Chicony KB-5161

Chicony KB-5161

Chicony KB-5161

Switch	Alps SKCM Blue Alps SKCM White Aristotle Cherry MX Clone Mitsumi Miniature Mechanical Omron B3G-S Amber
Sense method	Metal Contact
Protocol	AT / XT
Keycaps	Doubleshot ABS Pad printed ABS

Description

The Chicony KB-5161 is a family of Asian 101-key keyboards accompanied by several board revisions and switch designs.

Construction

Case

All KB-5161s feature an all-plastic two-part case. The top shell features a “pencil tray”, and with the exception of the Samsung/VTI boards, no branding is present. The lock light label texts are offset from their respective indicator lights.

The bottom shell has several screw sockets, two rubberized feet, and two generic adjustable flip-out feet. As the keyboard is compatible with both XT and AT protocols, a cut-out reveals a switch that allows one to change the protocol the keyboard uses. The bottom label is inconsistent across models; some boards provide only an FCC ID, while others provide Chicony branding.

Assembly

The keyboard uses a standard tray-mount, with a metal mounting plate. Most plates appear to be painted black, but one example in the gallery appears with a grey/unpainted plate. Given the incredible variety of switch families provided with the board, several PCB revisions exist to accommodate each switch's pin layout. Regardless of the switch type, PCBs are provided with codes 5161/5162F, 5161C, and 5161A.

Switches

The KB-5161 is typically found with either Alps SKCM White or Mitsumi Miniature Mechanical switches. Alps SKCM Blue switches appear on some revisions, especially those with Samsung/VTI branding. Less commonly found are models with either Cherry MX-style switches or Omron switches.