The Hitachi B16/EX is an IBM-compatible computer that was one of the technical achievements for having multiple writing styles on a single computer. Due to the number of characters that can be written in Japanese, this requires additional storage space via an addin card.
This keyboard was OEMed for Hitachi:
Switches
Keycaps
Upper Case
Mounting Plate
PCB
Back Plate
Cable
The keycaps are made out of PBT with dye-sublimated legends. This keyboard is the first time that a 3-unit spacebar has been introduced. Additionally, glue was added to all keys that were bigger than 1 unit to ensure that they would not fall off.
Upper Case
The upper case is made out of a single piece of beige ABS plastic. The plastic is smooth and is very thin. The top case has threaded inserts for the case screws.
The lowercase is made out of a single piece of steel dipped in a rubber-like coating. Two additional feet are found on the bottom of the case where the cable can be clipped into so that it would be out of the way of the user.
Switch Plate
The switch plate is made out of stamped steel. The plate is painted with black paint to prevent rust additionally, the keyboard plate has rubber strips to dampen when the user hits keys that are longer than 1 unit long.
The PCB is a double-sided PCB with all traces on both sides of the PCB. This is not normal for all NMB PCBs and might be due to a USA-based manufacturer.
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Model Sticker
Other switchesÂ
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Switch