Beehive B100 terminal
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| Manufacturer | Beehive / Key Tronic |
|---|---|
| Features | Switch selectible baud rate from 110 to 19,200 baud. |
| Keyswitches | Key Tronic foam and foil |
| Interface | Standard RS232C point-to-point, 20ma current loop |
| Weight | 45 lbs. (20.41 kg) |
| Years of production | July, 1976 |
| Price | $1,495 |
The Beehive B100 terminal was made by Beehive Terminals, a division of Beehive Medical Electronics Inc. The Model B100 is a budget conscious terminal that had many options including optional function keys that are not on this example. This particular terminal was part of an Altair Word Processing System that came with an Altair 8800BT, two Altair disk drives, this terminal and an Altair printer. There was also some Altair word processing software. It is an iconic, early terminal that many terminal manufacturers modeled their products after.
The keyboard mechanism for this example appears to be from 1977, judging by the internal logic chips on the keyboard mechanism and contains early Key Tronic foam and foil switches. The keyboard mechanism must have been a joint venture between Beehive and Key Tronic as both logos appear on the keyboard PCB. The feel of this particular keyboard is normal for keyboards that are similar including the Apple Lisa keyboard. The foam and foil pads are original and look to be in good shape. This terminal needs restoration as the screen has an affliction known as the "cataract effect" where a transparent plastic cover over the glass picture tube has had the glue break down over the years making the screen appear blurry. It does power up but it requires the removal of the front plastic lens and reapplying glue to put it back in place.
This keyboard mechanism connects to the main logic board of the terminal via a ribbon cable with a chip socket connector. While there is no Key Tronic serial number sticker, the picture of the back of the board does have a faint number engraved in the board. With several part and identification numbers, it is difficult to determine which on is the Key Tronic part number.
Gallery
Pictures of the Beehive B100 terminal.
Front
Back
Profile
Side
Internals
Gallery
Pictures of the keyboard mechanism in the Beehive B100 terminal.
Mounted
Front
Key caps removed
Keyboard mechanism with springs removed
Key Tronic key switches
Key switches with LEDs on PCB below
Key switches close up
Back of key switches
Front of PCB
Back of PCB
ICs on PCB
Beehive and Key Tronic logos on PCB
Key switches front
Key switches back
