Why choose a withdrawable keyboard for your SIMATIC HMI rack?

In control cabinets and 19-inch rack installations, operator station space is always tight. A withdrawable keyboard slides into the rack when idle and pulls out when needed — no desk footprint, no loose cables on the work surface. The 6GF6710-3BJ is purpose-built for this: the slide-in mechanism is rated for repeated duty cycles, the keyboard secures in both extended and retracted positions, and at 4.0 kg the steel slide assembly has the heft and durability expected in industrial rack applications. This makes it the right choice for machine-level HMI cabinets, server rack consoles, and anywhere the keyboard shares real estate with other rack-mounted equipment.

When should I choose the DEU (German) layout over the INT layout?

The 6GF6710-3BJ ships with the DEU (German / QWERTZ) character set — the standard keyboard layout for German-speaking industrial environments. If your SIMATIC engineering software, runtime HMI, or operator documentation is in German, the QWERTZ layout with its dedicated umlaut keys (Ä, Ö, Ü) and the AltGr layer for special characters will match operator expectations and reduce input errors. For global deployments or standardized English-language automation systems, the 6GF6710-3BK (INT / US English) variant is the better fit. Beyond the key cap legends and a few symbol positions, the two variants are mechanically identical — same dimensions, same trackball, same slide-in mechanism.

How does the integrated trackball perform in an industrial setting?

The built-in trackball removes the need for a separate mouse on the operator station — a real advantage when the keyboard pulls out over the operator's lap or when there is no adjacent flat surface. Unlike optical mice, the trackball requires no mousepad and no clear desk area. It is sealed at the front face against dust and liquid ingress, so production-floor contamination does not penetrate the ball mechanism. For applications that demand frequent cursor movement — navigating SCADA screens, acknowledging alarms, browsing HMI menus — the trackball provides responsive, space-saving control that works reliably even when operators wear gloves. The ball is removable for cleaning, which extends service life in dusty production environments.

What is the difference between the withdrawable and built-in variants?

The withdrawable variant (6GF6710-3BJ/3BK) mounts on sliding rails that allow the entire keyboard to pull out from the rack face and retract when not in use. It weighs approximately 4.0 kg due to the steel slide mechanism. The built-in variant (6GF6710-3BE/3BG) mounts fixed to the rack or panel front — it does not slide — and weighs 2.0 kg. Choose withdrawable when the keyboard must tuck away inside a closed cabinet door; choose built-in when the keyboard is permanently exposed at the operator station. Note that the withdrawable models use a native PS/2 interface only, while the built-in and membrane models also support USB connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 6GF6710-3BJ support USB?

This keyboard uses a native PS/2 interface. Many SIMATIC industrial PCs and panel PCs provide a dedicated PS/2 keyboard port. If your host system has only USB ports, a passive PS/2-to-USB adapter is typically sufficient — the keyboard draws minimal power and uses standard HID protocols recognized by Windows and Linux. Siemens does not ship the adapter with the keyboard; source one separately if needed.

Can I use this keyboard outside a 19-inch rack?

The 6GF6710-3BJ is designed for 19-inch rack slide-in mounting. It requires the rack rails and enclosure geometry that the slide mechanism engages with. For desktop or non-rack installations, consider the membrane keyboard (6GF6710-2AC/2BC) which sits directly on a desk or work surface without requiring a rack bay.