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Kensington Security Slot Specifications for Hardware

This page is a resource for designers and engineers who are working to give customers the best options for physical security of computer and electronic equipment. Kensington encourages OEMs to continue to adopt the Kensington Security Slot and identify it on their hardware using the K & Lock® design. You'll find here the information to build the Kensington Security Slot into your hardware, thus providing the industry's standard security feature to your customers.

Kensington Security Slot Orientation and Specifications
Lock Clearance Specifications and Electrical Considerations
Recommended Metal Backing
K & Lock® Design Specifications and Considerations
Innovative Use of the Kensington Security Slot in Chassis Design
End User Instructions

If you need more information about the Kensington Security Slot Specifications, please email: Security_Slot@kensington.com

Kensington Security Slot Orientation and Specifications
The Kensington MicroSaver Security cable has no cable orientation--the cable is attached to a ring, which can spin and thus can be located very near the external features of your product. Slot placement can be either vertical or horizontal.

Lock Clearance Specifications and Electrical Considerations
The Notebook MicroSaver has an interference volume inside the computer equipment it secures. There should not be any electrical components adjacent to the slot, and the MicroSaver product should never be in contact with any electrical components.


Internal view with Slim MicroSaver inserted.

Side view with Slim MicroSaver inserted.

Internal view of slot with Slim MicroSaver inserted Side view of slot with Slim MicroSaver inserted

Notes:

  1. Interpret dimensions and tolerances per ASME Y14.5M-1994.

  2. All indicated dimensions are in millimeters. Indicated volume to be left free and clear of obstructions. Cable ring can rotate 360 degrees with respect to hole.

  3. Download a printer friendly version of Lock Clearance Specifications and Electrical Considerations.

Kensington Security Slot Kensington Security Slot Clearance Side View
Kensington Security Slot Kensington Security Slot Clearance Side View



Kensington Security Slot Outside Clearance Kensington Security Slot Inside Clearance
Kensington Security Slot Outside Clearance Kensington Security Slot Inside Clearance

Recommended Metal Backing
It is highly recommended that a metal backing be applied to the interior of the housing wall surrounding the Kensington Security Slot. Below is one example of how this backing can be accomplished. It is often possible, however, to utilize a small extension of some existing internal metal structure, such as shielding, to create this reinforcing structure.

Notes:

  1. Material: >0.8mm 301 Stainless Steel Half Hard, Acrylic Adhesive.

  2. All indicated dimensions are in millimeters.

  3. Download a printer friendly version of Metal Backing Specifications.

Recommended Metal Backing
Recommended Metal Backing

K & Lock® Design Specifications and Considerations
The following K & Lock® design should be used to identify products that are compatible with the MicroSaver Security Cable.

Kensington Lock logo This logo is the industry standard for identifying the Kensington Security Slot on computer and electronic hardware. Although this logo is trademarked and owned by Kensington, Kensington freely encourages OEMs to utilize this logo to identify the Kensington Security Slot. Kensington also encourages OEMs to utilize this icon in their product instructions, literature, and marketing materials. Additionally, Kensington encourages OEMs to include the "Kensington Security Slot" in their lists of specs for products, as questions from our end users are becoming more frequent about which products have the Kensington Security Slot.
Artwork. Camera-ready artwork of icon is now available online! Click on one of the links to download.


File Type Format Size
GIF .gif 2KB
EPS (Encapuslated PostScript) .zip 101KB
AI (Adobe® Illustrator®) .zip 857KB
DWG (AutoCAD® drawing file) .zip 5KB
DXF (Drawing Exchange Format ASCII file) .zip 5KB

Symbol. The icon indicates a product is compatible with the Kensington MicroSaver Security Cable. Products so marked can be secured by inserting and locking the Kensington MicroSaver into the Kensington Security Slot.

Orientation. The icon's orientation should be upright on the product when the product is in normal operational orientation. Other icon orientations are not recommended.

Size. The icon size is recommended to vary in height from 5 to 9 mm and must be scaled proportionally from the artwork. A good rule of thumb is to size the K-Logo proportional to other identifying icons on the hardware.

Placement. The K-Lock icon should be placed in a location that visually associates the icon with the Kensington Security Slot.

Use of the Icon in Plastics

Depth. If a recessed icon is used, the non-textured portion of the icon in the drawing below should be recessed from the surface of the product. The depth of the recessed area will vary with the icon size. Refer to the table below:
Icon Size (DimY) Maximum Icon Depth
5-6 mm .3 mm
6-7 mm .4 mm
7-9 mm .5 mm

Use of the Icon in Plastics

Texture. The raised areas of the icon should have the same texture as the adjoining product surface. The recessed areas should be polished (see drawing above).

Innovative Use of the Kensington Security Slot in Chassis Design
Top computer designers have started incorporating the Kensington Security Slot into the metal framework of their computer hardware for added strength. Additionally, the Kensington Security Slot has been expanded in function to lock closed the chassis' of new desktop computers. This additional feature not only prevents physical theft of the desktop by attaching it to an immovable object, but it also prevents tampering with or theft of the internal components of the desktop computer.

Other ideas for using the Kensington Security Slot include designing it into the hardware to lock laptop computers closed, or to lock CD-ROM drives.

End User Instructions
Part of designing the Kensington Security Slot into your hardware is to ensure that your end users know how to use it with a Kensington Slim MicroSaver. We have included sample instructions below:

Physically Securing the Computer
To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer, you can use a Kensington Slim MicroSaver security cable to attach the computer to an immovable object. Your computer has a Kensington Security Slot located on the side or back of the computer.

The Kensington Security Slot is identified on the computer with this logo: Small Kensington Logo

Basic Instructions for Using the Kensington Slim MicroSaver
Secure your computer in seconds by wrapping the sleek, strong steel cable around an immovable object, inserting the lock into the Kensington Security Slot, and turning the key.



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