IBM 4176191 Model F 74-Key Serial Keyboard 1984 Vintage DB-15 Buckling Spring

IBM 4176191 Model F 74-Key Serial Keyboard 1984 Vintage DB-15 Buckling Spring

The IBM 4176191 is a 74-key serial keyboard built on IBM's legendary Model F platform, manufactured on October 26, 1984. It uses IBM's buckling spring key switch mechanism — the same technology found in the iconic IBM Model M — and connects via a DB-15 serial interface. This is a compact, purpose-built terminal keyboard from IBM's early-to-mid 1980s midrange computing era.

Specifications & What's Included

• Part Number (FRU): 4176191
• Model designation: Model F
• EC Number: 833677
• PLT Number: FL6
• U Number: F9298
• Number of keys: 74
• Key switch type: Buckling spring mechanism
• Interface: Serial
• Connector: DB-15 male (attached cable)
• Color: Beige/putty
• Manufacture date: October 26, 1984
• Country of manufacture: United States
• Includes: Keyboard with attached serial cable

Applications

The IBM Model F keyboard line was produced from the early 1980s and was used with IBM's midrange and terminal systems of that era, including the IBM 5250-family terminals connected to System/34, System/36, System/38, and early AS/400 installations, as well as the IBM PC and XT. The 74-key layout with its dedicated IBM-specific function keys — including Sys Req, Cmd, Erase/Inp/Home, Del/Ins, Help, Print, and Roll — reflects the command-driven interface conventions of IBM's midrange software environment. The buckling spring mechanism gives the Model F a distinctive tactile snap and audible click that made IBM keyboards the benchmark for typing feel in the 1980s. Today, Model F keyboards are actively sought after by vintage computing enthusiasts and collectors, and by users who prefer the tactile and acoustic feedback of the buckling spring design over modern membrane and rubber-dome switches. Functional units with intact connectors and complete key sets are increasingly scarce.