Cherry M4/M5/M6 examples
Contents
Overview
This page records examples of Cherry M4/M5/M6 Series switches, both observed (where the service manual cannot be found) and documented. For M7-based keyboards, see M7 examples.
Observed
These are arranged in approximate order of manufacture based on date and serial number. In some cases, not all switches can be observed, and some types may be different yet look alike (e.g. space bar switches not marked as such).
For customer part number and system details, see the corresponding entries in the master vintage Cherry keyboards list.
| Keyboard | From | Serial | Date | Switches | Reference | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Style | Stem | Angle | Type | ||||||
| Kana keyboard | ? | ? | ca. 1974 | A | − | 0° | Momentary | greedBay | This could be a Hirose model, but there is insufficient detail in the photos to determine if the keyboard is so marked. |
| HP 9830A | USA | N/A | ca. 1976 | A′ | − | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | |
| B25-59AA | Hirose | 170279 | ? | A | T | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | |
| A′ | − | 0° | Alternate action | ||||||
| B76-07AA | USA | ca. 1978 | 155161 | A | T | 0° | Momentary | ClassicCmp | Not all switches are known to be depicted; space bar likely uses a different switch. |
| B65-46AB | USA | 176479 | — | A | T | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | There are no ICs to date. |
| A | − | 0° | Space bar, wide keys | ||||||
| B80-16AC | USA | 766284 | ca. 1979 | AB | T | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | Only one chip in the photos has a visible date. |
| AB | T | 0° | Space bar (red dot) | ||||||
| A | − | 0° | Double pole | ||||||
| M4 | ● | 0° | Alternate action illuminated | ||||||
| M4 | ● | 0° | Indicator | ||||||
| A | T | 0° | Fixed | ||||||
| UDS Comtest CEX-17C | USA | N/A | ca. 1979 | A | T | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | The space bar switch is not clearly depicted, but it appears to be a T-stem switch with part of the stem snapped off, similar to this. |
| B70-4753 | USA | 822962 | ca. 1980 | AB | T | 0° | Momentary | Imgur | The space bar switch is not depicted. |
| B80-40AB | USA | 823643 | ca. 1979 | A | T | 10° | Momentary | KAref | |
| A | − | 10° | Space bar (black keystem; red dot) | ||||||
| A′ | − | 10° | Alternate action | ||||||
| AB | T | 0° | Momentary (used on wide keys) | ||||||
| M4 | − | 10° | Indicator | ||||||
| B65-85AB | USA | 842905 | ? | AB | T | 0° | Momentary (used on wide keys) | Deskthority | No ICs to date |
| ? | ? | 0° | Switch no. 2 of a wide key; grey plunger, yellow dot | ||||||
| B80-88AB | USA | 946688 | ca. 1980 | B | T | 10° | Momentary | KAref | Not all switches are known to have been observed. |
| B | − | 10° | Space (red dot) | ||||||
| A | − | 0° | Low force dummy (wide key stabiliser) | ||||||
| B80-64AB | USA | 972433 | ca. 1980 | A′/AB/B | T | 10° | Momentary | Flickr | The central (alphanumeric) section switches are mostly AB, but at least one is A′ (the other A′ under Line Feed could be a special type); backspace is B and could also be special. One double pole switch is A, while the rest are B. |
| AB | − | 10° | Space (red dot) | ||||||
| B | T | 0° | Momentary | ||||||
| ? | T | 10° | Shift | ||||||
| ? | − | 10° | Shift lock | ||||||
| A/B | − | 0° | Double pole | ||||||
| B70-05AB | USA | 978224 | ca. 1980 | B | T | 0° | Momentary | vintagecomputer.ca | Most ICs are dated 79–80; the socketed National Semiconductor DM74LS08N IC is from 1983 and seems to be a replacement part. |
