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This article gives me an excuse to mention my favorite obscure old keyboard switch type: the acoustic keyboard switch. Back in the 80s when electronics were ex
by DavidVoid 2y ago
This article gives me an excuse to mention my favorite obscure old keyboard switch type: the acoustic keyboard switch.
Back in the 80s when electronics were expensive, someone figured out that you could detect all key-presses on a keyboard with just a couple of microphones. There was no wiring to any of the key switches, instead there was a long metal bar underneath the keyboard with a microphone on each side. Pressing a key made a little metal hammer hit that bar, and the difference of arrival between the two microphones was then used to figure out which key had been pressed.
Here's a presentation from Keycon 2014 about it (starts at 1:46:01, description of how it works starts at 1:50:30): https://www.youtube.com/live/AvszDsr1js8?t=6361 https://www.youtube.com/live/AvszDsr1js8?t=6361