Way to capture command sent using Fn key?

Anyone know if there is a way to capture the command sent by using a laptop Fn key? I know the Fn key itself doesn't send a command, but the combination of Fn + 1 will activate my maximum fan speed.

I'm looking to use an external keyboard and monitor with my laptop but need to manually activate the full speed fan. I know the Fn key sends commands directly to BIOS but it seems there would be a way to emulate whatever command is being sent. The issue is capturing that.

Any ideas?

 

just look up keyboard 'scan codes', they're pretty well standardized, have been for years (decades?).

If that doesn't do it for you there are any number of keystroke monitors that will capture things including weird f/alt/ctrl/left/right/win combos.

Wouldn't something like speedfan or autohotkey or another control/monitor program work here? Seems to me you don't want to talk to the bios (it may not even be possible after an OS is loaded) but you do want to talk to the fan controller.

 

Thanks for that, but it doesn't detect my Fn key under any of the HID or keyboard values.

Can you recommend a keystroke monitor because nothing seems to detect it that I've tried. I've tried things like keyspy, keylogger, etc to no avail.

 

autohotkey.com has a -great- macro program. Check it out; may have something for you.

 

Already have, first place I went, but I need to know the command before I can program it!

 

just pressing the Fn key isn't going to generate anything .

It's the combo of the Fn along with the other keys that will generate a scan code.

 

I know this, as I stated this already. But any combination hasn't generated any scan code, at least not in any program I've used.

 

sharpkeys works for me. I used it to assign Fn+F7/F8 (volume up and down for me) to the pg up and pg down button.

 

Dunno what to say. Autohotkeys has always captured the Fn key presses on the corporate Dells and HPs we use as well as my personal HP G series machines.

Microsoft has a keyboard layout designer that has a scancode capture capability, perhaps that would work in this case.

 

Thanks guys, I'll give those a try.