Updates
Factual updates and other interesting changes are reported here. Adjustments and tweaks are not listed.
Updates for 2018
December
Sunday, 30th December
- Added the Hirose Cherry Precision B70-4753 to KBref (with a dedicated page).
- Styles A and A′ split out on the gold crosspoint/M7 examples page.
- Added a Cherry serial numbers page, covering just Hirose for now.
- Updated the Cherry keyboard codes page with additional Hirose groupings.
Sunday, 23rd December
- Added a brief comment on the Alps series names and model numbers page, that four-letter series names first appeared in 1985.
Saturday, 22nd December
- Patents page updated with the Western Electric crosspoint patents from 1930s, as found on the Deskthority wiki.
- Hi-Tek Dovetail Series brochure scan uploaded; this is one of the Hi-Tek documents that I arranged with Susan Kennedy (who was in charge of marketing at Hi-Tek) to get sent to Benjamin Rockwell. This document solves the mystery of Cherry’s “W/E Alloy #1” by giving the manufacturer name in full: “Western Electric #1”.
- Switch materials page uploaded, initially covering just Western Electric #1; Cherry pages referencing “W/E #1” are updated accordingly.
- Updated the switch types page with two more foam and foil examples (Key Tronic and BTC) as well as ITW’s patent for a shell with alternative sensing options.
Friday, 21st December
- Mechanical and solid state added to the glossary.
- Switch types page added, with industry-based explanations of mechanical, reed and solid state.
Friday, 14th December
- Started the Hall of Shame against rubbish companies and individuals.
Sunday, 9th December
- Cherry MX 1982–3 part number schema (from Michael Schmid at Cherry via UncleFan) uploaded.
- Cherry MX variants page updated.
November
Monday, 26th November
- Alps integrated domes page updated.
- Alps series names and model numbers page updated.
Tuesday, 20th November
- Alps integrated domes page updated.
- Alps series names and model numbers page updated.
Monday, 19th November
- Alps series names and model numbers page updated: added SCK41167 and SCK41168, corrected the older pattern series names to three letter series, and updated the older pattern explanation; also, the idea of KBB/KCC/SKCC being SCH originally (alongside SCK) is now suggested.
Sunday, 18th November
- Alps integrated domes page updated.
- Alps series names and model numbers page updated.
- Added a page on switch design characteristics, starting just with terminal design.
- Added a page on Alps SCK series.
Saturday, 17th November
- Alps series names and model numbers page updated.
- Alps integrated domes page updated.
Friday, 16th November
- Three-letter Alps series names are now officially confirmed.
Tuesday, 13th November
- Inspection of Roland service manuals has confirmed that the QX3 used Cherry MX1A-0NNN, and QX3 machines have been found containing Hirose Cherry MX Orange. It appears then that Hirose Cherry MX Orange is MX1A-0NNN.
Sunday, 11th November
- Added a page about Alps integrated domes.
- Added a page about Alps switch part numbers.
- Added a page about Alps switch families.
Tuesday, 6th November
- Added SKPA to the Alps switch model numbers page.
Thursday, 1st November
- Started a page of comparative specifications.
October
Sunday, 28th October
- Unmatched patents page created, for visual recognition of patents against switchces. These are patents where the product has yet to be discovered, or where it is known but not identified with the manufacturer.
Saturday, 27th October
- Added a brief page on Datacomp ALPS Type switches.
Friday, 26th October
- Documented the Gateron part number schema (covers KS-1, KS-3, KS-8 and KS-9 series), with help from Gateron and Zeal.
Wednesday, 24th October
- Added a page on Mechanical Enterprises DN series switches.
Monday, 22nd October
- SKFL is confirmed as “Series KFL” in an advertisement placed in the 1983–84 Electronic Engineers Master catalogue; a link to the catalogue, and an excerpt of the advertisement, are placed on the Alps model numbers page.
Sunday, 21st October
- Created a brief page listing Tulip model and part numbers, to demonstrate the way that keyboards used international telephone dialling prefixes in their model numbers.
Saturday, 20th October
- Added Cherry parts page, presently just with M4/M5/M6 and M7.
- Added a page on Mechanical Enterprises T-5, in order to record the list of discovered sub-series.
- Added a page on Mechanical Enterprises T-15, covering T-15S which is now formally identified.
Monday, 15th October
- Started a page on Cherry MX variants.