The TM168APARAKEY is a Schneider Electric configuration accessory for the Modicon M168 logic controller line, designed as a parameter-transfer key that moves parameters written to PC into the base controller. It mates through a male RJ11 connector, so commissioning staff can shuttle settings between a programming PC and the M168 base without re-keying each value by hand. It is sold one unit per package and falls under the 22535-M168 HVAC CONTROLLER category. Because it is a programming accessory rather than a field-operating device, the only environmental ratings on the key are the ones inherited from the surrounding M168 installation: pollution degree 2, overvoltage category III, and operating altitude up to 2000 m — meaning it sits inside a control panel that itself must meet those categories.
Lifecycle signal — hot EOL on a configuration accessory
The TM168APARAKEY carries a of eol_hot — a category that flags the part as still moving through the channels but approaching the end of factory support. Schneider Electric's own productStatus entry lists the part as Active, which is a known mismatch on legacy M168 accessories: the eol_hot tag is the operative sourcing signal because it tracks order-book availability rather than the corporate catalog flag. For a procurement line this read means the key is worth stocking now — independent distribution still carries stock against an RFQ, but the BOM should anticipate a transition to a successor Modicon M168 accessory or a different parameter-transfer mechanism once the channel thins.
Deployment context — panel-side, not floor-side
The key plugs into the programming port of the M168 base controller during commissioning or parameter cloning, so it lives in the engineering toolkit and the spares drawer rather than on the machine. RJ11 male pinout means it uses a commodity telephone-grade cable to bridge PC and base — nothing exotic on the wiring side.