Gateway AnyKey

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Gateway AnyKey

Part number	2189014
Branding	Gateway 2000
Manufacturer	Maxi Switch
Layouts	Extended ANSI Extended ISO
Keyswitches	Maxi Switch dome with slider
Keycaps	Double-shot
Interface	AT, PS/2
Weight	1.75 Kg
Years of production	1991–1998

Extra keys above the numpad area allow to reprogram the keyboard and modify the repeat rate.

The Gateway AnyKey is a programmable keyboard with remappable keys and macro programming functionality, sold exclusively by Gateway 2000 as an option for some of their desktop computers. Introduced in 1991, the keyboard was manufactured in several known versions and incarnations by Maxi Switch. It was also sold by Maxi Switch themselves, as the ProKey II (later the ProKey 124).

Variants

Several versions of the AnyKey are known to exist, with manufacturing dates starting in 1991 and ending in 1997. Functionally, the various versions of the keyboard are almost identical. They differ in their connection method, marking, and in some minimal areas of behavior.

The version and vintage of an AnyKey keyboard can be determined by reading a small paper label on the underside, generally placed near the lower center over the third screw hole. Unfortunately, these labels are unlaminated plain paper printed with a simple dot matrix printer and over time turn yellow and brittle and are easily damaged. In addition, the labels are very often placed such that one of the more important numbers —the date— is placed directly over one of the screw holes that must be accessed to dismantle the keyboard. An Anykey that has been serviced undoubtedly has some of its date and model information destroyed.

Version 1

The oldest known version, unofficially dubbed “version 1”, is of an unknown part number. It has an AT style plug and has “Gateway 2000” in raised, painted lettering on its upper left face with a gold painted Gateway G logo. It has “AnyKey” printed on the upper right face, to the right of the “Program” inscription. There is a silvery gray label on the underside bearing the Gateway 2000 name and logo, the Anykey logo, the keyboard's FCC ID number, an FCC Part 15 warning, and the least pertinent part of the model number: 2189014-XXX. This keyboard can be programmed simply by pressing the Program Macro key.

The internals of this version of keyboard are held together with many small yellow zinc plated screws that hold the metal plate, membrane, rubber dome layer, and plastic support layer together as well as holding all of the above into the chassis.

Version 2 (2189014-00-211)

The second known version comes with part number 2189014-00-211. Examples have been found with manufacture dates as early as June 1991 and as late as November 1992. These are visually very similar to version 1 keyboards, with the same AT style plug and chassis. However, version 2 keyboards lack the “AnyKey” inscription on their face. The silver label on the reverse still bears the AnyKey moniker. This keyboard is held together with screws as is the previous version.

Macros must be programmed on this version by holding down Control and pressing Program Macro. Simply pressing Program Macro does nothing. The foregoing may be true of some specimens of this model, but on at least one 'Program Macro' alone works.

The Print Screen key has the additional label "Sys Rq" on the front edge, and the Pause key has the additional label "Break" on the front edge. Keycaps from later AnyKey keyboards will not necessarily match cosmetically, as the later lettering is a little closer to the bottom of the keycap, and the strokes slightly thinner.

This variant contains a toroid on the inside, around the keyboard wires near the top middle of the keyboard, which might rub against the plastic membrane circuit board and cut the leftmost trace emerging from the left ribbon connector. The circuit board numbers of the dead, non-responsive, keys will be: 19 ("Program Macro"), 46 (number pad minus "-"), 90 (left side function key "F7"), 91 (left side function key "F8"), 97 ("B"), 98 ("N"), 102 (slash "/"), 104 (left arrow), 105 (space key between left and right arrow keys), 106 (right arrow), 110 (left side function key "F9"), 111 (left side function key "F10"), 113 (gray asterisk between left side Ctrl and Alt keys "*"), 115 (space bar), 116 (right "Alt"), and 120 (down arrow). These numbers are printed on the plastic membrane next to each keyswitch, with the exception of 106, which is obscured by a carbon bridge. The cut trace can be repaired by filling in the hole with conductive ink from a silver microtip conductive pen or possibly with copper paint from a rear-window defroster repair kit from an automobile supply store. The dried paint can then be covered with tape or epoxy. The toroid should be repositioned or covered with tape or something to blunt its edge.

