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Key Tronic keyboards

Contents

Overview

This page lists examples of Key Tronic keyboards as well as advertisements, datasheets and manuals for the various models.

Encoding

The operator’s guide to model KB5151 (1984) indicates that the keyboard is based around an 8035, a ROM-less microcontroller from the Intel MCS-48 family. This chip is listed as “commercial”, i.e. not specific to Key Tronic. The firmware must therefore live in the 2796 EPROM, Key Tronic part 22-02758-496. By comparison, the KB 5150 operator’s manual gives the chip as an 8748, another MCS-48 chip, but one that includes 8 kB of EPROM capacity. Key Tronic list the 8748 also as “Commercial” (no Key Tronic part number); this appears to be an error as the circuit schematic indicates that the chip must have been factory-programmed.

Examples

The manufacture date format for many Key Tronic keyboards appears to be week number, month, year, e.g. “24-06-89-I” will be week 24 1989 (June), as all such examples check out, except “10-10-85”. “40-10-89-S” will be week 40 1989 (October) and “33-08-88-S” will be week 33 1988 (August). This format is used on the cryptic paper labels typically found on the back of the keyboard, above codes such as S/N (serial number presumably), M/N (model number presumably) and “S/K”, “M/O” etc. The meanings of most of these codes remains a mystery. In the table below, just the year and month are used for such dates. Co-incidentally, even with such a small sample, two unrelated models have the date code “33-08-88-C” and another has date code “33-08-89-S” from one year on.

Example Switches Model (M/N) Date Serial (S/N) S,K Origin Notes
Entrex Data/Scope keyboard Reed modular replaceable 1975-12 18784 PCB code 065-01380-001
Sanders 8170 keyboard Foam pad modular 1977-07 07077 PCB code 065-01614-002B
Unidentified unit Foam pad modular 1977-11 19790 PCB code 065-01483-002H
Miniterm keyboard (APL/ASCII) Reed modular replaceable 1978-07 18784 PCB code 065-01614-002B
Datapoint 1500 terminal keyboard Foam pad modular 1981-07 23613 PCB code 065-01483-002H
Unidentified keyboard Foam pad discrete tall, linear 1982-06 62112 PCB code A65-02366-251
Columbia Data Products keyboard Foam pad discrete 30 mm, linear 1983-03 38721
Unidentified keyboard Foam pad discrete tall, linear 1983-07 24806
Hyperion Dynalogic keyboard Foam pad discrete 30 mm, linear 1983-09 15239 PCB code A65-02471-001
Apple Lisa keyboard Foam pad discrete tall, linear 1983-09 26474
Gavilan SC keyboard Screened contact ca. 1983–85 Membrane code 65-02597-201; appears to have dual alternate action switches for the two lock keys
Unidentified assembly Screened contact 1985 222031 PCB code A65-02936-051; PCB marked “D0147RC”
KB 5153 T Foam pad discrete 30 mm, tactile KB 5153 T 1985-10-10 4268 Marked “TDA 132 & 134”; FCC ID CIG8AVKB5153001
Compaq Enhanced Keyboard Foam pad discrete 30 mm, tactile E03390001 1988-08 6626303000 USA FCC ID CNT8AV106288
Westinghouse Canada W1643 Foam pad discrete 30 mm, linear E02933051 1988-11 2385254 6609175001 Key Tronic date is week 33, August 1988
Dell Enhanced Keyboard
(KB 101 variant)
E03418201D 1989-06 584499 6622998000
Model F AT clone Foam pad discrete 30 mm, tactile E03091007 1989-08 A079357 6606960001 USA
Numeric keypad Foam pad discrete 30 mm, tactile E03218051 1989-10 A107091 6619051000 USA
KB 3270 or similar (Lynk) Foam pad discrete 30 mm, tactile E03159051 1991-09 C913738115 USA Label marked KT-122-US
Sun Compact 1 GR Rubber dome E03613GR 1994-12 0011219-9501000477 USA FCC ID CIGE03713

Undated examples

Example Switches Model (M/N) Serial (S/N) S,K Origin Notes
Beehive B100 terminal keyboard Foam pad discrete tall, linear Circa 1977; PCB codes 65-01562-002H, 112-1327-0000 H
Unidentified industrial Reed low-profile tall Circa 1990
E03600QL-C Rubber dome E03600QL-C J953707950 Mexico E03600 family
E03601QL Rubber dome E03601QL C935185463 USA
KB 101 KB101 C910927428 USA
KB101 Plus-C Foam pad discrete 30 mm, tactile KB101 PLUS-C S963007774 USA FCC ID CIGKB101PLUS

Documentation