Cherry G80-3700

Cherry G80-3700
Model no.	MX 3700
Part number	G80-3700
Branding	Cherry
Manufacturer	Cherry
Features	Programmable
Layouts	US, DE, DK, ES, FR, IT, SWE/FI
Keyswitches	Cherry MX Black
Interface	AT, PS/2
Power draw	50 mA
Dimensions	108 × 195 × 45 mm
Weight	460 g
Discontinued	Oct—Nov 2011

A G80-3700LQAUS with lasered keys and a PS/2 connector.

The Cherry G80-3700 is a series of keypad keyboards made by Cherry. The keypad has been around since as early as 1990 and has gone through several revisions. Since October-November 2011 Cherry marked the product as "obsolete".^[1]

Variants

While the G80-3700 is known and marketed as a programmable keypad, the ability to program the keypad varies. On newer models, the four keys on top are fully programmable and save their configuration internally. The other keys are programmable, but require the Cherry drivers to be installed. This will therefore only work on Windows machines.

Older revisions of this keyboard included a mode in which all keys of the keypad could be programmed with a custom key string, or key combination, which were all stored in hardware and did not require any software or drivers to be installed.

Besides the differences in programming, the keypad also existed in various country variants and was produced with either double-shot keycaps or lasered keys, as found on current models.

Potentially dependent on the model, the G80-3700 may not function without a keyboard connected to its passthrough port. The passthrough port allows the G8-3700 to be programmed by directly intercepting typed keys on a regular keyboard. The 1997 G80-3700HAU in particular will power up (the num lock LED flashes) but then become inactive if nothing is attached to the passthrough port. The manual describes the passthrough setup but does not warn that the unit will not function as a standalone keypad without a keyboard connected to it. As such, use on a modern computer will require a minimum of an AT to PS/2 adapter for the keypad plus a PS/2 to AT adapter to connect the keyboard.

Programming

The newer models can be programmed with the Cherry software Keym@n. Older versions require programming by key-combinations and need a keyboard connected to the keypads internal PS/2 (or DIN5) socket. The instructions below assume that a keyboard is connected to the internal socket and that the keypad is connected by PS/2 or DIN5 to a PC. PS/2 to USB adapters or similar will not work for programming this keypad.

Mode selection

The G80-3700 features four different base modes:

The keypad acts as a normal keypad. The Numlock state is shared with the main keyboard.
The keypad acts as a normal keypad. The Numlock state is individual and does not rely on the main keyboard.
The keypad generates special characters, normally found in combination with shift on the first row of a standard keyboard.
Macro mode. The keypad uses the macros you programmed in. Each key can be programmed, with the exception of the Numlock key itself.

To switch between the modes:

Press and hold Numlock key on the G80-3700
Press and hold the key corresponding the mode number (any of 1–4)
With both those keys still held, press enter, and release all three keys

Programming a string

To program a sequence or combination of keys proceed as following

Hold down the Numlock key on the G80-3700
Press the key you wish to program
Release the Numlock key
The Numlock LED should now be flashing
Type the key-combination or sequence you wish to program on the main keyboard
Press the Numlock key again
The blinking should stop, the key is now programmed with your string or sequence

Resetting all macros

To reset all macros, press and hold the following keys on the G80-3700 together in the following sequence to perform a factory reset:

Numlock
Hyphen/minus
Enter

Resetting a macro

To reset one macro proceed as following

Hold down the Numlock key on the G80-3700
Press the key you wish to reset
Release the Numlock key
The Numlock LED should now be flashing
Press the minus key (-)
Press the enter key
Press the Numlock key
The macro is now reset

Gallery

G80-3700HAU

RS 244-828 keypad labelled J17 (week 17 of 1997, early April), with double-shot keycaps and AT connectors.

RS 244-828 product box
Cherry product label on the RS box
G80-3700HAU in original box with manuals and with Cherry sticker affixed
Box contents: keyboard, manual, and product leaflet
Top
Bottom
Rear, with AT passthrough port
Cherry MX Black switches
Unusual LED switch shape
Double-shot and pad-printed keycaps
Rear label (production date is 17th week of 1997, which was early April)
Top case removed
The Cherry stabilisers unclip readily from the switch PCB
March 1997 date stamps on the inside of the top and bottom halves of the case
Fully disassembled
Switch PCB, detail
The switch PCB connects to the controller PCB via a ribbon cable
Controller PCB
Controller PCB, top
Controller PCB, bottom
Label on the controller PCB
Num lock legend is pad printed as the second moulding shot was used for the keycap window
Inside of num lock keycap