Version 3 (2189014-00-212)

The third known version is part number 2189014-00-212. Examples have been found with manufacture dates as early as January 1993 and as late as August 1993. These are visually very similar to part number 2189014-00-211, with the same AT style plug and chassis, silver label on the reverse bearing the AnyKey moniker, screws holding the keyboard together, macro programming requiring the Control key, and lacking the AnyKey inscription on their face. An alternate version is part number 2189014-00-712 with a PS/2 style plug.

Version 4 (2191011-00-911)

The fourth known version is part number 2191011-00-911. Its most common vintage seems to be 1994. This version has a PS/2 style plug and like version 2 it does not have the “AnyKey” inscription on its face. The silver gray label on the reverse is done away with, replaced with raised lettering that is very difficult to read. The raised lettering is otherwise identical to the writing on the labels of previous versions.

As with the version 2, this keyboard must be programmed by holding Control while pressing Program Macro. Inside, this version's controller board is longer and narrower with a slightly different layout than previous versions. Unlike said previous versions, this version's chassis is held together with screws but the internals are held together and bound to the lower half of the chassis by many plastic pegs that are a part of the support layer. These are pushed through the lower chassis and melted into a mushroom shape ("heat staked"), holding the keyboard together and making it impossible to disassemble for service without breaking or carefully drilling out the heat fastened pegs. After being dismantled, keyboards of this version are difficult to properly reassemble due to their lack of screws to align the internals.

Version 5 (2194001)

A fifth version exists that bears the model number 2194001-XX-XXX stamped into the bottom of the keyboard. In addition there is a specific model number (such as 2194001-00-002) on both a bar code sticker and a model number/serial number label that also includes a date such as "MAXI SWITCH MEXICO 01-21-95". This version has a PS/2-style plug and has five screws instead of the heat staked attachments.

Version 6 (2194002)

A sixth version is very similar to the fifth, but the stamped model number is changed to 2194002-XX-XXX. Its vintage is late 1995 to mid 1996, with the most recent model having "MAXI SWITCH 06-27-06" printed on the label. This version has a PS/2 style plug and screws securing the internals.

Version 7

A seventh(?) version exists labeled "MAXI SWITCH MEXICO 08-23-96", another "05-28-97". At first glance the only obvious difference to previous models is that the PS/2 plug is bright orange. The real significance of this unit is the recognition of the extra Windows keys added. Rather than retool the unit to allow the addition of the three extra keys and therefore altering the standard layout around the space bar, a simple electronic change was made to the decoder and some keys relabeled. Using an extended IBM Model M as a guide, to the left of the space are three keys: Ctrl*Alt which are relabeled CtrlWinAlt and on the right of the space bar, Alt*Ctrl are labeled AltWinMenu. How many people remapped the MS keys to reproduce the right-hand Control key is unknown.

Switches

The AnyKey uses Maxi Switch dome with slider switches, which means keycaps fit interchangeably with Cherry MX keycaps. All the switches and contact points are on a single sheet. The keyswitch layer contacts a single flexible membrane that detects all keypresses and directs them to the controller board via a pair of flexible edge connectors. While the AnyKey is branded as a Gateway product, the membrane layer clearly bears the inscription “Maxi Switch Inc.”, revealing the true maker of the hardware. This membrane is backed by a metal plate approximately a sixteenth of an inch thick which serves to hold the membrane rigid and in place as well as giving the keyboard considerable heft.

Held in place on top of the rubber dome layer is a plastic block that holds the key pillars which in turn hold the keycaps themselves. The key pillars are individually replaceable but cannot be removed without dismantling the keyboard to separate the rubber dome layer from the plastic support layer and the removal of the latter from the assembly. The keycaps are held onto the pillars via friction with cross shaped pegs. The keycaps are easily removed for cleaning.

Controller board

The controller board inside the Anykey contains six integrated circuit packages (“chips”) in addition to various signal regulation hardware including 15 diodes, 11 capacitors, and nine resistors of unknown specific function in addition to four green LEDs, namely the standard three plus “Program”. The chips included are an Intel P8052AH microcontroller, an Atmel AT28C16 16 kilobit EEPROM chip, and four Fairchild Semiconductor Decoder/Demultiplexer chips of various descriptions.

References

This article incorporates text by the English Wikipedia available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

External links

• Gateway AnyKey at the English Wikipedia