Plate mount vs PCB mount

[smithyithy]

Looking into putting together a custom board and this is one area I'm not too familiar with but need to understand before looking into buying parts and switches..

Can someone give a basic rundown of the two options, pros and cons, physical differences..?

From my initial research it seems the key difference is plate mount has a plate (aluminium for example) sandwiched between the switches and the PCB. Is that all? And if that's the case then how does that change the form of the switch?

Cheers

[henz]

Looking into putting together a custom board and this is one area I'm not too familiar with but need to understand before looking into buying parts and switches..

Can someone give a basic rundown of the two options, pros and cons, physical differences..?

From my initial research it seems the key difference is plate mount has a plate (aluminium for example) sandwiched between the switches and the PCB. Is that all? And if that's the case then how does that change the form of the switch?

Cheers

its the principle how you mount your switches, Plate mount, switches fits into a plate which takes the load off the pcb. pcb mount you mount the switches on the pcb directly, switches comes with two plastic legs which holds the switches in place.

There is a difference in feel, also if you choose plate mount there were will be a difference depending on which material you choose, the softer the material the softer the feel etc

[ComandaPanda]

PCB mount is personally my favorite since its more quiet, stabilizers and layout can be moved at any time without desoldering the entire board.   I dont like the loud clack sound from most plates though so i really like PCB mount because of that.

[Giorgio]

Use pcb mount, unless you know exactly what switch you want. It allows infinite customizability, and I don't miss the rigidity.... Currently I'm typing on a g80-3000 with cherry mx reds and uniqey clips. More quiet than a membrane keyboard, or than the apple a1243 from apple.

[smithyithy]

Thanks guys, great info.

So with PCB mount, is it still possible at all to have something like a plate that covers the PCB?

My main issue with mounting them that way is the aesthetics as I'm not sure I'd want the PCB to be visible.

[Giorgio]

Thanks guys, great info.

So with PCB mount, is it still possible at all to have something like a plate that covers the PCB?

My main issue with mounting them that way is the aesthetics as I'm not sure I'd want the PCB to be visible.

Aestethics. Why didn't you say it from the start?

Get a plate with cutouts. Removing the switches is doable, but very time consuming and error prone.

Plate mounted switches don't look better in my opinion.

[Tactile]

My main issue with mounting them that way is the aesthetics as I'm not sure I'd want the PCB to be visible.

Well, there's a company you may have heard of which uses PCB mount on just about all of their keyboards and no one complains about that.

[smithyithy]

Ah well it's all subjective of course, I prefer the look of a nice plate behind the keys.

But just to clarify what I'm referring to is like this image below, which is typical of the 40/60/65% layouts I'm interested in. So with a low-profile case and the aluminium top you have the 'floating key' appearance... This is plate-mount isn't it?

[Tactile]

Ah well it's all subjective of course, I prefer the look of a nice plate behind the keys.

But just to clarify what I'm referring to is like this image below, which is typical of the 40/60/65% layouts I'm interested in. So with a low-profile case and the aluminium top you have the 'floating key' appearance... This is plate-mount isn't it?

Show Image

Yep, for a low profile case you don't really have a choice. Plate mount it is.

[smithyithy]

Thanks, appreciate the replies guys, you've pointed me in the right direction

[Findecanor]

That 60% keyboard is a bit of a special case in that the plate is there purely for look and feel. It is otherwise a PCB-mounted keyboard. That plate is suspended from the switches on a PCB that is mounted to the case.
On most other plate-mounted keyboards the metal plate is instead the load-bearing element that holds the switches and then the PCB is suspended from the switches underneath, often without touching the bottom of the case.

BTW, it was said above that Uniqey's QMX silencing clips don't work with a plate. Zeal PC has silencing clips that do, but they cost twice as much. Also, both types of clips have to be used with the LED window facing south if you are going to use thicker keycaps.

[bmmcwhirt]

This should give you everything you need to know:   https://deskthority.net/wiki/Switch_mount

And if you are designing everything here are the GH CAD resources:   https://github.com/mohitg11/GH-CAD-Resources

[smithyithy]

Thanks guys! Yeah I've been looking on Zeal's site for their switches and accessories like the clips. I just got a Zealio sample pack to test the weights as I'll probably use them for my build.

They state that their PCB-mount switches can still be used with plate-mount keyboards as long as the PCB underneath has the two extra holes for the switch 'legs'. So that's good news, their own PCB fits standard 60% Pok3r style cases too so this could definitely be an option.

[phoible]

If you want to use PCB-mount switches with a plate-mounted setup (that doesn't have the correct holes), you can easily clip off the legs with a pair of nail clippers or flush cutters.

[smithyithy]

Good to know. Out of interest, are the top and bottom parts of PCB and Plate mount switch housings interchangeable? (within the same brand for example Zealio)

[SpAmRaY]

Good to know. Out of interest, are the top and bottom parts of PCB and Plate mount switch housings interchangeable? (within the same brand for example Zealio)

Yes

[smithyithy]

Cheers 

[jcoffin1981]

PCB mount is personally my favorite since its more quiet, stabilizers and layout can be moved at any time without desoldering the entire board.   I dont like the loud clack sound from most plates though so i really like PCB mount because of that.

I have managed to remove a single switch on a plate mounted board and take out and lubricate the stabilzer.  The bar really only has to clear the base of the switch it's stabilizing.  I can only speak for Cherry however as I don't own any boards with Costar  or other stabizers.

I do think that a pingy switch will reverberate more if plate mounted.  So yes there are pros and cons and it's a matter of preference.

[czarek]

I like plate with tactile and clicky switches, makes them more solid and pronounces tactility and clicks.
Mounting directly on PCB gives a little softer landing and I like it a lot with linear switches. PCB mounted Vintage Blacks with springs from MX Blue are still one of my favourite combination which I use on my ErgoDox.

[Giorgio]

I like plate with tactile and clicky switches, makes them more solid and pronounces tactility and clicks.
Mounting directly on PCB gives a little softer landing and I like it a lot with linear switches. PCB mounted Vintage Blacks with springs from MX Blue are still one of my favourite combination which I use on my ErgoDox.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but spring from blues are the same springs that you find in reds. Just to put things in context.

[smithyithy]

I like plate with tactile and clicky switches, makes them more solid and pronounces tactility and clicks.
Mounting directly on PCB gives a little softer landing and I like it a lot with linear switches. PCB mounted Vintage Blacks with springs from MX Blue are still one of my favourite combination which I use on my ErgoDox.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but spring from blues are the same springs that you find in reds. Just to put things in context.

Red/Blue/Brown all share the same IIRC

[czarek]

Yes they're the same, I just used blues because I had them at hand at the time I was building my ErgoDox