Editing Omron B3G-S series

{{infobox dswitch
| image name        = Omron B3G-S series.jpg
| manufacturer      = [[Omron]]
| product code      = B3G-Snnn(N)
| switch type       = Clicky, tactile, linear
| actuation force   = 
| discontinued      = 
| contact mechanism = [[Metal leaf]]
| switch mount      = [[Plate mount]]
| keycap mount      = [[Alps mount]]
| introduced        = 1986 or earlier
| supersedes        = [[Omron B3G series]]
| travel            = 4±0.5 mm
| pretravel         = 1.8±0.5 mm
}}

The '''Omron B3G-S series''' is a switch similar in style and internal design to [[Alps SKCL/SKCM series]], generally assumed (but not proven) to be based on the Alps design. With its unique pin layout (three pins in a line at the rear) it is not a clone of the Alps switch, but unlike most Alps clones and copies, it does use a [[switchplate]] to contain the contact mechanism.

==History==
The switch supersedes the [[Omron B3G series]]; Omron cite the B3G as being discontinued in February 1988, with B3G-S___N as the recommended replacement.<ref name="Omron-Search" />

On some switches, "B3G-S" is followed by "JAPAN"; on others, "JAPAN" has been removed from the mould, suggesting that production was moved outside of Japan to somewhere like Taiwan.

==Description==
B3G-S switches have both "OMRON" and "B3G-S" written on the top of the shell, allowing them to be easily recognised without needing to be de-soldered and removed from the keyboard.

The 1986 catalogue entry for B3G-S is subtitled  「DIN規格に適した全18.1mmのロープロタイプ」: the switch is noted as being DIN compliant.

The shells of some white-slider switches contained a slot for an LED; some keyboards used these switches without LEDs fitted.

There is a slightly smaller Omron keyswitch, provisionally termed the [[Omron Alps-style switch]] for its more Alps-like slider, that has the Omron branding on the bottom, and only two legs in the switchplate.

The switchplate in the B3G-S series is a partially sealed unit: the front panel affixes to the back panel using melted plastic lugs. The contact bridge fits so tightly into the back panel that it is virtually impossible to remove it. The centre leg is also fitted in such a way that it is impossible to remove it: the movable contact lug is above a square block of metal that is walled in on all four sides, with the leg protruding from a hole in the plastic. It is possible that the plastic is moulded in around the metal, as it does not appear possible to assemble the switch. No switchplate has ever been sighted fully disassembled. In comparison, the Alps switchplate is a simple sandwich of metal and plastic layers that can be manually disassembled and reassembled with very little damage.

The switchplate itself simply holds a very thin strip of a copper-coloured, ferrous alloy; the top of this strip is pressed against a static contact by the actuator leaf, by way of a plastic leaf on the switchplate front panel.

==Variants==
Variants include:

{| class="wikitable variants-table" border="1"
! !!Short name!!Model!!Generation
|-
|[[File:Omron B3G-S flat white latching.jpg|150px]]||[[Omron B3G-S Lock|Lock]]|| ||1
|-
|[[File:Omron B3G-S series -- amber.jpg|150px]]||Amber (Clicky)|| ||2
|-
|[[File:Ormon.png|center|120x120px|alt=]]
|Amber (Heavy)
|
|
|-
|[[File:No photograph.svg|150px]]||Amber (Linear)|| ||
|-
|[[File:Omron B3G-S -- cyan variant.jpg|150px]]||Cyan (Clicky)|| ||2
|-
|[[File:Omron B3G-S white tactile.jpg|150px]]||White (Clicky, Tactile or Linear)||B3G-S100N||2
|}

B3G-S series is divided up into seven sub-series. The nature of these sub-series is poorly-defined. The details are from the 1986 catalogue (pre-N models).

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!Original
!動作に必要な力
!押し切に必要な力
!Description
!Replacement
|-
|B3G-S100
|40±10 g
|50±15 g
|標準荷重 "Standard load"
|B3G-S100N
|-
|B3G-S200
|60±15 g
|70±15 g
|高荷重 "High load"
|B3G-S200N
|-
|B3G-S300
|
|
|
|Not replaced; 特殊対応 "Special handling"
|-
|B3G-S400
|60±15 g
|60±15 g
|感触つき "With touch" or "With feel"
|B3G-S400N
|-
|B3G-S500
|
|
|
|Not replaced; 代替機種なし "No alternative model"
|-
|B3G-S600
|
|
|
|B3G-S600N
|-
|B3G-S700
|
|
|
|B3G-S700N
|}

There appears to be a conflict between B3G-S100N which is tactile, and the 1986 catalogue which implies that—out of B3G-S100, B3G-S200 and B3G-S400—that B3G-S400 is the tactile model. It appears that no further elaboration of the design was offered by Omron in the catalogue.

==Colours==
{| class="switch-recognition-table"
{{switch colour | #F3C845 | '''Amber:''' Clicky; most common variant }}
{{switch colour | #8FE2F7 | '''Cyan:''' Clicky<ref name="FK-555" /> — the cyan version requires less force and is substantially less tactile than the amber version }}
{{switch colour | white   | '''White:''' Clicky<ref name="JDL" />, tactile<ref name="BVE-910" />, and linear<ref name="SX-9100" />; also used as the space bar switch in keyboards with amber switches.<ref name="PM-3655" /><ref name="CSK-1101P" /> }}
|}

==Keyboards==

===Amber===
*Bondwell B310 (Amber for heavier keys)
*Some [[Chicony KB-5160|Chicony KB-5160A]]
*Some [[Chicony KB-5161|Chicony KB-5161A]]
*Costar CSK-1101P<ref name="CSK-1101P" /> (White for spacebar)
*NTC KB-5060C <ref name="flickr"/>
*[[NTC KB-6151|NTC KB-6151-ER]]
*Some [[NTC KB-6251]]
*[[Omron B5GS-R101-620]] (White for spacebar & enter)
*[[System Instruments 101A8]] (possibly White for spacebar)
*Some [[Wang 725-7951]]
*[[Wang WAK-1101S]]

