IBM 1390702 Model M 122-Key Buckling Spring Terminal Keyboard 3191 3192

IBM 1390702 Model M 122-Key Buckling Spring Terminal Keyboard 3191 3192

The IBM 1390702 is a 122-key Model M buckling spring keyboard built for use with IBM 3191 and 3192 display terminals. It uses IBM's iconic buckling spring switch mechanism, which produces a distinct tactile bump and audible click with each keystroke. The keyboard connects via a built-in coiled DIN-5 (5-pin) cable — it is a host-connected terminal keyboard, not a standard AT keyboard, and is not directly compatible with a PC without an adapter. Manufactured July 17, 1989, in the USA.

Specifications & What's Included

• Part Number: 1390702
• Model: IBM Model M (Plt No F1)
• ID No: 2047111
• Total Keys: 122
• Switch Type: Buckling spring (mechanical, clicky-tactile)
• Function Keys: Two rows of 12 PF keys (PF1–PF24)
• Connector: DIN-5 Male (5-pin), built-in coiled cable
• Compatible Terminals: IBM 3191, IBM 3192
• Date of Manufacture: July 17, 1989
• Country of Manufacture: Made in the USA
• Includes: Keyboard with attached coiled DIN-5 cable; one keycap shown removed in photos is present and included
• No adapter included

Applications

The IBM Model M 122-key keyboard was designed for use with IBM's 3270-family and 5250-family display terminals, including the 3191 and 3192 terminals used in mainframe and AS/400 midrange computing environments. These keyboards were standard equipment at IBM terminal workstations in the late 1980s and early 1990s, providing the dedicated program function (PF) key rows required by IBM host applications, TSO, CICS, and similar terminal emulation environments. The DIN-5 connector plugs directly into a compatible IBM terminal — the keyboard is not natively compatible with a standard PC AT port without a converter. Today, the IBM 1390702 is sought by collectors of vintage IBM hardware, by operators maintaining legacy IBM terminal setups, and by enthusiasts who prize the buckling spring mechanism's tactile feel, which is widely considered among the finest of any mechanical keyboard ever produced. The Model M line dates from the mid-1980s and this unit's 1989 manufacture date places it squarely in the keyboard's production peak.