| B | − | 0° | Space (red dot) | ||||||
| A′ | − | 0° | Alternate action | ||||||
| UB80-0051 | UK | 11193 | 1980 | B | T | 0° | Momentary | geekhack | Not all switch types are necessarily visible in the pictures; internal assembly model is UB80-0002 |
| M71 | | | | 0° | Illuminated | ||||||
| KB2100 | USA | N/A | ca. 1981 | B | T | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | The IC dates not visible in the photos, but the PCB is marked ©1981 and “1181”, so 1981 is assumed for now. Space bar takes a slot stem, but the switch appears to be T-stem, possibly sliced to fit. |
| SORD M343-KB | Japan | ca. 1982 | B | T | 0° | Momentary | Imgur | PCB has no visible manufacturer markings | |
| B | − | 0° | Space (red dot) | ||||||
| M4 | − | 0° | Illuminated | ||||||
| B70-4753 | USA | 1386095 | ca. 1984 | B | T | 0° | Momentary | Deskthority | Main IC and PCB label both imply 1984. It does use a paddle stabiliser, which is anachronistic as this was obsolete by 1979; B80-16AC from ca. 1978 already had the replacement wire type. |
| B | − | 0° | Space (red dot) | ||||||
| B70-4753 | Japan | 85030031 | 1985-03 | B′ | T | 0° | Momentary | KBref | The extended area is confirmed to be B′; the rest of the switches are unconfirmed (B or B′ depending on whether B′ ever used B-style mould numbering). |
| B70-4753 | TG3 | 45805 | 1992 week 19 | C | T | 0° | Momentary | KBref | Most switches use German-made M7 switches; space uses a US-made switch that is, uncharacteristically, T instead of straight mount. Not all switch types are confirmed to be observed. |
| B | T | 0° | Space | ||||||
Documented
The following keyboards have their switch models officially documented in service literature. See Bitsavers for copies of these documents.
| Machine | Service manual | Keyboard | Switch | Qty | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADDS CONSUL 980 | March 1975 | Unspecified | M61-0120 | 78 | Normal | |
| M51-0106 | 1 | Space bar | ||||
| M61-0300 | 1 | Shift | ||||
| M61-0500 | 1 | Shift lock | ||||
| M41-0100 | 1 | Illuminated | ||||
| M61-0800 | 1 | Illuminated alternate action | Possibly this should read “M41-0800” | |||
| Tektronix 4010 Tektronix 4010-1 |
April 1976 | B76-07AA | M61-0100 | 51 | Normal | |
| M51-0101 | 2 | High force | Positions not specified | |||
| Tektronix 4006-1 | May 1977 | Unspecified | M61-0100 | 50 | Normal | |
| M51-0101 | 3 | High force | Page, Copy and Break keys | |||
| Tektronix 4051 | May 1977 | Unspecified | M61-0120 | 75 | Normal; Style A T | |
| M51-0106 | 1 | Space bar | Incorrectly marked as position 21 | |||
| M61-0100 | 20 | Top row thin keys | Wrong quantity (1) in service manual | |||
| M61-0800 | 1 | Alt. action; Style A′ or later | TTY Lock | |||
| M51-0101 | 2 | High force; Style A T | One is Home Page, top left; perhaps the other is for Break | |||
| Tektronix 4027 | January 1980 | B80-91AB | M51-0178 | 70 | Unspecified; 0° T | Most keys; observed as white possibly 0° T, and black 10° T in an example where space is 10° straight mount |
| M51-0120 | 1 | Unspecified | Erase key | |||
| M51-0150 | 12 | Unspecified | Top row blank keys | |||
| M41-0107 | 4 | Illuminated | ||||
| Tektronix 4054 | February 1980 | Unspecified | M61-0100 | 96 | Normal; Style A′ or later | |
| M61-0800 | 1 | Alt. action; Style A′ or later | TTY Lock | |||
| M51-0101 | 2 | High force; Style A′ or later | One is Home Page, top left; perhaps the other is for Break | |||
| Tektronix 4023 | January 1984 | Unspecified | M61-0100 | 75 | Not depicted | This machine also used Key Tronic |