Hardware Components – Keyboard

PACS Training - IT Basics 101

The Keyboard

For anyone who spends a lot of time on a computer, either for work or for leisure, a keyboard is  probably one of the most used tools in your arsenal.

Das Keyboard 6 Professional

The Anatomy of a Keyboard 

Case: This is the enclosure of your keyboard that houses all the necessary components. The  factors to look out here are designs and layout.  

PCB: The PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is where switches and stabilizers go into. You can either  get a solderable or a hotswap version. Hotswap means you can swap switches without  desoldering.  

Plate: Plate is an important component that significantly affect sound and layout (More on this  later). It sits on top of the PCB and helps secure the switches on to the PCB. There are different  materials of plate, ranging from brass, aluminum, carbon fiber, and polycarbonate which affect  both sound and feel. 

Stabilizers: They stabilize and guide the larger keys on the board such as spacebar, enter, shift  and backspace. How well stabilizes are tuned will either make or break a board. 

Switches: Switches are where you get a lot of customizability. You have three main branches,  Linear, Tactile, and Clicky. There are also different materials for different components of the  switch that affect a variety of factors. To learn more, check out this article.  

Keycaps: There are plenty of options when it comes to keycaps. You can get different colors,  themes, profile, and materials. You can also get artisan keycaps as ascent pieces to your board. 


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