Austin, Tx. – iKey, a leading manufacturer of rugged computer peripherals for Military applications, continues to offer innovative products with the release of its newest keyboard, the SLK-880-FSR.

Specifically designed for use by the military, the SLK-880-FSR exceeds NEMA 4X requirements and is fully submersible, meeting IP68 specifications. Successful drop tests on the keyboard have been completed at 2.0 meters on concrete, and the cable strain relief exceeds 25 pound pull limits.

“From a mechanical standpoint, the SLK-880-FSR has exceeded our expectations for drop testing, water submersion, and cable strain relief,” said Pete Fuselier, Engineering Manager at iKey. “It is the most rugged product iKey has built in a plastic case.”

Unique features of the SLK-880-FSR include a conductive plastic case, adjustable green backlighting that is also available in a night vision (NVIS) compatible configuration, and an integrated Interlink Electronics Force Sensing ResistorTM (FSR) pointing device.

The conductive plastic case for the SLK-880-FSR was designed for additional electro magnetic interference (EMI) performance. It has multiple ground access points internal to the PCB electronics, as well as six external mounting holes on the bottom side of the case.

“These features put this product above and beyond EMI standards from products housed in plastic,” Fuselier said. “Furthermore, the PCB inside this product is designed and intended for use in very harsh EMI environments meeting 461 standards.”

The backlighting, available in standard green or NVIS compliant Green B, can be gradually increased or decreased using two brightness control keys. An integrated Black Out key serves as a switch to quickly turn the backlighting on or off. When pressed to turn backlighting off, the Black Out key extinguishes all LEDs. When it is pressed to turn the backlighting on, it returns the brightness of the LEDs to their current state.

The integrated Interlink Electronics FSR pointing device looks similar to iKey’s HulaPoint pointing device, but is a different technology that uses fewer mechanics. The silicone rubber pad is the only moving part in the FSR pointing assembly. Left- and right-click buttons below the FSR result in a complete pointing device solution without the addition of a separate mouse.

The SLK-880-FSR measures 6.84” x 11.45” x 1.15” (w-h-d), and is built with a USB cable. Military standards were used to layout the key spacing on the keyboard’s industrial silicone rubber keypad, with specifications from the MIL-HNBK-759C handbook.

“We’ve had a few customers reference this handbook in the past,” said Joel East, Director of Business Development and Technical Design for iKey. “The nice thing about the layout of the SLK-880-FSR is that it has a separate 10-key number pad while maintaining a compact size. The small footprint and integrated mounting holes with stainless steel mounting inserts make it an excellent keyboard for integration into military vehicles used in the air, on land or at sea.”