Cable channel

Three-exit cable channel in a Dell AT102W keyboard

A cable channel, cable gutter or routing channel is an integrated cable tidy found on some keyboards. It typically takes the form of deep grooves on the underside of the case into which the cable can be pressed. This constrains the cable to leave the keyboard on a specific part of the keyboard to avoid trailing wire across the desk.

Cable channels frequently have either two or three exits. Two-exit channels route the cable to the left or to the right; three-exit channels also allow for the cable to be routed directly out from the rear of the keyboard. Some designs always route the cable out from the rear (centrally or at the side), while other designs route the cable out from the sides of the keyboard.