Rubber dome

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Rubber dome is a type of keyboard switching technology that is most commonly used on modern keyboards, using collapsible rubber domes to provide resistance and tactility to keys. Most rubber dome keyboards use a membrane contact sheet below the dome to provide electrical switching, but certain rubber dome switches, such as Topre switches, use capacitive switching.

Varieties

• Plain rubber dome: a stem is moulded into the keycap that pushes down on the dome; this is the most common variety including Topre switches
• Domes with sliders: similar to a microswitch mechanical, each switch contains its own slider that presses on the dome, onto which the keycap is mounted; on some keyboards the slider has a standard U mount or Z mount interface and the board will accept keycaps from mechanical keyboards and donate keycaps for mechanical boards
• Scissors: laptop keyboards introduced the use of scissor-like mechanisms to stabilise low travel switches that lack a shaft for the keycap to slide inside