Noppoo Choc Mini

Noppoo Choc Mini
Part number	Choc-84
Manufacturer	Noppoo
Features	Backlighting, integrated numeric keypad, caps lock/control reversal
Layouts	84-key ANSI
Keyswitches	Cherry MX
Interface	USB
Rollover	NKRO
Weight	1.6 lbs
Price	~80 USD

This article requires additional photographic illustration — White and LED backlit pictures needed, and photos of revised layout

The Noppoo Choc Mini is a compact, backlit 84-key layout keyboard based on the US ANSI layout.

Versions

There are several versions of this keyboard available.

Black
White
Black, LED Backlit

There are also at least two different US ANSI layouts. The layout pictured below has the following keys in the far-right column: Switch Lock, Pause/Print Screen, Page Up/Home, Page Down/End, Delete/Insert, and right arrow. The non-backlit model alphanumeric legends are laser etched with gold-coloured text. The newer layout changed the far-right column to: Delete/Switch (Lock), Home, Page Up, Page Down, End, and right arrow. Insert is moved to the Fn layer of F12. The non-backlit model alphanumeric legends of this version have white text. Additional changes exist besides those in the far-right column, but that column saw the majority of the alterations. The change appears to have been made by February 2012.^[1]

Keys

Early versions of the Choc Mini used laser-etched POM keycaps, with golden coloured legends for the primary layer. This was changed to white text, which may also be laser etching.

The front printing is split into several colours: sky blue for num lock and the integrated numeric keypad; magenta for insert, Windows key lock, and the media controls; white for scroll lock, and green for switch lock, which swaps caps lock and control keys (with a dedicated LED). The modifier keys use only text for their legends. Status LEDs are provided by windowed keycaps.

The space bar also sports a Noppoo branding in form of the company logo and text.

The laser-etched keys of the original version are very susceptible to staining, as illustrated below.

Rollover

This Keyboard features N-Key Rollover over USB. It achieves this by emulating a USB Hub and 3 separate USB Keyboards.

Compatibility

This keyboard works on:

Microsoft Windows
GNU/Linux
UNIX
OS X (5KRO only, requires adapters, see below)

The Noppoo doesn't work on Mac over USB because of some of the tricks it plays to get NKRO. However, the PS/2 layer works fine with Mac. Since standard Mac hardware doesn't have a PS/2 port, this means converting USB to PS/2 and then back to USB. See NKRO-over-USB issues for an illustration.