Microswitch_Keyboard_Brochure_1972.pdf

Slom · 12 Apr 2020, 09:25

I have not seen this before ...

So at least some of the SW keyboards have NKRO?

http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttga ... e_1972.pdf

Has anyone ever seen this contact mechanism in the wild?

: mercury.PNG (268.07 KiB) Viewed 2876 times

Chyros · 12 Apr 2020, 10:19

Haha wow, so mercury keyboard switches DO exist! xD Great find mate!

Findecanor · 12 Apr 2020, 11:03

Looks dangerous. Mercury in flexible tubes? Those would break eventually, and you don't want that.

Chyros · 12 Apr 2020, 13:52

Findecanor wrote: ↑
12 Apr 2020, 11:03
Looks dangerous. Mercury in flexible tubes? Those would break eventually, and you don't want that.

Yeah, I'm not sure how well those tubes would hold up over time, either. Might be a bit messy. Shouldn't be TERRIBLY dangerous though.

fohat · 12 Apr 2020, 15:21

How genuinely bizarre.

It seems like you could spend a thousand years imagining ways to create an off-on electrical switch without dreaming up something like that!

MMcM · 12 Apr 2020, 16:36

1937 Patent: Apparatus for controlling electric circuits

robo · 13 Apr 2020, 18:29

Next up. The radioactive decay switch: Depressing the key opens a small lead flap exposing a tiny cube of cobalt 60 to a glass vial of gas containing two high voltage electrodes. The ionizing radiation causes current to flow between the electrodes, which is detected by the keyboard controller, and translated into a keypress.

Comes standard with lead keycaps and a 2kV transformer. Oh, and a built in ashtray of course.

Slom · 13 Apr 2020, 20:23

When the side note takes over the show

Should have posted this picture:

: sw_nkro.PNG (433.78 KiB) Viewed 2659 times