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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:02:36

Title: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:02:36: I just saw this post that i-rocks is developing a Cheery MX compatible ALPS! Seems very interesting. Here's some pictures http://www.cool3c.com/article/92195.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: FrostyToast on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:05:37: Interesting. I might have to buy a board just for these.
Assuming they still use the same mounting as normal alps.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:20:08: So many pins Oo . Alps did originally make MX-compatible switches (just like Cherry made Alps-compatible ones) but they're very rare AFAIK.

I wonder how close the internals are to Alps, too. Interesting find!
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: FrostyToast on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:25:36: Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:20:08
So many pins Oo . Alps did originally make MX-compatible switches (just like Cherry made Alps-compatible ones) but they're very rare AFAIK.

I wonder how close the internals are to Alps, too. Interesting find!

Those pins are led pins of an rgb led.
Rgb LEDs require two additional pins to be controlled.
I find it interesting that they were able to find accommodations for an led inside the switch.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:41:15: I think Matias once said that due to the physical dimension of ALPS, it is not possible to put a Cherry MX stem inside. I wonder if i-rocks's switches has identical dimension as normal ALPS.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:45:03: Quote from: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:41:15
I think Matias once said that due to the physical dimension of ALPS, it is not possible to put a Cherry MX stem inside.
It probably just uses an Alps slider with an MX mount on top.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:11:12: Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:45:03
Quote from: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:41:15
I think Matias once said that due to the physical dimension of ALPS, it is not possible to put a Cherry MX stem inside.
It probably just uses an Alps slider with an MX mount on top.

Wouldn't work. The MX stem is larger than the Alps stem hole. The only way for this to work is to have super long stems or to have a larger stem.

Considering that it's coming from iRocks, I have low expectations.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:17:21: Quote from: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:11:12
Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:45:03
Quote from: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:41:15
I think Matias once said that due to the physical dimension of ALPS, it is not possible to put a Cherry MX stem inside.
It probably just uses an Alps slider with an MX mount on top.

Wouldn't work. The MX stem is larger than the Alps stem hole. The only way for this to work is to have super long stems or to have a larger stem.
Maybe they use a cross that's been flattened vertically?
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:24:16: Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:17:21
Quote from: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:11:12
Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:45:03
Quote from: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:41:15
I think Matias once said that due to the physical dimension of ALPS, it is not possible to put a Cherry MX stem inside.
It probably just uses an Alps slider with an MX mount on top.

Wouldn't work. The MX stem is larger than the Alps stem hole. The only way for this to work is to have super long stems or to have a larger stem.
Maybe they use a cross that's been flattened vertically?

Sorry, I phrased that poorly. I meant the stem of the caps, not the stem on the switch, is too large and will not fit.

Even if they had flattened the cross mount, you'd still run into that issue.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: chyros on Sat, 05 September 2015, 02:27:24: Quote from: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:24:16
Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:17:21
Quote from: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:11:12
Quote from: chyros on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:45:03
Quote from: ctm on Fri, 04 September 2015, 19:41:15
I think Matias once said that due to the physical dimension of ALPS, it is not possible to put a Cherry MX stem inside.
It probably just uses an Alps slider with an MX mount on top.

Wouldn't work. The MX stem is larger than the Alps stem hole. The only way for this to work is to have super long stems or to have a larger stem.
Maybe they use a cross that's been flattened vertically?

Sorry, I phrased that poorly. I meant the stem of the caps, not the stem on the switch, is too large and will not fit.

Even if they had flattened the cross mount, you'd still run into that issue.
Ah! Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem xD .

Tbh from those pictures, that switches doesn't even LOOK like an Alps switch, so they must've done something fairly radical to it.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: FoxWolf1 on Sat, 05 September 2015, 09:03:14: Wait a sec, don't ALPS-style switches usually have bits on both sides of the stem? Contacts on one side, tactile or click leaf on the other, like this:
(http://members.shaw.ca/rgustafson/PC/Alps-blue-guts-1.jpg)
This i-rocks thing seems to have a LED where the tactile leaf normally goes...

Given that, and the change of stem size, I wonder how much mechanical similarity these really have to other ALPS-style switches.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: dante on Sat, 05 September 2015, 17:26:18: Quote from: nubbinator on Fri, 04 September 2015, 20:11:12
Considering that it's coming from iRocks, I have low expectations.

Pretty much sums it up.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: vivalarevolución on Mon, 07 September 2015, 13:26:13: Will those switches be compatible with anything besides the stock PCB of the keyboard? Doesn't look like it.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: bcredbottle on Mon, 07 September 2015, 13:28:35: Well **** me. The one thing that saved me from going keycap insane was the fact that my daily board uses Alps switches. Now it's game over for my wallet.
Title: Re: Cherry MX compatible ALPS!!!
Post by: sean on Mon, 07 September 2015, 16:23:47: Quote from: FoxWolf1 on Sat, 05 September 2015, 09:03:14
Wait a sec, don't ALPS-style switches usually have bits on both sides of the stem? Contacts on one side, tactile or click leaf on the other, like this:
Show Image
(http://members.shaw.ca/rgustafson/PC/Alps-blue-guts-1.jpg)

This i-rocks thing seems to have a LED where the tactile leaf normally goes...

Given that, and the change of stem size, I wonder how much mechanical similarity these really have to other ALPS-style switches.

There are Alps linear switches that replace the leaf with an LED, like Alps green. My guess is they'll feel like Cherry switches that mount of ALPS boards. Maybe it isn't something most of us would be interested in but I'm sure there are others that could make use of it.