Editing IBM Beam Spring Keyboards (section)

==3643==

<gallery widths="250" heights="180" caption="IBM 3643 Keyboard Display">
File:3643 glamor shot.jpg|3643 with accompanying mag strip card reader
File:3643 frontal.jpg|Head on view of the same terminal
File:3643 keyboard.jpg|Close up of the 94 key keyboard
</gallery>

The IBM 3643 Keyboard Display is an industrial variant of the 3604, and was sold as part of the IBM 3630 and 3640 Plant Communication Systems. No available documentation remains for the Plant Communication System, however a brief description of the system's features is listed in documentation for the 8100 Information System<ref>http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/8100/GA27-2875-0_An_Introduction_to_the_IBM_8100_Information_System_Oct1978.pdf</ref>, which describes the terminal as an interactive input/output device that brings display capability to a wide range of industrialized work zones or offices. Common applications included: activity reporting, receiving and inspection and stores or warehouse control. There were three terminal models, but the only distinction between each model was the maximum number of characters that could be displayed on the screen. Each terminal model could be equipped with either a keyboard that had 74 keys (77 keys for Katakana) or 94 keys (92 key for Katakana). The 74/77 key model had 8 programmable function keys as opposed to the 28 on the 94/92 key version shown above.