===White===
*Anritsu MS2601B Spectrum Analyzer keyboard (1st Generation)
*Unspecified “JDL財務” (“JDL Financial”) keyboard (Clicky)<ref name="JDL" />
*Some NCR 4970<ref name="ncr"/>
*Omron SX-9100 (Linear)<ref name="SX-9100" />
*Sony BVE-910 (Tactile)<ref name="BVE-910" />
*Sony SMC-3000G<ref name="sony"/>

===Cyan===
*Some [[Focus FK-555]]<ref name="FK-555" />
*Philips PM 3655 logic analyzer keyboard (Focus FK-767)<ref name="PM-3655" />
*Some [[Unitech K959]]

==Gallery==
===First generation===
Research suggests that the original B3G-S design had a "flat" slider. A functional LED slot appears to have always been present.

<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Omron B3G flat white.jpg                            | "Flat" white switch from an Anritsu MS2601B spectrum analyzer keyboard
Omron B3G-S flat white latching.jpg                      | "Flat" latching switch from an NEC 8313-12
</gallery>

===Second generation===
Part numbers of the form B3G-Snnn were superseded with B3G-SnnnN. It remains unclear whether the change in slider design corresponds to the change in part numbers. Another change that occurred at some stage was the introduction of a dedicated non-LED base, leaving a blind LED hole; later switches removed the redundant LED hole from the lid entirely. The blind LED hole can be recognised by the lack of a clip to retain the LED, and a thick shell wall around the hole.

<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:SIC 101A8 -- Omron switches (1).jpg                 | Amber switches in a [[System Instruments 101A8]] keyboard
File:SIC 101A8 -- Omron switches (2).jpg                 | Amber switches in a 101A8, front view
File:Focus FK-555 -- Omron switches.jpg                  | Cyan switches in a [[Focus FK-555]] keyboard
File:Omron B3G-S -- cyan variant switches.jpg            | Cyan switches in an FK-555
File:Omron B3G-S Amber.jpg                               |Amber Switches in NTC KB-5060C
File:Omron B3G-S series -- white with empty LED slot.jpg | White Tactile, with empty LED slots
File:Omron B3G-S series -- white with LED.jpg            | White, with LED fitted
File:Omron B3G-S white tactile.jpg                       | White tactile, with blind LED hole
File:Omron B3G-S series -- white with no LED slot.jpg    | White, with no LED slot
File:Omron B3G-S -- Japan removal.jpg                    | Removal of "JAPAN" branding (switches mounted in a FK-555 keyboard)
File:Omron B3G-S -- partial disassembly.jpg              | Partial disassembly of white and amber switches
File:Omron - Switchplate.jpg                             | Switchplate opened up
File:Omron - Switchplate2.jpg                            | Switchplate opened up
File:Omron B3G-S white tactile -- actuator and tactile leaves, top.jpg    | White tactile (blind LED hole), actuator and tactile leaves, top view
File:Omron B3G-S white tactile -- actuator and tactile leaves, bottom.jpg | White tactile (blind LED hole), actuator and tactile leaves, bottom view
</gallery>

==Specifications==

*[[:File:Omron B3G-S specification 1986.pdf|Omron B3G-S specification 1986]] (covers only a subset of the full product range)

==External links==

*[http://www.fa.omron.co.jp/data_pdf/closed/prdn-387.pdf Omron B3G and B3G-S specification] (Japanese) Retrieved 2015-07-31.

==References==
<references>
<ref name="Omron-Search">Omron — [http://www.fa.omron.co.jp/view/closed/search.cgi?keyword=B3G 生産終了（予定）品/推奨代替品：オムロン制御機器] (Japanese) Retrieved 2017-01-08.</ref>
<ref name="FK-555">Sandy — [http://sandy55.fc2web.com/keyboard/fk555_om.html FK-555] (Japanese) Dated 2004-05-29. Retrieved 2015-07-31.</ref>
<ref name="PM-3655">Deskthority — [http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8/philips-pm-3655-logic-analyzer-keyboard-t4927.html Philips PM 3655 Logic Analyzer Keyboard]</ref>
<ref name="CSK-1101P">Deskthority — [http://deskthority.net/photos-videos-f8/costar-csk-1101p-compact-layout-omron-switches-t5759.html Costar CSK-1101P: Compact Layout, Omron Switches]</ref>
<ref name="JDL">MouseFan — [http://mousefan.telcontar.net/image/omron.htm OMRON スイッチ分解] (Japanese) Retrieved 2015-07-31.</ref>
<ref name="BVE-910">Imgur — [http://imgur.com/a/XW2RW Sony BVE-910(OMRON white)] Dated 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2015-07-31.</ref>
<ref name="SX-9100">MouseFan — [http://mousefan.telcontar.net/image/sx9100.htm OMRON SX9100 のキーボード　シリアル] (Japanese) Dated 2004-04-15. Retrieved 2015-07-31.</ref>
<ref name="flickr">Flickr — [https://www.flickr.com/photos/184456093@N05/]</ref>
<ref name="ncr">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/a/GpJNyQT NCR 4970 (Omron White)] Uploaded 2022-12-25.</ref>
<ref name="sony">Twitter — [https://twitter.com/Beamspring/status/1397585592301457411?cxt=HHwWhsCoxaCsnOUmAAAA] Posted 2021-05-26.</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Omron switches]]
[[Category:Keyboard switches with Alps mount]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]