Datalux SpaceSaver keyboard, Tray model

Kurk · 30 Sep 2012, 18:25

This is the Datalux SpaceSaver keyboard, more specifically: the tray version for embedded applications.
http://www.datalux.com/EmbeddedSpaceSav ... ection.php

The size of the caps is rather odd: their horizontal pitch is the standard 0.75 inch but the vertical pitch is only 0.625 inch. Another interesting thing is that the modifier keys are in series with diodes while the ordinary keys are not.
Webwit has shown some pictures of the desk model here.
He describes the switches as being like bad Cherry MX blacks. Well, my tray model must have different switches but the common factor is that they are very bad as well. Have you ever tried pushing a cork into a bottle of wine? That's how pressing a key on this board feels like. It starts off with a huge resistance which suddenly disappears three quarters down the way. No tactile bump though.
Anyway, pictures:

: Datalux SpaceSaver Tray; 1-P1070056.JPG (447.1 KiB) Viewed 8510 times

Spoiler:

Daniel · 30 Sep 2012, 20:38

Nice pictures

What kind of switches are this? Do you have the possibility to compare the size to a Cherry ML4100?

JBert · 30 Sep 2012, 22:20

Please put a little more effort in your research... The link at the top to Webwit's model reveals the switch type.

IvanIvanovich · 30 Sep 2012, 23:27

Oh, but you didn't get the one with the screen... check out the Ascom version LOL.

486 · 01 Oct 2012, 00:39

Daniel wrote:Nice pictures What kind of switches are this? Do you have the possibility to compare the size to a Cherry ML4100?

MEI switches. Someone should really put some more info about it on the wiki. Sweet keyboard. I was going to get one of these a while back but I didn't .

Kurk · 01 Oct 2012, 12:55

MEI switches indeed, but I'm not sure if this tray version uses the same ones as the desk version. They don't have MEI written all over them. One thing is certain: they are absolutely worthless for typing.

According to the datasheet, the keyboard is 10.75 inch (27.3 cm) wide and 6.49 inch (16.5 cm) deep.

Lysol, this Ascom version really looks freaky!

webwit · 01 Oct 2012, 23:10

MEI stands for Matsushita Electric Industrial, which equals Panasonic? I'm just guessing, maybe the MEI on the switches is a completely different company. Does someone has better info? Researching for the wiki...

phetto · 02 Oct 2012, 03:43

LOL, that looks really good. geeeez

forcefollow · 02 Oct 2012, 06:10

webwit wrote:MEI stands for Matsushita Electric Industrial, which equals Panasonic? I'm just guessing, maybe the MEI on the switches is a completely different company. Does someone has better info? Researching for the wiki...

how about mechanical engineering inc.?

maybe unrelated, but I'm pretty sure a disassembly will help better identifying the manufacturer. I don't have any datalux at the moment (their impression are generally not good, kind of deter me from getting one)
Have anyone opened the switch like this guy did?

RougeRambo · 29 May 2013, 00:32

cheap white alps on that site you posted, likely cheaper ones on fleabay but still also
>USA
http://www.dsi-keyboards.com/traditiona ... y-dsi.aspx

RougeRambo · 29 May 2013, 00:33

webwit wrote:MEI stands for Matsushita Electric Industrial, which equals Panasonic? I'm just guessing, maybe the MEI on the switches is a completely different company. Does someone has better info? Researching for the wiki...

coincidence you should mention these boards...
Saw one posted in a forum the other day and was curious of it, saw those exact ones on ebay, it comes in cherry ML as well.
Think i spoke about it in irc.

I quite like the form factor of them.

Daniel Beardsmore · 30 May 2013, 00:49

webwit wrote:MEI stands for Matsushita Electric Industrial, which equals Panasonic? I'm just guessing, maybe the MEI on the switches is a completely different company. Does someone has better info? Researching for the wiki...

All dead leads from me … MEI made the original keyboard, though:

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/539 (click for the full-size, uncropped image)

Someone with better sleuthing skills might be able to figure out something from their former address. A company in the US which still stocks them reckoned that MEI was some defunct British company, but his switch stock goes back ~20 years, so the details of MEI are gone from there, too.

Glad they moved over to Cherry ML: ML is a nice switch. The MEI switches with their elastic bands look terrible. (If any switch were going to be British, that would be it.)

webwit · 30 May 2013, 00:50

I don't like Cherry ML at all

Daniel Beardsmore · 30 May 2013, 00:52

webwit · 30 May 2013, 00:58

Search for address and "mei" gives:

Mechanical Enterprises Inc.
http://books.google.nl/books?id=fToEAAA ... &q&f=false

Daniel Beardsmore · 30 May 2013, 01:07

:)

According to that page, they're "sealed" "full travel" switches …

The wiki has them categorised as Cherry MX mount — is this confirmed? It's not referenced anywhere and I am not sure whether it's spurious information.

webwit · 30 May 2013, 01:14

Uh oh
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washin ... =162999060

he worked on rocket development under Werner Von Braun

One couldn't make up this stuff.

It might be this patent:
https://www.google.com/patents/WO1986005316A1
I haven't studied it in detail but it speaks of a rubber-like spring member. Unfortunately it doesn't have illustrations.

I'll check MX mount later. I think they are, but the keys are smaller, so Cherry caps are no use anyway.

Daniel Beardsmore · 30 May 2013, 01:33

Patents, eh? HaaTa fodder :)

I imagine Herr Von Braun can't have been too fussy about his switches — must have been an MY aficionado …

It's possible that the switches are M8 compatible: same cross dimensions, but shallower stem.

That obituary even confirms the MEI–Datalux link, that I could have found out had Datalux been co-operative and responded. (Their UK reseller responded, but had no clue about the history of the board.)

Now, if you want sealed switches, you want Futaba …

webwit · 30 May 2013, 01:41

Now whenever someone posts about this keyboard or switch, I'll have to mention it was invented by a rocket scientist who worked with Werner Von Braun. It just has a ring to it.

Daniel Beardsmore · 31 May 2013, 22:31

webwit wrote:I'll check MX mount later. I think they are, but the keys are smaller, so Cherry caps are no use anyway.

The irony is that the person who updated the wiki to say that they were U mountCherry MX mount … was me. And I didn't include a reference for that assertion. I was a naughty boy.

I don't remember now why I did that — I had a brief look and I couldn't find any supporting evidence for that claim. (Which only reinforces my belief in the importance of referencing claims on the wiki.)

MrBishop · 10 Jun 2016, 17:04

i thought this was such an interesting layout i am building one extremely similar.

Spoiler:

DanielT · 10 Jun 2016, 18:19

Very interesting project

And those keycaps are really something, from what keyboard do they come?

MrBishop · 10 Jun 2016, 18:28

DanielT wrote: ↑Very interesting project And those keycaps are really something, from what keyboard do they come?

i received them from a give away thread on GH so i dont really know where they came from originally.
they were the only full key set i had handy when i went to dress the board

this will be changing as they hurt my eyes if i have to look at them for anything

and thank you.

DanielT · 10 Jun 2016, 18:35

There are quite a lot of languages supported by that keyset

MrBishop · 10 Jun 2016, 18:47

DanielT wrote: ↑There are quite a lot of languages supported by that keyset

indeed. some of those keys have 7 different characters.