MICRO CADAM Lighted Program Function Keyboard
- Updated 9 April 2022
Contents
Background
The MICRO CADAM Lighted Program Function Keyboard was an LPFK produced for IBM and CADAM for use with MICRO CADAM software. CADAM (which stands for computer-augmented design and manufacturing) was CAD software originally developed by Lockheed for use with IBM mainframes. IBM later bought Lockheed's CADAM Inc subsidiary in 1989 and MICRO CADAM was released the following year for PC compatibles running DOS[1][1]
Wikipedia - CADAM [accessed 2021-08-01].. Two variants are presently known, an IBM-branded version with a Japanese kanji/katakana functional overlay and a CADAM-branded version with an English functional overlay. Both require an external power supply to function.
IBM branded P/N 79F1028
This variant was branded with an IBM silver-square badge and comes with a Japanese kanji/katakana functional overlay. This variant was produced as early as 1991 and uses ALPS SKCL "Yellow" linear switches. The switch PCB also has ALPS branding in the form of silkscreening, so it's likely ALPS Electric produced most of the internals (or even the entire device at large).
CADAM branded
blackbit - CADAM Function Keyboard [accessed 2021-08-01].
This variant was branded with a CADAM Inc silver-square badge and comes with an English functional overlay. CADAM refers to this LPFK as Function Key Box[2][2]
blackbit - CADAM Function Keyboard [accessed 2021-08-01]..
- Wikipedia - CADAM [accessed 2021-08-01].
- blackbit - CADAM Function Keyboard [accessed 2021-08-01].
