Cherry ML switches, maybe?Ooooh yes they look good! That could be just what I'm looking for. :thumb:
400-700 cN actuation force, eh? Wow.My mistake. I ment 40-70cN.
I think MLs might work well, especially since they have a tactile feel. Other than that, a microswitch with a small lever might be perfect to get a little more travel out of the microswitch.Yes I think ML switches might be the best option. :thumb:
4-7N is extremely high, roughly an order of magnitude more than a "normal" keyboard. You could get some custom springs made for a ML switch or something. If you can 3D print, a custom hall effect switch over custom springs could work as well. You might have to du custom leaf springs or beam springs or something to get that amount of force. I'll think on it.Oops :rolleyes:
To compare, a normal rubber dome keyboard is about 85-120 cN at actuation (all the way down), and a normal mechanical is about 50-80 cN at actuation
Hope this helps and letus know of updates! I'm interested for sure! I made a custom gaming keypad and I love mine.Nice keypad. :cool:Show Image(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/14183111051_79ca1f46ea_o.jpg)
I made a custom gaming keypad and I love mine.How did you make the circuit board for your keypad?
I made a custom gaming keypad and I love mine.How did you make the circuit board for your keypad?
I was considering hiring an electrical engineer to custom design the one for mine. Are they easy to make?
But I've also read that 'Topre' short throw keyboards are even better. Does anyone know what key switches are used in these Topre short throw keyboards?
Thanks CPT. :thumb:Nothing really that’s still produced today. There used to be some other low-travel switches in the 80s.
Are there any other short throw (3mm travel or less) key switches that may be worth considering?
Good luck with your project, please post a thread in "making stuff together!" if you find the time. I'm sure there are others who would be interested to see your project.I'll post some pictures of the finished pad in due course along with details of the development process from start to finish. I'm currently working in conjunction with a local product design company to develop it into a working model to put on the Kickstarter website in the hope of raising enough money to put it into production.
If you use ML you can do a 1 layer pcb by the way, they have a bridge in them so that you can do that.Yes I'd noticed that, it's one of the things that makes the ML switch a very attractive option to use. I'm very keen to keep things as simple and cheap as possible from both a design and manufacturing point of view while still keeping the build quality high.
The Cherry ML is a bit more expensive to buy than I was hoping for but the modular design and being able to use a 1 layer PCB simplifies things considerably. Using mechanical switches rather than scissor or other dome type also has the added benefit of a longer life and better reliability. The Cherry ML's have a very nice tactile feel for gaming on (even though they're not a particularly popular choice for regular typing keyboards I think they may be ideal for a gaming keypad).Your best bet is finding a used ML Keyboard on eBay or the classifieds. Mine was $12 I believe.
I've bought a set ML switches from RS Components already which I'm going to use in the first 3D printed model that has moving keys. I'll be working on the computer model over the weekend to incorporate the switches into the design.The Cherry ML is a bit more expensive to buy than I was hoping for but the modular design and being able to use a 1 layer PCB simplifies things considerably. Using mechanical switches rather than scissor or other dome type also has the added benefit of a longer life and better reliability. The Cherry ML's have a very nice tactile feel for gaming on (even though they're not a particularly popular choice for regular typing keyboards I think they may be ideal for a gaming keypad).Your best bet is finding a used ML Keyboard on eBay or the classifieds. Mine was $12 I believe.
I like them well enough for typing. The tactile aspect really helps.
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I made a custom gaming keypad and I love mine.Show Image(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/14183111051_79ca1f46ea_o.jpg)