Editing Alps common mount low profile

{{TODO photo|more=true|further disassembly including the tactile version}}
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{{infobox dswitch
| image name        = Alps common mount low profile -- infobox.jpg
| manufacturer      = [[Alps Electric]]
| inventor          = 
| switch type       = Linear, Tactile
| contact mechanism = [[Metal leaf]]
| product code      = 
| family            = 
| keycap mount      = [[Alps mount]]
| switch mount      = [[PCB mount]]
| lifetime          = 
| force graph       = 
| peak force        = 
| patents            = [https://www.google.com/patents/US4760225 US 4760225] (1987)<br>[https://www.google.com/patents/US5004880 US 5004880] (1990)
}}

'''Alps common mount low profile''' (or '''Alps octagonal''' for short) is a provisional name for a low-profile PCB mount switch from Alps. '''SKFM/SKFN series''' is likely to be the official designation.

==Nomenclature==
Keyboard assembly KFFMBB0034 has white switches.<ref name="dropbox" /> Assuming these are linear, this would give SKFM series for linear switches. Since the preceding series name ([[Alps SKFL series|SKFL]]) is already taken, then the second series within the pair (for tactile switches) would be SKFN. SKFNAA is a known Alps model number, of which no details are known.<ref name="Tyro-SKFNAA" /> Tentatively, it appears that these switches should be classified as Alps SKFM/SKFN series.

==Description==
This switch uses the common [[Alps mount]], unlike [[Alps SKFR/SKFS series]] which has a unique mount.<ref name="rzw" /> The [[slider]] design is similar to that of [[Alps SKCL/SKCM series]], but reduced in front-to-back depth to fit inside the switch's small shell. The contact mechanism is very similar to that of [[Alps SKFL]]; the latter is cited as prior art in the patent.

Where SKFR/SKFS series has a black slider for linear and a colourless slider for tactile, the colours are reversed with common mount low profile: black for tactile as with SKCM series, and colourless for linear.

The only branding is a minute Alps logo in the centre of the base, visible only by desoldering the switch.<ref name="rzw" />

The switch features an integrated jumper. The tactile version has a click leaf and likely arranges this in the same way as SKFR/SKFS.<ref name="tactile" /> The patent for the leaf (which curiously shows the base as rectangular instead of octagonal) describes the switch as "click-type", but a clicky version has yet to be encountered.

==Variants==
{| class="wikitable variants-table"
! !!Slider!!Type
|-
|[[File:Alps common mount low profile -- top.jpg|175px]]||Colourless||Linear
|-
|[[File:Alps common mount low profile -- LED -- top.jpg|175px]]||Colourless||Linear, with LED support
|-
|[[File:Acer 6083 Switches 1.JPG|175px]]||Black||Tactile
|}

==Keyboards==
*[[Acer 6083]] (Black slider)
*IBM 5535-M18 Multistation keyboard<ref name="ibm5535"/>
*[[IBM Multistation Keyboards|IBM 5556-P01]] (not clear if some, or all; LED variant without LEDs)<ref name="MouseFan-5556-001" />
*Leading Edge DC-8212<ref name="leading"/>
*Nixdorf 8810 M15 / M20
*Toshiba T1200 (White slider)<ref>Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/photos-f62/toshiba-t1200-minitouch-t4656.html Toshiba T1200]</ref>
*Toshiba T1600 (White slider)<ref>Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23803&p=463314#p463314 <nowiki>https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23803&p=463314#p463314]</nowiki>]</ref>
*Toshiba T5200/100 (White slider)<ref>Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/photos-f62/toshiba-t3100-t5200-t4711.html Toshiba T3100 & T5200]</ref>
*[[Zenith TurbosPORT 386]]

==Keypads==
*Toshiba UE0254P02 (Standard variant)<ref name="MouseFan-UE0254P02" />
*[[Zenith ZA-180-89]] (LED variant)
*Zenith ZA-3034-NP

==Gallery==
===Linear===
<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Alps common mount low profile -- top.jpg|Top
File:Alps common mount low profile -- partially disassembled.jpg|Partially disassembled, with keycap
File:Alps common mount low profile -- slider and return spring.jpg|Slider and return spring
File:Alps common mount low profile -- contact mechanism.jpg|Contact mechanism
File:Toshiba T1200 front.jpg| Toshiba T1200, linear
</gallery>

===Tactile===
<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Acer 6083 Switches 1.JPG|Switch with black slider in an [[Acer 6083]]
File:Acer 6083 switches 4.JPG|Switch with black slider in an [[Acer 6083]]
File:Acer 6083 Switches 3.JPG|Switch with black slider in an [[Acer 6083]]
</gallery>

===LED variant===
<gallery widths="250" heights="187">
File:Alps common mount low profile -- LED -- top.jpg|Top
File:Alps common mount low profile -- LED -- contact mechanism.jpg|Contact mechanism
File:Alps common mount low profile -- LED -- slider and return spring.jpg|[[Return spring]] and slider
File:Alps common mount low profile -- LED -- slider.jpg|Slider
File:Alps common mount low profile -- LED -- upper shell.jpg|Upper shell viewed from below, showing LED recess
</gallery>

==References==
<references>
<ref name="rzw">ちゃたりたいね — [http://kbd.rzw.jp/alps/zenith_za-180-89/ ZENITH ZA-180-89 ALPS導電ゴム枕]</ref>
<ref name="MouseFan-5556-001">MouseFan — [http://mousefan.telcontar.net/image/5962851.htm IBM 5556 P/N5962851]</ref>
<ref name="MouseFan-UE0254P02">MouseFan — [http://mousefan.telcontar.net/image/toshibaten.htm Toshiba UE0254P02]</ref>
<ref name="tactile">Deskthority — [https://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/best-tactile-switch-t16464.html#p369436 Best Tactile Switch?]</ref>
<ref name="dropbox">Dropbox — [https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rde3td77lbk7p7e/AADUfpunOZ8XCxvHMvN2Gb3ga/alps-low-profile?dl=0 alps-low-profile] {{volatile}}</ref>
<ref name="Tyro-SKFNAA">Tyro teQ Inc. — [http://www.tyro-teq.com/ic/product/ALPS/SKFNAA SKFNAA ALPS | 在庫通販] {{volatile}}</ref>
<ref name="leading">Imgur — [https://imgur.com/a/BwYdbPa] Uploaded 2022-04-20.</ref>
<ref name="ibm5535">YouTube — [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ5IY_HVhHk&ab_channel=mcmaxmcmc IBM 5535 Keyboard Module Typing Demo] Uploaded 2021-07-04.</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Alps switches]]
[[Category:Metal contact switches]]
[[Category:Low travel switches]]
[[Category:List of all keyboard switches]]