AKEYB Command Changes on Varia vs Legacy Panels
Escalation Article
Written by Richard Gregory
Updated at June 29th, 2026
Brand:
- AMX
Affected Products:
- 0x0220 | VARIA-SL50
- 0x0222 | VARIA-SL80
- 0x0221 | VARIA-80, VARIA-80N
- 0x0223 | VARIA-100, VARIA-100N
- 0x0224 | VARIA-150, VARIA-150N
Summary:
The Varia “Show System Keyboard” command (AKEYB) demonstrates persistent/latched return-prefix behavior. After invoking the keyboard once with a custom return prefix, subsequent invocations of AKEYB without a return prefix still return keyboard strings prefixed with the last custom prefix, instead of reverting to the default KEYB- prefix.
Troubleshooting:
The Varia programming guide has been updated to clarify that all fields in the AKEYB command are required, not optional.
The documentation now also explains the purpose of each field and provides guidance on how to properly skip fields when needed.
Example :
SEND_COMMAND dvTP, “'^AKEYB-;;;;; '”. You can mix and match all parameters, but they must all be accounted for when you send the command. Use semicolons as placeholders. note the ;;;;; in the above example.
The Varia Programming Guide page 67 shows this update.