Using Numeric keypad on USB Mac Keyboard - Erroneous Numbers Entered

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Level 2

156 points

Using Numeric keypad on USB Mac Keyboard - Erroneous Numbers Entered

This is intermittent but at times, when I enter a number using the numeric keypad on my Mac USB keyboard, I get erroneous inputs. For instance, today, entering a date into Excel, I entered 11/24/20 and what showed was 11/247/20. This is not a fatkey but rather an added "7" into the date. I know this is a Microsoft product but in Contacts, today, I entered the date 4/27/24 and was entered as 47/247/247. This only happens on the keypad not on the numbers on top of the keyboard. As I was typing the aforementioned dates into this description, the same problem happened but just tried again and it is working as it should (as I said, intermittent). When it happens it happens in all apps then, all of a sudden, it starts working properly.

I have tried troubleshooting for months and just tired of the problem and hoping someone has seen this before and has an idea of what is happening and how to fix once and for all.

Thanks in advance for the help!

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.6

Posted on Nov 2, 2023 1:36 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

147,137 points

Nov 2, 2023 2:08 PM in response to buzzoff13

I had that problem a long time ago, and the solution for me was non-intuitive.

The other usb outlets on the keyboard, if used for anything except a low-power mouse, drop the power to the keyboard and it malfunctions.

if you dig. through Apple documents they suggest those are 'convenience' ports, so that you can connect the keyboard ITSELF on either side.

The other culprit is too-long a keyboard extender cable. Apple keyboard extenders cables are short and keyed so that you can ONLY use one.

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Answer 2

Nov 2, 2023 2:39 PM in response to buzzoff13

 menu > about this Mac > (system report) > usb ...

...can show the power required and available. It is worth a look, but mine never showed anything remarkable. The graphic below is from a different power investigation:

...

Mine shows the HUB built-into the keyboard requires 300 milliAmps.

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Answer 3

buzzoff13 Author

Level 2

156 points

Nov 2, 2023 2:26 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Grant Bennet-Alder, thank you for your quick response. I wasn't expecting any responses as this is such an intermittent issue and can start/stop in a matter of seconds.

I don't use the usb outlets on the kb so shouldn't be an issue but I do, and have always had, a kb extender cable which actually goes into a port extender that allows for USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, etc. That plugs into one of the USB-C ports on my MB Pro. I only use one extender but needless to say, the MB pro only has 4 ports and they are all USB-C.

Do you know why it only affects the numeric keypad and not the standard numbers across the top? Is there a solution to resolve once and for all?

Thanks again!

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Answer 4

Nov 2, 2023 2:41 PM in response to buzzoff13

<<. Do you know why it only affects the numeric keypad and not the standard numbers across the top? >>

Those keys are farther away form where the power comes in on most keyboards. The numeric keys across the top are much closer, so they have better power.

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Answer 5

buzzoff13 Author

Level 2

156 points

Nov 4, 2023 4:57 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Here is my USB Bus info:

USB 3.1 Bus:

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBXHCITR

PCI Device ID: 0x15ec

PCI Revision ID: 0x0006

PCI Vendor ID: 0x8086

Bus Number: 0x01

USB3.1 Hub:

Product ID: 0x0626

Vendor ID: 0x05e3 (Genesys Logic, Inc.)

Version: 6.54

Speed: Up to 5 Gb/s

Manufacturer: GenesysLogic

Location ID: 0x01100000 / 1

Current Available (mA): 900

Current Required (mA): 0

Extra Operating Current (mA): 0

USB3.0 Card Reader:

Product ID: 0x0749

Vendor ID: 0x05e3 (Genesys Logic, Inc.)

Version: 15.32

Serial Number: 000000001532

Speed: Up to 5 Gb/s

Manufacturer: Generic

Location ID: 0x01140000 / 3

Current Available (mA): 900

Current Required (mA): 896

Extra Operating Current (mA): 0

USB 10/100/1000 LAN:

Product ID: 0x8153

Vendor ID: 0x0bda (Realtek Semiconductor Corp.)

Version: 30.00

Serial Number: 000001

Speed: Up to 5 Gb/s

Manufacturer: Realtek

Location ID: 0x01130000 / 4

Current Available (mA): 900

Current Required (mA): 288

Extra Operating Current (mA): 0

External USB 3.0:

Product ID: 0xa202

Vendor ID: 0x0480 (Toshiba America Info. Systems, Inc.)

Version: 3.15

Serial Number: 20161222006753C

Speed: Up to 5 Gb/s

Manufacturer: TOSHIBA

Location ID: 0x01120000 / 5

Current Available (mA): 900

Current Required (mA): 896

Extra Operating Current (mA): 0

Media:

External USB 3.0:

Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,204,883,968 bytes)

Removable Media: No

BSD Name: disk2

Logical Unit: 0

Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)

S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

USB Interface: 0

Volumes:

EFI:

Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)

File System: MS-DOS FAT32

BSD Name: disk2s1

Content: EFI

Volume UUID: 0E239BC6-F960-3107-89CF-1C97F78BB46B

Time Machine Backups:

Capacity: 999.86 GB (999,860,912,128 bytes)

Free: 61.48 GB (61,475,971,072 bytes)

Writable: Yes

File System: Case-Sensitive Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk2s2

Mount Point: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups

Content: Apple_HFS

Volume UUID: 91ED50CC-100F-34E4-9BBB-35DB9C1B649B

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Answer 6

Nov 4, 2023 6:50 PM in response to buzzoff13

I don't see a keyboard listed ??

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Answer 7

buzzoff13 Author

Level 2

156 points

Nov 5, 2023 6:20 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Dang, looks like I picked the wrong 3.1 Bus. Trying again:

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Using Numeric keypad on USB Mac Keyboard - Erroneous Numbers Entered

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