Stabiliser

This article requires additional photographic illustration — need photo of plate-mounted Cherry stabilisers

Wire-stabilised keycaps

Stabilised scissor switch

A stabiliser or stabilizer (abbreviated to stab; also levelling mechanism in Cherry's terminology) is a device intended to stabilize a large keyboard key.

Concept

Stabilisers have two purposes:

• They prevent binding by helping to ensure that the keycap motion is vertical and that the keycap remains level no matter whereabouts it is pressed
• They prevent the play inherent in the switch slider from leading to significant wobble or tilting in larger keys, in particular space

Stabilisation is frequently applied to keys of 1.75 units width and greater. On a typical full-size US keyboard, this includes left and right shift, enter, backspace, and the plus, zero and enter keys on the numeric keypad.

The hardest key to stabilise is a big-ass enter key, and it's not unusual to have parts of this key be very difficult to press. The Zenith Supersport SX enter key has a complex stabiliser arrangement that is extremely difficult to assemble, but provides flawless transfer of force to the switch from anywhere across the keycap.

The scissor switch is actually a (typically plastic) stabilizer designed for all keys, not just large keys, on a low-profile keyboard, typically using rubber dome switches. Larger scissor switches can still be given extra stabilisation.

Design

Many stabiliser designs have been used over the years. The common varieties are as follows:

Wire

The most common design is the wire stabiliser. A stiff wire runs from one end of the key to the other, connected to the keycap at each end, and to the keyboard plate or PCB via some form of restraint. The wire pivots against both the keyboard and keycap; pressing one end of the key rotates the wire, and the other end of the wire pulls its end of the keycap down accordingly. More than simply keeping the keycap moving vertically (important to prevent binding), this method actively keeps the keycap level.

This forms the basis of the stabiliser designs used by Costar, Cherry, SMK, and some of those from Alps and IBM.

The compound stabiliser design used in the Zenith Supersport SX for the enter key (shown below) is subject to Alps patent US 4771146, filed in 1987 and with a priority date of 1985.

• 
  Wire-stabilised key
• 
  NTC KB-6752EA internals, showing stabiliser wires
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  Zenith Supersport SX enter stabiliser, Alps-patented
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  Zenith Supersport SX enter stabiliser disassembled

Dummy switch

This design pairs a normal switch with a dummy switch. This approach has been used by Micro Switch for their Hall effect keyboards, as well as in ITW magnetic valve keyboards.

In the case of the ITW design, the stabiliser dummy switch feels quite light and seems to have low preload.

Guide shaft

Some manufacturers such as Alps and Fujitsu used guide shafts for some or all large keys. A plastic insert is fitted, bearing a guide shaft, and a plastic post within the keycap fits into this shaft. This approach is not always successful; the Fujitsu FKB4700 is infamous for the poor quality of its stabilisation. However, this approach works well in IBM Model M keyboards.

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  Apple M0118 return key, with guide shaft stabiliser
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  Fujitsu FKB4700 enter key switch and guide shaft insert

Dual switch

The SMK-made "Type 2" keyboard for the Acorn BBC Microcomputer has been found with a pair of light weight switches under the return key. Matrix layout POS keyboards allow keycaps to span multiple switches in 1×2, 2×1 and 2×2 arrangements; here, the keys will be substantially heavier as a result.

Implementations

IBM

IBM originally used wire stabilisers in the Model M keyboard, but changed to barrel inserts at the end of the 1980s.

• 
  Early Model M stabiliser
• 
  Later Model M stabiliser

Cherry

Cherry MX

Cherry MX levelling mechanisms are intricate assemblies with keystems that allow for extremely easy removal and replacement of keycaps. The Cherry design also greatly reduces the noise associated with stabilisers. The chief complaint is that they dampen the switch feel, giving stabilised keys a stiffer and mushier feel. A small modification to the design—clipping a small piece off the sliders—does rectify this issue.<ref>Deskthority — Cherry Corp Stabilizers, GIMME BACK MY CLACK! "Ok." WHAAAT?!</ref>

PCB mount

PCB-mount Cherry MX levelling mechanisms clip into the PCB. The PCB contains four holes, two per side; the rear stabiliser legs allow it to be swung into place via the rear holes, and prongs in the front place grip the front holes. The whole assembly can be inserted and removed easily.

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  Cherry levelling mechanism in a Cherry G80-3000
• 
  6.25 units space bar with mounts for Cherry and Filco. Below are the Cherry G80-3000 stabilisers.
• 
  Levelling mechanism from a Cherry G80-3700
• 
  Cherry G80-3700 levelling mechanism mounted into PCB; one of the rear legs is not correctly inserted
• 
  Top
• 
  Front
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  Bottom
• 
  Disassembled

Cherry ML

Cherry ML keyboards use simple wire stabilisers.

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  Basic Cherry ML stabiliser
• 
  Cherry ML stabiliser for space bar
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  Stabilised keycap with wire and PCB clips
• 
  Stabiliser clip removed from the PCB

Costar

Keyboards from Costar use simple wire stabilisers. Possibly as a result of the widespread adoption of Costar-made keyboards, all simple wire stabilisers get referred to as "Costar stabilisers".

Filco-style

• 
  Genuine Costar stabiliser in a Filco Majestouch

Non-Filco-style

• 
  Non-Filco-style stabiliser in a Whitefox
• 
  Non-Filco-style stabilizers tried on a Filco (the keys can't be fully pressed)

The wires on these stabilisers bends outward—similar to the stabilisers provided with the WhiteFox and KC60—instead of perpendicular to the plate. [1]

NMB

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  NMB plastic stabiliser bar assembly in a Dell RT7D50
• 
  NMB plastic stabiliser bar in place
• 
  NMB plastic stabiliser bar and keycap

Topre

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  Topre stabiliser for the space bar key; note that the ends of the metal wire can be seen on the left and right.
• 
  Stabiliser mounts for the space bar of a Topre keyboard, as seen from the bottom with case and PCB removed.
• 
  Topre stabiliser for a function key on a Sony BKE-2011 as seen from the bottom of the keyboard with case and PCB removed.

ITW

Second-generation ITW magnetic valve keyboards used dummy switches for stabilisation. These switches lacked the ferrite core and magnet of live switches, and had a circular rather than square keycap mount.

• 
  Dummy switch, used as a stabiliser
• 
  Dummy switch opened; note the lack of magnet and ferrite core

Clare/Pendar

In US patent 3771636 (filed April 1971), Clare Pendar describe a mechanism where a pair of interlocked arms are placed below the PCB/plate, attached to the space bar.

SMK

SMK J-M0404 series uses slider lubrication to reduce binding on wider keys that do not have wire stabilisers. Apple describe these as "low friction" types.

• 
  Standard and low-friction J-M0404 series sliders

Inserts

Inserts are small plastic parts that connect the stabiliser wire to the keycap.

• 
  Cherry MX mount inserts for an Alps mount keycap (Tulip ATK 030244); mount aside, this insert style is one of the most common
• 
  SMK stabiliser, Tulip SMK series/Sony PCY-333; the inserts hold the wire against the inside of the keycap
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  SMK stabiliser components
• 
  Miniature cruciform insert post
• 
  SMK stabilisers place the sliding action at the plate, instead of within the keycap insert; the plate insert also contains guide shafts to support guide posts in long keys (i.e. spacebar)
• 
  Costar stabiliser inserts from a Filco Majestouch 1

References

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