Perkin-Elmer 55000-0147 Infrared Data Station Terminal Keyboard Spectrometer

Perkin-Elmer 55000-0147 Infrared Data Station Terminal Keyboard Spectrometer

The Perkin-Elmer 55000-0147 is a purpose-built terminal keyboard from the Perkin-Elmer Terminals Division, designed exclusively for use with the Infrared Data Station — a dedicated computer terminal that served as the data-entry and control interface for Perkin-Elmer infrared spectrometers in the 1980s. The keyboard features a distinctive color-coded key layout in teal, cream/ivory, black, and white, with spectrometer-specific function keys (RELOAD, ERASE INPUT, CLEAR SCREEN, USER, BREAK, SYS) alongside a standard alphanumeric field and numeric keypad. It connects via a proprietary multi-pin connector that is not compatible with standard PCs or modern systems.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Perkin-Elmer, Terminals Division
• Model Number: 55000-0147
• Type: Dedicated terminal keyboard for Infrared Data Station
• Key layout: Alphanumeric field, numeric keypad, spectrometer-specific function keys (RELOAD, USER, BREAK, ERASE INPUT, CLEAR SCREEN, SYS, BELL/G)
• Key colors: Teal (function/modifier), cream/ivory (alphanumeric), black (modifiers: CTRL, REPEAT), white (navigation/function)
• Interface: Proprietary multi-pin connector (non-standard; not PC-compatible)
• Cable: Attached integrated cable with proprietary connector
• Voltage/Amperage: Not rated (fields blank on label — passive/powered via host terminal)
• Phase: 1 (per label)
• Era: 1980s
• Known defects: Missing 'S' key; missing key adjacent to down arrow (function unknown); 'G/BELL' key is physically depressed and sits lower than surrounding keys (see photos 6, 7, and 8)
• Keyboard only — no PC adapter, no mounting hardware

Applications

Perkin-Elmer produced a line of dedicated minicomputer-based analytical instrument systems in the 1970s and 1980s, pairing their infrared and UV-Vis spectrometers with proprietary terminal workstations that handled data acquisition, display, and processing. The Infrared Data Station was one such system — a standalone computer terminal purpose-built to interface with Perkin-Elmer IR spectrometers, replacing the paper chart output of earlier instruments with digital data entry and on-screen analysis. This keyboard was the primary input device for that terminal, and its custom key layout reflects the workflow of IR spectroscopy: function keys for reloading scan parameters, erasing input, clearing the screen, and triggering the BELL signal were all part of the day-to-day instrument control routine. Because of its proprietary connector and firmware-driven key codes, it has no practical use with modern PCs. Today these keyboards are sought primarily by collectors of vintage scientific computing equipment, laboratory historians, and institutions maintaining legacy Perkin-Elmer spectrometer systems for archival or display purposes.