![]() ![]() ![]() Debounce Time: Debouncing is a signal-processing technique that ensures only one signal is registered on a press.Travel: This is the maximum distance a switch can depress, and is larger than the actuation point.A smaller actuation-point measurement means the key registers a press with less downward motion, in theory meaning a faster reaction time to finger action. Actuation Point: Measured from the top of the keycap, the actuation point is the distance into the down-press at which the switch registers an input.Some terms you'll come across include the following: Key-switch and keyboard makers (and marketers!) also use their own set of lingo to describe features and capabilities. Slider: The slider is what pushes against the spring and breaks the connection between the metal contact leaves.The springs in modern mechanical-keyboard switches compress straight down, as opposed to bending as in the early buckling designs. The amount of resistance varies, as we'll get into below. Spring: The coil spring creates the resistance when you press down on a mechanical key, and pushes the switch back into its resting position. ![]() Metal contact leaves: This is what registers every keystroke.Switch housing: This is the outer enclosure that holds all the parts of a single switch together.Stem: The keycap mounts on a vertical post, or stem, which can be slightly different in design from switch type to switch type.Keycap: This is the plastic top of the key, with the label (a letter, number, or symbol) printed on it.A switch consists of the following parts: The basic anatomy of a conventional mechanical switch is the same across all mechanical keyboards. We'll address just mechanical switches here, and here in 2022, the field has wholly exploded in variety and nuance. We won't get into every outlier technology, but know that membrane is generally the cheaper implementation, and mechanical the premium one. Opto-mechanical boards may use a combination of a mechanical switch and a light sensor (rather than an electrical contact) to register a key press, while some keyboard makers, such as Razer, have attempted to hybridize membrane and mechanical boards. Mechanical and membrane are two of the most common keyboard types, and you’re likely to encounter a bunch of variants on your search for the perfect keyboard that don't quite fit either class. While mechanical keyboards use individual key mechanisms backed by springs, rubber dome keys utilize a thin, usually dimpled sheet of rubber or silicone (the membrane) that provides the bounce-back force for each key, as well as providing a semblance of tactile feedback. Simplifying matters, most fall into two basic categories: mechanical, and rubber dome (or "membrane"). Today, a huge variety of key switches spans the keyboard market. (The Model M lives on today in the form of several retro-styled keyboards from Unicomp, which licensed the technology.) The basic design was further improved by the addition of an electric contact in the famous IBM Model M, which paved the way for the modern dome switch keyboard, a very different animal. This was the standard switch type in the bundled keyboards of the early days of computing. When pressed, the coil spring bends like elbow macaroni, providing auditory and tactile feedback to the user. Dubbed "buckling spring," this early switch technology refers to the coil spring between the keycap and a pivoting hammer. The first prominent mechanical key switch came courtesy of IBM's early PCs. These keys have a distinct springiness and a feel that's immediately different from the low-cost membrane keyboards that accompany most budget desktop towers. Known collectively as "mechanical switches," they deliver satisfying sounds, tactile finger feedback, or smooth operation, or some combination of the three.Įach key on a mechanical keyboard includes an individual spring and a surrounding switch mechanism. A vast array of switch types pepper today's keyboards, but the most advanced ones are found in gaming and high-end productivity models. What Is a Mechanical Key Switch?Ī key switch doesn't refer to the actual tops of the keys you see when you look at a keyboard on your desk (those bits are generally called "keycaps"), but rather the actual physical mechanism underlying each key. Before you spend a Benjamin or two on the latest and greatest keyboard, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the most important part of the keyboard-the key switch. With so many choices, picking the right mechanical keyboard can be overwhelming. But in the last few years, the underlying technology in mechanical keyboards has exploded in complexity (to an extent, driven by marketing and extreme segmentation catering to keyboard enthusiasts). Indeed, a mechanical keyboard can be a daily driver that gives you joy every time you sit down in front of it. ![]()
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