The Silo Beam Switch - Beam Spring switches for the modern era

[mode]

I am very interested in these switches. Are there any guidelines for designing the PCBs? Are there KiCAD or Eagle files available for a minimal example like a macropad?

I second this. These switches make a lot of sense. Give us a blueprint on how to make a custom board with it, and you've got a winner.

My wife used to be an embedded engineer with plenty of experience designing and building PCBs and programming firmware. She's bought 240 silo switches and if they feel nicer than her model F she'll be designing her own PCB, I'll get her to post what she does.

Be warned, it'll be ****ing huge, she likes her F122 layout and has no intention of shrinking it, just modernising it a bit. I hope once people receive their keystones someone is willing to take a good photo of the PCB so we can analyse the kit for figuring out our own projects!

I'm not so into clicky switches myself, I'm looking forward to the command switches most, they've confirmed they're using an ALPS style leaf spring, I hope they sell those separately too.

[Zekromtor]

Where are you getting updates on this?

[bananasplit_00]

Always nice to see new kinds of switches, doubt ill ever feel one myself or at least not untill i can make a navless or 96key with them myself. Both beamspring and hall effect are awesome so i hope this goes somewhere at least

[mode]

Where are you getting updates on this?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lekashman/keystone-the-future-of-mechanical-keyboards/posts

[jacethesaltsculptor]

I am very interested in these switches. Are there any guidelines for designing the PCBs? Are there KiCAD or Eagle files available for a minimal example like a macropad?

I second this. These switches make a lot of sense. Give us a blueprint on how to make a custom board with it, and you've got a winner.

My wife used to be an embedded engineer with plenty of experience designing and building PCBs and programming firmware. She's bought 240 silo switches and if they feel nicer than her model F she'll be designing her own PCB, I'll get her to post what she does.

Be warned, it'll be ****ing huge, she likes her F122 layout and has no intention of shrinking it, just modernising it a bit. I hope once people receive their keystones someone is willing to take a good photo of the PCB so we can analyse the kit for figuring out our own projects!

I'm not so into clicky switches myself, I'm looking forward to the command switches most, they've confirmed they're using an ALPS style leaf spring, I hope they sell those separately too.

I'll be watching with interest what you guys game, I'm an F122er myself.

[treeleaf64]

A bit of a necro   
I agree. I would have fun designing a board around these switches. I'm excited for their release.

[Snarfangel]

If anyone sticks these in a Dactyl/Manuform 6x6, I might take out a second mortgage.

[quadibloc]

I just recently stumbled across this.
Finally, something that will beat both the Model M and even the good feeling of oneness with cup rubber.
I did not think I would live to see the perfect keyboard!
Well, all right, not entirely perfect, as some people prefer a quiet keyboard.

Also, I see that they took your advice, and now not only do they have a tenkeyless version, but it's featured first, front and center, on the site where you pre-order.

EDIT: I don't blame the Kono Store for my not having read the description of the Keystone Analog keyboard carefully enough. There are two choices of keyswitches for it, but neither the tactile nor the linear are the beam switches. Instead, you also have to order the beam switches separately, for an additional $49.99. As noted, this is in no way a deall breaker for me, as I am very excited about the chance to own a beam spring keyboard.

[ander]

So these are still on pre-order, a year and a half later? Have they run into production problems? Neither the switches nor the boards are mentioned on their Production Updates page.

Too bad—I'd buy one!

[Findecanor]

There is more information on their Kickstarter than on Kono.store.

They had final prototypes on the boards in their update a month ago. Last post about the Beam switches was in August: they did apparently have problems with metal fatigue and needed to make the spring out of another metal.

[ander]

It helps you appreciate what a major undertaking it is to create a new product from scratch—especially one like an MK switch, with durability as a major selling point.

I'm curious: How many of you ordered the linear, and how many the tactile? And was it just because you generally prefer one type or the other, or because you thought one or the other would be especially good with this design?

Also, as beam springs work by suddenly collapsing, they're always tactile, right? (At least DT seems to think so.) So why are they calling the non-tactile version "linear"?

[Maledicted]

It helps you appreciate what a major undertaking it is to create a new product from scratch—especially one like an MK switch, with durability as a major selling point.

I'm curious: How many of you ordered the linear, and how many the tactile? And was it just because you generally prefer one type or the other, or because you thought one or the other would be especially good with this design?

Also, as beam springs work by suddenly collapsing, they're always tactile, right? (At least DT seems to think so.) So why are they calling the non-tactile version "linear"?

The tactiles have Alps-like leaves. Can't be much going on with the linears since they're all hall effect.

There's a breakdown on the DT wiki.

[jacobalbertus1]

if only this was done so it could be used in more keyboard bases

[Maledicted]

if only this was done so it could be used in more keyboard bases

I would rather they be analogue, contactless (and hot swappable without the potential to damage pins and traces) than totally MX-compatible. It has been a long time since I have looked into it, but I do believe the fact that it is contactless lends itself to cramming such exotic mechanisms into a modern switch form factor.

[hvontres]

There is more information on their Kickstarter than on Kono.store.

They had final prototypes on the boards in their update a month ago. Last post about the Beam switches was in August: they did apparently have problems with metal fatigue and needed to make the spring out of another metal.

I think this is an indication that an MX-sized beam spring is a bridge too far. I am asuming they were already using some type of spring steel in the original design. Given that, there probably isn't that much improvement to be had, since the endurance limit is generally about 50% of ultimate strength and most spring steel is already pretty far up there. My best guess is that given the length of the spring, the relative deflection to get to 4mm of keystroke is causing a larger percentage deflection compared to the original IBM beam springs, which were much taller than what you can fit inside of an MX sized housing.
At this point, the best bet will be using a thinner spring (yes, while that may  be counterintuitive, in a bending spring like this, the stresses go down for thinner material). However, that may not give the desired force profile, so this will probably turn into a protracted back and forth battle between stiffness and fatigue.

I wish them luck though. Being a fan of buckling type mechanisms, I would love to try Beam springs in something affordable and reasonably desk sized. Of course, if they do work, I may just need to start designing a hall based replacement PCB for my Boston.

[granola bar enthusiast]

i showed this to one of my friends and he asked why someone would snap off the pins from a kailh box blue

[Maledicted]

i showed this to one of my friends and he asked why someone would snap off the pins from a kailh box blue

Contactless switches really need a lot more exposure.

[quadibloc]

I just took a peek at the project page.
While the keyboard is still in the works, despite being much delayed, they have given up on the part that made it interesting to me, the Silo Beam Spring switches. So, now the only modern beam spring project going is instead the one at Model F Keyboards.

[PlayBox]

I just took a peek at the project page.
While the keyboard is still in the works, despite being much delayed, they have given up on the part that made it interesting to me, the Silo Beam Spring switches. So, now the only modern beam spring project going is instead the one at Model F Keyboards.

my dissapointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined

[Marboard]

Really cool how old concepts are being renovated.

[CaesarAZealad]

Really cool how old concepts are being renovated.

If you read the above, they're really not lol