT_ALT 0x86 134
Mac
OS logo, Command (⌘) on
KEY_RIGHT_GUI 0x87 135
Mac
Special keys
These are all the keys that do not match a printable ASCII character and are not modifiers.
Within the alphanumeric cluster
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE
KEY_TAB 0xB3 179
KEY_CAPS_LOCK 0xC1 193
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE
KEY_BACKSPACE 0xB2 178
KEY_RETURN 0xB0 176
KEY_MENU 0xED 237
Navigation cluster
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE
KEY_INSERT 0xD1 209
KEY_DELETE 0xD4 212
KEY_HOME 0xD2 210
KEY_END 0xD5 213
KEY_PAGE_UP 0xD3 211
KEY_PAGE_DOWN 0xD6 214
KEY_UP_ARROW 0xDA 218
KEY_DOWN_ARROW 0xD9 217
KEY_LEFT_ARROW 0xD8 216
KEY_RIGHT_ARROW 0xD7 215
Numeric keypad
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE
KEY_NUM_LOCK 0xDB 219
KEY_KP_SLASH 0xDC 220
KEY_KP_ASTERISK 0xDD 221
KEY_KP_MINUS 0xDE 222
KEY_KP_PLUS 0xDF 223
KEY_KP_ENTER 0xE0 224
KEY_KP_1 0xE1 225
KEY_KP_2 0xE2 226
KEY_KP_3 0xE3 227
KEY_KP_4 0xE4 228
KEY_KP_5 0xE5 229
KEY_KP_6 0xE6 230
KEY_KP_7 0xE7 231
KEY_KP_8 0xE8 232
KEY_KP_9 0xE9 233
KEY_KP_0 0xEA 234
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE
KEY_KP_DOT 0xEB 235
Escape and function keys
The library can simulate function keys up to F24.
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE
KEY_ESC 0xB1 177
KEY_F1 0xC2 194
KEY_F2 0xC3 195
KEY_F3 0xC4 196
KEY_F4 0xC5 197
KEY_F5 0xC6 198
KEY_F6 0xC7 199
KEY_F7 0xC8 200
KEY_F8 0xC9 201
KEY_F9 0xCA 202
KEY_F10 0xCB 203
KEY_F11 0xCC 204
KEY_F12 0xCD 205
KEY_F13 0xF0 240
KEY_F14 0xF1 241
KEY_F15 0xF2 242
KEY_F16 0xF3 243
KEY_F17 0xF4 244
KEY_F18 0xF5 245
KEY_F19 0xF6 246
KEY_F20 0xF7 247
KEY_F21 0xF8 248
KEY_F22 0xF9 249
KEY_F23 0xFA 250
KEY_F24 0xFB 251
Function control keys
These are three keys that sit above the navigation cluster.
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE NOTES
KEY_PRINT_SCREEN 0xCE 206 Print Screen or PrtSc /
KEY HEXADECIMAL VALUE DECIMAL VALUE NOTES
SysRq
KEY_SCROLL_LOCK 0xCF 207
KEY_PAUSE 0xD0 208 Pause / Break
International keyboard layouts
Some national layouts define extra keys. For example, the Swedish and Danish layouts define KEY_A_RING as 0xB7, which
is the key to the right of “P”, labeled “Å” on those layouts and “{”/“[” on the US layout. In order to use those definitions,
one has to include the proper Keyboard_*.h file. For example:
#include <Keyboard.h>
#include <Keyboard_sv_SE.h> // extra key definitions from Swedish layout
void setup() {
Keyboard.begin(KeyboardLayout_sv_SE); // use the Swedish layout
Keyboard.write(KEY_A_RING);
}
void loop() {} // do-nothing loop
For the list of layout-specific key definitions, see the respective Keyboard_*.h file within the library sources.
