P/N 6450225 - Model F Keyboard Details & Specs
| TypeType A designation from my own type naming scheme used to categorise this keyboard with or from others by their common features and market intent but may/may not be derived from official names. |
Model F/AT PC Keyboard |
| Known Host SystemsKnown Host Systems A list of known host systems this keyboard could be bundled with or at least designed specifically to operate with. This could be terminals, desktop PCs or laptops. |
IBM 5170 Personal Computer AT (IBM 5170 family) |
| OEMOEM Possible companies responsible for making this keyboard for the company marketing it. |
IBM |
| Key-switchesKey-switches The name of the known switching mechanism that lies under this keyboard's keys. |
IBM capacitive buckling springs |
| Earliest AppearanceEarliest Appearance The year (and possibly the quarter) that this keyboard part number was introduced, first observed, first recorded or the first example found. |
1984 Q3 |
| Original KeycapsOriginal Keycaps The keyboard's original keycaps' material and text/symbol printing technique. |
PBT with dye-sublimated legends |
| Casing ColourCasing Colour The original colour of this keyboard's outer casing. For keyboards whose casing materials are known to yellow, this will refer to the original colour before such transformation occurs. |
Pearl White |
| BrandingBranding The possible branding and logo styles found on this keyboard part number. This could be multiple styles at once or possible styles found over time. |
IBM silver square badge |
| FeetFeet The style of this keyboard's flip-out or extendable feet. If applicable, this may also state how many levels of height adjustment are available and whether the feet could be rubberised. |
Single-setting riser feet |
| ProtocolProtocol The protocol(s) this keyboard can use to speak to the host computer (eg, scancode sets). |
IBM scancode set 2 |
| ConnectionConnection The keyboard-to-host connection. This is could be a description of a cable (its colour, whether its coiled, whether its detachable, and what connector is at its end) or the name of a wireless technology. |
Black coiled-style fixed DIN (180) cable |
| Key CountKey Count The number of keys that this keyboard originally had. |
84 |
| Form FactorForm Factor The standardised or universally acknowledged name for this keyboard's layout form factor. |
Navblockless |
Layout/LanguageLayout/Language The original regional/language layout this keyboard was configured as. Both the language and the standardised key layout may be listed, and in the case of both being known or defined, it will be styled as language then standard. |
UK AT |
| Data Last Updated | 2021-04-08 |
More on this type of keyboard...
The IBM Personal Computer AT Keyboard was the successor to the IBM PC and PC/XT Keyboards (Model F/XT) as IBM's main PC keyboard and is the last wholly unique Model F design and capacitive buckling springs host introduced. It was released at the same time as its host PC, the IBM Personal Computer AT (PC/AT) in August 1984, which was the final major release of the original IBM PC series. What's now commonly referred to as the "Model F/AT" represented a big step towards the now-standard PC keyboard design with its introduction of the ANSI-style large left shift key, separated numeric keypad and LED lock-lights to the IBM keyboard family. However, it would be quickly supplanted by the IBM Model M Enhanced Keyboard within two years. As the name implies, the F/AT uses the "AT" protocol (IBM scancode set 2) like later PS/2 keyboards. This meant that until the 2010s, F/ATs were considered the most valuable Model F keyboards as were amongst the few Model F variants that were easily adaptable to modern systems.
