Author Topic: Forward Electronics ALPS switches  (Read 7116 times)

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Offline Chloe

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 01:48:32 »
Forward Electronics (福華電子股份有限公司) of Taiwan were joint partners with Alps Electric for thirty years ending in 2000 with transfer of shares. They started making keyboard switches in 1985.

It looks like SKBL and SKBM keyboard switches were available between 2001 and 2004, based on archives of Forward Electronics website. This page also confirms they were "Bigfoot" variety:
http://www.fwd.com.tw/english/Products3/switches/skbl.htm

3.5mm travel indicates they were simplified type. Original "complicated" ALPS have 4mm travel. SKBMFA is click/tactile and SKBMFB is tactile. SKBL could be linear; ALPS switches are lighter without click/tactile leaf.

According to two archived datasheets, SKBLFE has yellow stem and SKBMF has white stem. Note the ALPS logo on upper and lower housing.

Offline itlnstln

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 06:53:06 »
Strong find, Chole.  I wish my Google-Fu was as strong as yours.


Offline sandy55

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 10:33:09 »
Quote from: Chloe;21283

3.5mm travel indicates they were simplified type. Original "complicated" ALPS have 4mm travel. SKBMFA is click/tactile and SKBMFB is tactile. SKBL could be linear; ALPS switches are lighter without click/tactile leaf.

Agree that they were simplified because of *their life cycle*. Complicated ALPS was stated as 2 x10,000,000.
Could you point me a source for *4mm travel* of complicated ALPS?
 

both links  SKBLFE and SKBMF don't work for me. but I think I have a data sheet for SKBM somewhere in my hard drive.

Offline lal

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 11:14:13 »
G***t F***wall of C***a? Try here and here.
BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline bhtooefr

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 11:42:31 »
Check his profile, do you see "China" anywhere? JP = Japan. ;)

Offline lal

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 11:48:22 »
Oops, sorry. I was probably mislead by Sandy talking about his island in the "sea of China" or something like that. So I can say it loud that I'm glad he doesn't have to live in a country where human rights don't exist. Thanks for pointing this out, bhtooefr. :)
BS: Customizer, Model Ms; Alps: CSK-2101, FK-2002, AT-101 (SGI & Dell), MCK-860, FKBN87Z/EB; Cherry: Poker X, FKBN87MC/EB, WY60, G80-3000, G84-4100, TDV 5010

Offline itlnstln

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 12:11:21 »
Quote
G***t F***wall of C***a


Pat, I would like to buy a vowel; an "I," please.

*G***t Fi**wall of C*i*a*


Offline Chloe

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 12:27:15 »
Quote from: sandy55;21308
Agree that they were simplified because of *their life cycle*. Complicated ALPS was stated as 2 x10,000,000.
Could you point me a source for *4mm travel* of complicated ALPS?

Cream/damper and white/click have 4mm stem protrusion/travel. I don't have calipers but they were ~0.5mm longer than simplified stem.

I have only found this ALPS datasheet, stem would be 3.8mm (not sure of tolerance).

Offline dw_junon

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 16:13:52 »
Wow, I didn't ever expect to see any ALPS-related data sheets, given that ALPS Electric's own website design seemed (to me, anyway) to have stopped them being reached by the Wayback Machine.

Thank you Chloe!
ARC/Chicony KB-5181 XT/AT blue ALPS? 101 US FCC ID E8H51KKB-5181 • AST ASTKB102 AT capacitive rubber dome 102 UK ISO
Cherry G80-2100 AT black Cherry 126 key German ISO unique • Compaq Enhanced III PS/2 unknown rubber dome 102 UK ISO
Datacomp DFK102ARA03 AT 102 blue ALPS? US/Arabic FCC ID blank, S/N 37880001 • Dell AT102W PS/2 Black ALPS 105 UK ISO x2
Fujitsu KFB4725-102 AT membrane rubber dome with spring 105 UK ISO • Hewlett Packard C1405A AT rubber dome 102 UK ISO
IBM 0989705 XT/AT no LEDs Model M 102 US/Arabic  • IBM 1388076 Industrial AT Model M 102 UK ISO
IBM 1389260 3179/3180 Display Station Model M 122 US 3270 x2 • IBM 1391406 PS/2 Model M 102 UK ISO x2
IBM 1397003 PS/2 Model M "Host Connect" emulator 122 German ISO • IBM 71G4643 PS/2 Model M Quiet Touch "Ouch!    Rubber spring" 102 UK ISO x2
IBM 5640987 3178 Display Station Model C2 capacitive buckling spring 87 key US 3270 • IBM 556-712-01 RT PC rubber dome [same as 2nd PCjr kbd?] 101 US
IBM 6450225 PC/AT capacitive buckling spring 84 key UK PC/AT • Lexmark 8125460 Model M2 102 UK ISO
NMB RT-102 117456-002 AT Hi-Tek black, clicky 102 UK ISO • Olivetti ANK 2462 M24 Personal Computer keyboard 2 clicky Olivetti spring module 102 UK unique
Ortek MCK-142Pro AT white ALPS 142 key UK • Sun 540-1006-03 Type unknown linear(?) keyswitch 2 87 key SunType2
Wang 724 725-3771-UK salmon ALPS 110 key UK Wang724 • Making this list hasn\'t half scared me...
[/I]

Offline sandy55

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 22:21:23 »
thank lal, I saved both PDFs in my ALPS folder.

Also thanks Chloe for the ALPS data sheet.

According to the data sheet, travel is stated as 3.5mm for both SKCM and SKCL.  life; 2 x 10,000,000 times.  same as specs  listed in APLS catalog '94 edition. ( Sorry but I don't have an active working scanner. I can't  convert the catalog to PDF format. )

Offline Chloe

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Forward Electronics ALPS switches
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 10 February 2009, 22:37:22 »
Thanks Sandy. So stem protrusion is not really an accurate measure of travel. I noticed that the stems are not flush with housing when fully depressed.