IBM Beam Spring Keyboards

From Deskthority wiki
Revision as of 01:08, 29 August 2013 by Daedalus (talk | contribs) (→‎IBM 7485 Display Station Keyboard)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

This article is a stub. You can help Deskthority by expanding it.

IBM's first generation Electronic Capacitive-Coupled Keyboards, known as the Beam Spring Keyboards were keyboards using the Beam Spring mechanism. These replaced special adaptations of the Selectric typewriter modified to communicate with a computer during the early 1970s.

History

Common Design Features

Keyboards

IBM 3277 (and related) Display Station Keyboards

IBM 4979 Display Station Console Keyboard

The 4979 was a terminal that was launched in 1976 alongside the IBM Series/1 minicomputer to which it was designed to be attached to. It featured a 66-key data entry style keyboard built into the terminal housing which had the same physical key arrangement as the 3277 data entry keyboard, but a different layout and keycap colour scheme.

  • IBM 4979 Display Station
  • 4979.jpg

    IBM 4979 Display Station.

  • Layout diagram of the 4979's keyboard, taken from an IBM manual.

External links

IBM 3741 Data Station Keyboard

The IBM 3741, and the related IBM 3742 (which was effectively two 3741s integrated into the one desk back-to-back) were released by IBM in 1973. They were designed as a more modern (by the standards of the time) alternative to a keypunch by storing data on 8" floppy disks instead of punching holes onto card. The keyboard was somewhat similar in layout to that of the IBM 029 keypunch.

  • IBM 3741 Data Station
  • 3741.jpg

    IBM 3741 Data Station.

  • Close up of 3741 keyboard.

External Links

IBM 3604 Keyboard Display Keyboards

Launched in 1973, the IBM 3600 Financial Communication System was a set of terminals and printers for bank tellers, and the networking equipment required to interface them with an IBM mainframe. The 3604 keyboard displays were the 3600's terminals, there were six models of which Models 1 - 4 featured beam spring keyboards (Models 5 and 6 used smaller keys which, at least in later production examples, used rubber dome switches). Model 1 was a compact unit which could be equipped with one of three keyboard options:

  • A 30-key Numeric Keypad, which featured a 15-key numeric keypad, and another 15-key block whose functionality was determined by the system software.
  • A Data Entry layout, which was based on the Numeric Keypad.
  • A 45-key Extended Numeric Keypad, which added another 15-key programmable function block to the keyboard.

Models 2 - 4 were larger units which differed by screen size. There were two more keyboard options available in addition to the ones available for the Model 1:

  • A 74-key Alphanumeric layout, which featured an alphanumeric keypad with the same physical alphanumeric keypad layout as that on the 3277 78-key terminals. To the right of that was a numeric keypad and a number of programmable function keys. It is perhaps interesting to note that if one takes this layout, removes the Reset and Enter keys, replaces the Return and Back Tab keys with an ISO-style return, replaces the Tab and Lock key with a single L-shaped key the result is quite similar to the physical key arrangement of the later IBM 5100.
  • A 94-key Extended Alphanumeric layout, which added an additional 20 programmable function keys to the standard Alphanumeric layout.

The 3604 was replaced by the IBM 4704 which was launched in 1982. The 4704's Model F keyboard options are somewhat similar to those of the 3604.

  • IBM 3604 Display Keyboard
  • 3604-45key.jpg

    IBM 3604 Model 1 with Extended Numeric Keypad. Note that the the long vertical key on the rightmost block appears to be non standard, as only single sized keys are present on official pictures.

  • Diagram from IBM guide showing the layout of the 74-key Alphanumeric layout.

  • 3604-94key.jpg

    IBM 3604 Model 4 with Extended Alphanumeric layout.

External Links

IBM 3767 Communications Terminal Keyboard

This was a printer type terminal from IBM which featured an integrated Beam Spring keyboard.

  • IBM 3767 Commutations Terminal

  • IBM 3767 Communications Terminal.

External Links

IBM System/32 Console Keyboard

The System/32 was a midrange system, launched by IBM in 1975. It featured a console keyboard integrated into the computer unit, whose physical key layout could be described as a half way point between the layout of Selectric-based terminals such as the IBM 2741 and the keyboard of the IBM 5251 terminal which was designed for the later System/34.

  • IBM System/32
  • S32.jpg

    IBM System/32 Console

External Links

IBM 5100 Portable Computer Keyboards

The 5100 was an early portable computer (at least portable by the standards of the time, weighing in at around 25kg) launched by IBM in 1975. The 5100 was designed to run either a BASIC interpreter, an APL one, or have the ability to toggle between them. The 75-key keyboard was available either with a standard layout, or an APL layout.

  • IBM 5100 Portable Computer

  • IBM 5100 with standard keyboard.

  • IBM 5100 with APL keyboard.

IBM 5110/5120 Computing System Keyboards

The 5110 (launched 1978) was an updated version of the 5100 that supported additional peripherals, and the 5120 (launched 1980) was effectively the 5110 in a different form factor, with a larger screen and the tape drive replaced by a pair of 8" floppy drives. The keyboards and their layouts were the same as those on the 5100 but differed by the colour of their keycaps.

  • IBM 5110 Computing System

  • IBM 5110 with standard keyboard.

  • IBM 5110 with APL keyboard.

  • IBM 5120 Computing System
  • 5120.jpg

    IBM 5120 with standard keyboard.

  • Keyboards computers history ibm marcin wichary 5120 desktop 1600x1200 hd-wallpaper-1014688.jpg

    IBM 5120 with APL keyboard.

External links

IBM 3278 (and related) Display Station Keyboards

75 and 87-key layouts (76 and 88 for katakana), different legends for various purposes

IBM 3101 Display Station Keyboard

Launched in 1979, the 3101 was a low cost serial ASCII terminal designed to work with both IBM systems, and systems made by competing vendors. Its keyboard had the same physical key arrangement of the 87-key 3278 keyboards (or the 88-key Japanese layout), but featured a different housing and a different keycap colour scheme. IBM later produced a Model F version that was interchangeable with the beam spring one.

  • IBM 3101 Display Station

  • Layout diagram of US 87-key IBM 3101 Keyboard

  • Layout diagram of Japanese 88-key IBM 3101 Keyboard

IBM 3727 Operator Console Keyboard

The 3727 Operator Console was a variant of the 3101 designed to be attached to the the IBM 3725 Communications controller. Aside from a slightly different layout, the keyboard appears to be identical to the 3101's one.

  • IBM 3727 Operator Console

  • IBM 3727 Operator Console Keyboard.

IBM System/38 Console Keyboard

The System/38 was a midrange computer launched by IBM in 1979. In addition to the IBM 5250-series terminals that it was designed to operate with, it featured a console built into the computer unit whose keyboard had the same physical key arrangement as the 75-key 3278 keyboard.

  • IBM System/38
  • S38.jpg

    IBM System/38 Console

External links

IBM 5251 Display Station Keyboards

83- or 85-key (Katakana) layout, mechanically similar layout to the later 83-key System/23 Datamaster and IBM PC keyboards

External links

IBM 4978 Display Station Keyboards

IBM Displaywriter Keyboards

IBM 5253 Display Station Keyboards

External links

Retrieved from ‘https://deskthority.net/wiki/index.php?title=IBM_Beam_Spring_Keyboards&oldid=14917’