Computer keyboards
The following pages represent my former research and documentation process into the history of computer keyboard technology, a project that is now terminated far from completion. Although few further changes are expected now, all pages remain subject to change should any new information become available. Any further significant updates may be noted on the updates page. These pages are likely to remain frozen in time, the myriad loose ends indefinitely untied.
Keyboard and switch brands
Keyboard and switch manufacturers
- Advanced Datum Information Corp. (ADI)
- Advanced Input Devices
- Alphameric
- Alps
- Amkey
- Amphenol
- Apple
- Applied Dynamics International (ADI)
- The Bendix Corporation
- Brother
- Bunker Ramo
- C&K
- Cherry
- Chomerics
- Collimation (Western Digital)
- Colorado Instruments
- Connecticut Technical Corp
- Control Devices
- C. P. Clare & Company/Clare-Pendar
- Controls Research Corp (CRC)
- Dai-Ichi
- Datacomp
- Data Electronics
- Data Interfaces (DII)
- Datanetics
- Digitran
- Donnelly Mirrors
- Elec-Trol
- E-Switch
- Flex-Key Corp
- Fort Electronic Products (FEP)
- Forward Electronics
- FR Electronics
- Fujitsu
- Futaba
- Gateron
- George Risk Industries (GRI)
- Greetech
- Hathaway
- Hi-Tek and NMB
- Hewlett-Packard (HP)
- IEVT
- IKOR
- IMS International
- IMSAI (IMS Associates, Inc.)
- Invac/Digitronics
- ITT
- ITW, Cortron and Licon
- Jameco
- Jelco
- The Keyboard Company
- Key Source International (KSI)
- Keytek (Elco)
- Key Tronic
- Магніт (Магнит/Magnit)
- Magsat
- Mark Hild
- Marquardt
- Matsushita/Panasonic
- Maxi-Switch
- Mechanical Enterprises (MEI)
- Micro Switch/Honeywell
- Minebea/MinebeaMitsumi
- Mitsumi
- Monterey/Mtek
- NAVCOR (Navigation Computer Corp)
- NEC
- Nixdorf
- Nucleonic Products
- Nutronics
- Oak
- Olivetti
- Omron
- ORtek
- OTI
- Parex
- PED (Pye Electro-Devices)
- Pendar, France, and ESM
- Pertec
- Preh (now PrehKeyTec)
- RAFI
- Raytheon
- RCA
- RFT
- RRE
- SAGEM
- Samsung
- Sasse
- Siemens
- SMK
- Soroban Engineering
- Stackpole
- Synergistics
- Tai-Hao
- TASA
- TEC, Incorporated (USA)
- TG3
- Tipro
- TKI (Távközlési Kutató Intézet)
- Transducer Systems (TSI)
- Viatron
- Unimax Switch Corp
- Universal Technology
- WEAB (Wermlands Elektronik AB)
- Zbrojovka Brno
Product-specific keyboards
These are keyboards made specifically for a particular piece of hardware by a manufacturer that did not produce keyboards for customers.
Keyboard brands
The following companies are known for keyboards that they badged, but are not known to have manufactured any keyboards or switches of their own, relying entirely on contract manufacturing and off-the-shelf models.
- Dell
- SORD
- TEC Corporation (Japan)
- Tulip
Unconfirmed
Switches from the following companies are said to be “keyboard” switches, but as the term “keyboard” was ambiguous in the past, no assumption is being made that they were used in actual data entry keyboards.
Switches from the following companies appear to be suitable for keyboards but have not been proven to have been used as such. They could for example have been used by hobbyists or small scale manufacture.
Component manufacturers
Semiconductors
Keyboard and switch-specific ICs such as single-chip encoders and Hall sensors
- American Megatrends (AMI)
- American Micro-Systems (also AMI)
- Daewoo
- Electronic Arrays
- Elan (EMC)
- Fujitsu
- General Instrument
- Harris Semiconductor
- Halbleiterwerk Frankfurt (Oder) (HFO)
- Holtek
- CCL/ITRI
- Matsushita/Panasonic
- MOS Technology
- National Semiconductor
- Novatek
- Siemens
- Signetics
- SMC (Standard Microsystems)
- Solitron Devices
- TESLA
- Texas Instruments
- UMC (United Microelectronics)
- Zilog
Switch components
PCBs
- Oak Industries (substrates only)
- Photocircuits Corporation
- Sung Wei Electronics
Membranes
- Brady/Xymox
- Poly-Flex Circuits
Keycaps
- B & M Tool & Die (B&M)
- Comptec
- Emconite†
- GMK
- ITT Thermotech
- Leo Tanaka Moldmaker
- Mechanical Enterprises
- Signature Plastics
- Tai-Hao
Equipment
- New Hermes (engraving)
- Maxi-Switch (testers)
- Osawa & Company (testers)
Materials
Other
- Endicott Coil Company (ticker solenoids)
- Deltrol Controls (clapper solenoids)
† See defunct unidentifiable
Keyboard technology
- Keyboard design adaptation
- Keyboard switch overview
- Switch types
- Switch characteristics
- Switch manufacture
- Keycap labelling
- Encoding and output
- Keyboard controllers
- Materials
- IC date codes
- Standards
- Glossary
- Repairs
Research
- Timeline of events
- Low water marks
- Industry data
- Keyboard prehistory
- Eastern Bloc types
- Keycap mounts
- Patents
- Listings of available products
- Certification codes (FCC, CSA, UL)
- Non-keyboard part data
- Factual nuggets
- Knowledge bookmarks
- Keyboard–switch database
Other
- About
- My switch collection
- Notable switches
- Wishlist (parts and information)
- Updates