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Stepped Caps-Lock Measurements
Posted: 27 May 2013, 00:24
by Toast
I'm working on a keyboard project and am having a heck of a time finding a good source on this. Looking for the precise difference between a center-stemmed and stepped caps lock (measured from the center point of each stem).
The type of the stepped caps lock I'm thinking of is (I think) the more common one found on vintage cherry caps.
http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/key ... t3794.html
Seems to claim it's 5mm. Can anyone with a stepped key and some calipers confirm? : ) Would do it myself but my keys are going to be a long while in coming.
Posted: 27 May 2013, 00:54
by Soarer
0.75 * (1.75 - 1.25) / 2 inches
Posted: 27 May 2013, 01:10
by Halvar
(19.05 * (1.75-1.25) / 2) mm = 4,7625 mm
Posted: 27 May 2013, 01:16
by Toast
Awesome. That's a better number than I had I'm guessing. Could you help explain just so I'm confident in this...
Besides the width of keycap where do the numbers come from in the equation? o.o
Posted: 27 May 2013, 01:23
by Halvar
19,05 mm (or 0,75 inch) is the width of one unit of the grid.
1.75 units is the width of the caps lock key, 1,75 units / 2 is the position of the center of that.
1,25 units is the width of the upper step of the stepped key, to which the stepped key stem is centered, so 1,25 units / 2 is the position of the center of that.
So the difference between the centers is (1,75/2)-(1,25/2) units = (1,75-1,25)/2 units = 0,25 units
Posted: 27 May 2013, 01:26
by Soarer
Heh, I should refresh BEFORE starting to type
0.75 inches = 19.05 mm = 1 unit
1.75 = full touch caps size in units
1.25 = top step size of stepped caps in units
1/2 = stem is in the middle
Posted: 27 May 2013, 01:36
by Toast
Oooookay! : D I get it now. Poifect.
Hm.. while I'm at it, I see a lot of references to measurements for spacebar stems (40mm and 50mm) also in metric. Is there a better way to get the positions? Or are those pretty much spot on in metric?
Thanks a lot guys.
Posted: 27 May 2013, 02:07
by Soarer
I think many are positioned based on units, which are in inches by definition, so a nice neat number of mm sounds a bit suspect to me! But there's no rule for it, so I'd bet some are (in mm).
For example, the 6 unit spacebar on a G80-1800 has stems 1/2 a unit in from each end, and the centre stem is offset to the right by 1/2 a unit from the centre... so that works out to be a 3 unit gap and a 2 unit gap.