TBITS 5: Canadian Government Keyboard Standard for Information Technology Equipment - Implementation Criteria

Appendix A - Clarifications and Additional Details
Appendix B - Explanatory Notes, Suggestions and Implementation Considerations
Appendix C - Regions of Canada Prescribed under Part V of the Official Languages Act

1. Reference

2. Purpose

The purpose of this standard is to accommodate the needs of all keyboard users in the Canadian federal government and to support the Official Languages Act and related policies.

3. Application

This standard applies to the acquisition of computer-based keyboards for general office use in regularly and widely used automated systems within departments and agencies of the Canadian government. Without restricting its general application, it particularly applies to keyboards that are primarily used for word processing, whether standalone or not.

4. Interpretation

In this standard, CSA Standard means CAN/CSA-Z243.200-91, Canadian Keyboard Standard for the English and French Languages; group has the same meaning as in the CSA Standard; layout means the assignment of the graphic characters in a group to levels on graphic keys; level has the same meaning as in the CSA Standard; primary keyboard layout has the same meaning as in ISO 9995-1; secondary keyboard layout has the same meaning as in ISO 9995-1; and unaccented primary keyboard layout means a primary keyboard layout that does not contain any accented characters.

In this standard, any reference to all or part of a national or international standard shall be construed as a reference to the most recent finalized version of that standard, with the following two exceptions:

(a) until ISO 9995 or any of its parts is finalized, any reference to it or to a part of it shall be construed as a reference to the most recent Draft International Standard (DIS) version thereof; and

(b) where reference is made to a specific part, clause or other portion or conformance level of a standard, it shall be construed as a reference to the substantive replacement thereof in any version of the standard issued after January 1, 1992.

Any change to a referenced national or international standard that affects this standard shall not be required to be implemented before six months after the effective date of the change.

5. Implementation

This standard adopts CAN/CSA-Z243.200-91, Canadian Keyboard Standard for the English and French Languages, with the clarifications and additional details specified in Appendix A of this standard.

This standard also provides for the continued use of unaccented primary keyboard layouts in specified cases in conjunction with a secondary keyboard layout that, together with the unaccented primary keyboard layout, provides access to all characters commonly used in English and French.

5.1 Required conformance

5.1.1 Keyboard acquired for use in the National Capital Region, the province of Quebec, or a place prescribed under Part V of the Official Languages Act (bilingual region), shall conform to the following specifications:

(a) CAN/CSA-Z234.200-91, Canadian Keyboard Standard for the English and French Languages, Conformance Level A (see Figure 3 of the CSA standard); and

(b) ISO 9995-7, Information processing B Keyboard layouts for text and office systems B Symbols used on keyboard to represent functions; and

(c) Appendix A of this standard.

5.1.2 In all other cases, a keyboard shall conform to either:

(a) the specifications set out in 5.1.1; or

(b) the combination of:

i. an unaccented primary keyboard layout; and

ii. the secondary keyboard layout; and

iii. Appendix A of this standard.

5.2 Optional conformance

Conformance to the CSA standard at conformance level B or C (implementation of the secondary keyboard layout) is encouraged in order to provide access to the other characters found in Latin Alphabet No. 1 as defined in TBITS-3, Coded character set for information interchange.

5.3 Exemptions

A keyboard that does not comply with 5.1.1 or 5.1.2 may be acquired where its acquisition is reasonably justified.

This standard does not require retrofitting of keyboards purchased prior to the effective date.

6. Certification of compliance

No procedure is currently established to obtain a certificate of conformance.

7. Government keyboard standard working group

Hicks, Ed (Chairperson) TBS
Bourdon, André ECC
Brunton, Brian EIC
Butler, Ed PCO
Casselman, Brian RCT
Charlebois, George NLC
Chrenowski, Tony SEC
Clemis, David CC
Cyr, André INAC
Desrochers, Alain AGR
Farley, Benoit NRC
Gagné-Hallé, Claire ND
Hadrill, John ISTC
Hammond, Roy STC
Hart, Neil RCMP
Kroll, Gerry SSC
Morgan, David BC
Olmstead, Marilyn AGR
Payant, Christine OCG
Perrier, Yvon CIDA
Poulin, Greg HWC
Sauvé, Gene OCOL
Tweedle, Debbie FIN

8. Where to obtain copies

Copies of the technical specification may be obtained as follows:

CAN/CSA-Z243.200-91,
Canadian Keyboard Standard for the English and French Languages
Canadian Standards Association
178 Rexdale Boulevard
Rexdale, Ontario
M9W 1R3

Tel: (416) 747-4044
Fax: (416) 747-2475

ISO 9995-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7,

Information processing CKeyboard layouts for text and office systems (1991 DIS)

Standards Council of Canada
270 Albert Street, Suite 200
OTTAWA ON K1P 6N7

Tel.: (613) 238-3222
Fax: (613) 569-7808

Web: http://www.scc.ca/en/index.shtml