Mitsumi KPQ-E99ZC

Mitsumi KPQ-E99ZC
Model no.	KPQ-E99ZC*
FCC ID	Various
Manufacturer	Mitsumi
Features	Integrated cable management
Layouts	Various
Keyswitches	Mitsumi KPQ Type
Precedes	Mitsumi KPQ-EA4ZA/EA5ZA

KPQ-E99ZC is a series of Mitsumi KPQ Type keyboards. Examples examined to date are tactile with conductive foot sliders. The version with Windows keys is Mitsumi KPQ-EA4ZA/EA5ZA.

Description

The following information is based on KPQ-E99ZC-12 UK ISO, below. The details may differ between variants.

Stabilisation varies between keys. Space bar uses a wire stabiliser that snaps into clips into the keycap; this makes disassembly and reassembly comparatively easy. Right shift is supported by a pair of sliders; a single buckling rubber sleeve supports the keycap from the centre, within which a cross-shaped peg fits into a hole for additional stabilisation. Other large keys including ISO enter have no stabilisation; the keycaps have the clips to hold the stabiliser wire, but stabilisation has proved unnecessary as the sliders are inherently quite stable and fairly free from binding. Caps lock is stepped and has the slider on the left, and in the keyboard depicted, the right-hand side of the keycap is difficult to press. Left control is also hard to press non-centrally, and numeric keypad + but not enter is affected similarly.

Per Mitsumi KFK-EA4XA, a set of pegs underneath the keyboard form Mitsumi's (at the time) patent-pending arrangement for shortening the keyboard cable, by allowing the user to wrap the unneeded portion of the cable around these pegs.

Variants

Variants of this keyboard include:

Model	FCC ID	Description
KPQ-E99ZC-12	CMYKPQ6640	ISO, 102-key UK
KPQ-E99ZC-13	CMYKPQ6987	Asian 101, 105-key US

A lower case bearing model KPQ-E99ZC (which is moulded into the plastic) has been seen in 104-key layout, suggesting that the case was not retooled before the extra keys were added^[1]. And KPQ-E99ZC-13 can also be found embossed on the bottom of a Mitsumi KPQ-EA5ZA.

Model KPQ-E99ZC-13 was also used on a Compaq-branded, ANSI, 105-key US, using a revised Mitsumi KKR-E99AC case.^[2]

Disassembly

To disassemble a KPQ-E99ZC keyboard, first remove the four screws from below the front of the keyboard. Next, release the three retaining clips. These can be done without tools: simply raise the two feet, press each of the side retaining clips with your thumb, and use the feet to pull the base up. The centre clip can then be released with just your thumb.

Following a near-full disassembly (where the cable has not been unclipped from the internal back panel), full reassembly is somewhat tricky. The controller board is secured by the back panel, but the back panel if moved will pull the board back out as the cable is soldered directly to the board and then tied to the internal back panel.

Examples

KPQ-E99ZC-12

The following example appears to be dated 1995 (the year digit on the label is illegible but is most likely "5"), using parts made in late 1994. The serial number also suggests December 1994. The keycaps are made from ABS, while the case is made of polystyrene and has not yellowed.

The hash key was deliberately defaced to demonstrate the way that surface printing can be removed through wear.

Total travel is hard to measure, but it is somewhere between 3.6 and 4 mm, with 4 mm being likely. Tactile force is around 70–75 g, which is likely to be heavier than it was when it was new (tactile force for KPQ Type is rated at 50±20 g).