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Author Topic: Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?  (Read 4182 times)

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Offline blakespot

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 08:42:10 »
I have an Acorn Archimedes A5000 and am wondering what type of switches are used in its keyboard. They feel very, very smooth, with completely linear resistance. It feels like I imagine Cherry Reds or Blacks feel, based on what I've read.

The keyboard says 25-ALB55-1010554 on a sticker underneath.

Thanks.



bp
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Offline blakespot

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 20:38:44 »
I just took this pic of the switch on the Acorn keyboard in question. What sort of switch is this? Seems super basic / simplistic.


Acorn A5000 key switch by blakespot, on Flickr


bp
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Offline SmallFry

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 20:45:57 »
What the heck? It almost seems like it is a dome underneath there, but that doesn't make sense. Do you have a picture of the internals?
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Offline SmallFry

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 20:56:24 »
According to this article, A4000 though. The board is a rubber dome as I predicted. What a shame for such a pretty board.
« Last Edit: Tue, 23 August 2011, 20:56:56 by SmallFry »
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Offline blakespot

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 20:59:41 »
There is no dome under there. There is just a little switch arm sitting above the metal baseplate. The only resistance is coming from that spring.


bp
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Offline blakespot

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #5 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 21:06:53 »
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Offline SmallFry

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 21:19:24 »
Then my best guess would be to disassemble the board via the instructions of the article I posted. It may be a buckling spring.(NEVERMIND BS ARE TACTILE AND CLICKY) WHOOPS! I haven't any idea as I've never encountered such a board. The only surefire way would be to disassemble.
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Offline Arcanius

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 22:07:34 »
Very interesting switch. Probably propritary? Is looks like a simple spring over membrane! RipOmeter it!
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Offline blakespot

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 22:34:17 »
Inside the cylinder on the keycap is a rod that ultimately pressed down on the little lever switch at the base of the mechanism. It seems crazy basic.

There is linear resistance all the way down, with no variation -- super smooth. Too smooth for my tastes, really.

So this is not a commonly used approach?



bp
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Offline SmallFry

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 23 August 2011, 22:42:23 »
Nope. It looks like a very pretty board though, what a shame that they are not compatible keycaps.
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Offline The Solutor

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Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 24 August 2011, 02:26:46 »
Ah the archimedes, my forbidden dream at the time
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Offline blakespot

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Re: Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 18 November 2012, 17:15:22 »
bump
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 18 November 2012, 18:12:37 »
I used to have an Archimedes.  Very fast computer, for the time.

Given the lack of response, you might have to disassemble it yourself, and then post a picture here for future reference :)
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Offline IvanIvanovich

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Re: Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #13 on: Sun, 18 November 2012, 18:22:36 »
Appears to be the same thing used by Amstrad and some others. I guess it's something that primarily stayed in Britain and died.
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Offline TotalChaos

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Re: Switches in Acorn A5000 keyboard?
« Reply #14 on: Sun, 18 November 2012, 20:40:48 »
It looks and sounds awesome!

Please please please place nickels on a key until it registers a keypress.  This tells us its activation force!  Do it for keyboard science!  We need to know!
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