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DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

arstechnica.com

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Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#21

Post by jcynix »

adrianN wrote: post #7

>Fans of Hall-effect mechanical switches note that they should last longer than traditional mechanical switches since they don't rely on metallic contact, which can result in degradation. Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out? Aren't they good for literally millions of actuations?

>Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out?

Sure, somewhere in my collection of "stuff" there still rest two Cherry keyboards (mechanical, gold contacts) where certain keys stopped working reliably, the vowels a or e, IIRC.

They rest (instead of being disposed off) because I plan(ned) to open them sometime in the future to check if they malfunction due to corrosion, dirt or just mechanical wear.

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#22

Post by leoc »

gaudat wrote: post #2

Next step: Add a tiny motor inside the key switch for force feedback

The time-honoured quick and dirty approximation to that is to add a single solenoid to the keyboard and have it actuate every time a key actuates: https://youtu.be/1qw6ebySet0?t=305

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#24

Post by michaelgrafl »

adrianN wrote: post #7

>Fans of Hall-effect mechanical switches note that they should last longer than traditional mechanical switches since they don't rely on metallic contact, which can result in degradation. Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out? Aren't they good for literally millions of actuations?

Not complete failure. But things like unreliable detection or double-detection, yes.

But in my case those happenend a lot sooner than their projected lifespan.

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#25

Post by 323 »

adrianN wrote: post #7

>Fans of Hall-effect mechanical switches note that they should last longer than traditional mechanical switches since they don't rely on metallic contact, which can result in degradation. Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out? Aren't they good for literally millions of actuations?

I have a 5yo Cherry MX keyboard, and the rarely used keys (Scroll Lock, Pause, numpad) have a somewhat more defined feeling when they actuate than the most commonly used ones. The difference is subtle, but it's there.

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#26

Post by 323 »

At this rate, soon each switch will have a programmable controller inside, and you'll have drivers adjusting them as you type.

Thought idea: predict what key you are about to press next, and make the ones around it stiffer so you are less likely to press them by mistake.

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#27

Post by londons_explore »

323 wrote: post #25
adrianN wrote: post #7

>Fans of Hall-effect mechanical switches note that they should last longer than traditional mechanical switches since they don't rely on metallic contact, which can result in degradation. Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out? Aren't they good for literally millions of actuations?

I have a 5yo Cherry MX keyboard, and the rarely used keys (Scroll Lock, Pause, numpad) have a somewhat more defined feeling when they actuate than the most commonly used ones. The difference is subtle, but it's there.

That's probably the spring mechanism wearing out - the actual electrical part is still working properly.

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#28

Post by artogahr »

atoav wrote: post #3
gaudat wrote: post #2

Next step: Add a tiny motor inside the key switch for force feedback

I think force feedback (and or haptic feedback) is truly the future of interaction design. To see an amazing example of this, check out the smartknob project: https://github.com/scottbez1/smartknob

This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen, thanks for sharing!

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#29

Post by dendriti »

shakna wrote: post #14
adrianN wrote: post #7

>Fans of Hall-effect mechanical switches note that they should last longer than traditional mechanical switches since they don't rely on metallic contact, which can result in degradation. Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out? Aren't they good for literally millions of actuations?

> Has anyone ever typed so much on a keyboard that the switches wore out? Aren't they good for literally millions of actuations? Yeah. Several. The keyboard might claim it's good for millions of actuations, but I write as well as program. At the end of the editing process, I have roughly 80,000 words entering the public sphere, a month. Excluding all rewriting. Imagine the abuse the spacebar has seen by the end of th…

A keyboard doesn't claim to be good for millions of actuations. You're referring to (a single) switch, which cost less than a dollar even for the most premium switches. They are easily replaced.

Re: DIY mechanical keyboard switch lets you set its actuation point

#30

Post by dotancohen »

323 wrote: post #26

At this rate, soon each switch will have a programmable controller inside, and you'll have drivers adjusting them as you type. Thought idea: predict what key you are about to press next, and make the ones around it stiffer so you are less likely to press them by mistake.

  > Thought idea: predict what key you are about to press next, and make the ones around it stiffer so you are less likely to press them by mistake.
If the bottom magnet were an electromagnet, then in fact one could make the keypress stiffer. As it stands, this project only changes the actuation point, but not the stiffness curve.

That said, I would love the feature that you mention. It could possibly introduce a new feedback concept to programming, similar to e.g. the shaker sticks that airline pilots are familiar with. Or, one could reduce the stiffness after a long day at work. Or increase the stiffness when the IDE detects e.g. that you're accessing a string position beyond bounds, or your SQL query is not parameterized but contains a concatenated user input.

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