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both cases. This collapse allows the solid rubber center to move downwards, forcing the top membrane layer against the bottom layer, and completing the circuit. The "sudden collapse" of the chiclet keyboard (along with the movement of the key) provides a greater tactile feedback to the user than a simple flat membrane keyboard.
233:
is open. However, when pushed down, conductive material on the underside of the top layer bridges the gap between those traces; the switch is closed, current can flow, and a keypress is registered. All such keyboards are characterized by having each key surrounded (and held in place) by a perforated
62:, using the same principle of a single rubber sheet with individual electrical switches underneath each key, but with the addition of an additional upper layer which provides superior tactile feedback through a buckling mechanism. The term "chiclet keyboard" is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to
251:
Other versions of the chiclet keyboard omit the upper membrane and hole/spacer layers; instead the underside of the rubber keys themselves have a conductive coating. When the key is pushed, the conductive underside makes contact with the traces on the bottom layer, and bridges the gap between them,
244:
keys above this. With some key designs, the user pushes the key, and under sufficient pressure the thin sides of the rubber key suddenly collapse. In other designs — such as that seen in the diagram — the deliberate weak point is where the key joins the rest of the sheet. The effect is similar in
212:
Stylised cross-section of a "rubber" Chiclet keyboard. Under the left key is air space (light grey), just below the upper red conductive layer. The thickness of the bottom three layers is exaggerated for clarity; in real-life they are not much thicker than paper. Note the distortion of the thin
213:
rubber where the right-hand key (pressed) joins the sheet. Some designs omit the top membrane (green) and hole (black) layers, instead coating the undersides of the keys themselves with conductive material (red).
263:
keytops rest on top of these. Because the keytops are wider than the rubber domes, the keytops are not separated but align almost perfectly with only a minimal gap in between each other.
252:
thus completing the circuit. Grooves between hollow domes on the blue underside permit air to flow out of a dome when a key is pressed, and let air come back in when released.
128:
executive, whose company had previously released a computer with a similarly unpopular keyboard, asked "How could IBM have made that mistake with the PCjr?"
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used with a large proportion of modern PCs are technically similar to chiclet keyboards. The rubber keys are replaced with rubber domes, and hard
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Unlike the membrane keyboard, where the user presses directly onto the top membrane layer, this form of chiclet keyboard places a set of
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221:. In both cases, a keypress is registered when the top layer is forced through a hole to touch the bottom layer. For every key, the
17:
248:
Most often the tops of the keys were hard, but sometimes they were made of the same material as the rubber dome itself.
275:
with simplified, flat keycaps separated by a bezel. The first laptop to feature this style of chiclet keyboard was the
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69:
Since the mid-1980s, chiclet keyboards have been mainly restricted to lower-end electronics, such as small handheld
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with keys that form an array of small, flat rectangular or lozenge-shaped rubber or plastic keys that look like
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256:
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503:
124:'s chiclet keyboard was reportedly compared to "massaging fruit cake". Its quality was such that an amazed
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computers are "rubber dome keys" which were sometimes described as "dead flesh", while the feel of the
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manufactured in the shape of small squares with rounded corners. It is an evolution of the
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323:(the original 1977 PET) has the square keys of a calculator or cash register.
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traces on the bottom layer are normally separated by a non-conductive gap.
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The term "chiclet" has also been used to describe low-profile, low-travel
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wrote that it was "associated with $ 99 el cheapo computers". The keys on
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Chiclet keyboards operate under essentially the same mechanism as in the
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383:(hard key tops glued on a rubber sheet, somewhat resembling the PCjr)
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popularized the chiclet keyboard in laptops with the release of the
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335:(has a rubber keyboard, on top of which plastic keycaps were glued)
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51:
504:
The TRS-80 MC-10: too little, too late for too much? (evaluation)
460:
260:
632:"FROM HOME TO BUSINESS: THE ECLECTIC RADIO SHACK COMPUTER LINE"
409:
394:
380:
355:
241:
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47:
288:
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This style of keyboard has been met with a poor reception.
719:"What the Vaio Z says about Sony's little design problem"
456:
540:
Vol. 10, No. 3. March 1984. p. 93. (atarimagazines.com).
377:(green rubber keys molded from a single sheet of rubber)
317:(arguably a mix between a membrane and chiclet keyboard)
428:(French microcomputer based on the 6809 microprocessor)
34:
A white standard wired chiclet keyboard (flat keyboard)
452:
16/48K (later models have slightly improved keyboards)
311:(its keys resemble those of an HP pocket calculator)
27:
Type of keyboard using flat keys separated by bezels
776:History of Home and Game Computers. Erik Klooster.
784:
549:
299:All of the computers listed are from the early
599:
593:
279:in 1997 (rebranded as the OmniBook Sojourn by
543:
234:plate, so there is a space between the keys.
109:were all described as having "chiclet keys".
346:(Sinclair spectrum style black rubber keys)
170:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
81:, though the name is also used to refer to
446:(also known as the Video Technology VZ200)
402:(later 'CoCo's have full-travel keyboards)
624:
371:(the latter an early Apple II compatible)
190:Learn how and when to remove this message
660:
329:(version of the C16 sold only in Europe)
207:
29:
527:"The Timex-Sinclair 2068. (evaluation)"
85:with superficially similar appearance.
14:
785:
683:
663:"MacBook Air rivals, past and present"
168:adding citations to reliable sources
135:
97:of the late 1970s to mid-1980s. The
661:Crothers, Brooke (March 16, 2008).
422:, which has a full-travel keyboard)
24:
725:from the original on June 21, 2020
25:
814:
744:"Chicklet Keyboard frm IBM PC Jr"
517:Vol. 9, No. 10. October 1983. 39
140:
756:
737:
711:
700:from the original on 2023-03-09
642:from the original on 2023-03-09
612:from the original on 2023-03-09
562:from the original on 2023-03-09
358:(Brazil ZX Spectrum derivation)
294:
93:The term first appeared during
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669:. Red Ventures. Archived from
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638:. 1984-08-20. pp. 47–52.
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550:Dvorak, John C. (1983-11-28).
520:
497:
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229:cannot flow between them; the
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1:
600:Sandler, Corey (1984-02-21).
468:
440:(U.S. ZX Spectrum derivation)
590:. ComputerMuseum.50megs.com.
418:TI-99/4 (predecessor of the
7:
753:. DigiBarn Computer Museum.
459:computers, for example the
303:era, except the OLPC XO-1.
10:
819:
686:"Pedion Proves Thin Is In"
201:
88:
707:– via Google Books.
602:"A Secret Inside The ROM"
266:
131:
763:"Philips VG 8000 / 8010"
365:Microprofessor I (MPF 1)
803:Computer keyboard types
400:TRS-80 Color Computer I
581:"Sinclair ZX Spectrum"
434:(U.S. ZX81 derivation)
214:
64:island-style keyboards
35:
721:. November 15, 2011.
696:(3). CMP Media: 128.
673:on November 17, 2021.
536:. Owen W. Linzmayer,
513:. Owen W. Linzmayer,
455:Some early models of
257:dome switch keyboards
211:
99:TRS-80 Color Computer
95:the home computer era
33:
18:Island-style keyboard
684:Forbes, Jim (1998).
164:improve this section
438:Timex Sinclair 2068
432:Timex Sinclair 1500
356:Microdigital TK 90X
204:Keyboard technology
107:Timex Sinclair 2068
798:Computer keyboards
768:2019-06-19 at the
749:2010-12-30 at the
586:2006-05-11 at the
538:Creative Computing
532:2011-06-22 at the
515:Creative Computing
509:2013-06-17 at the
352:(blue rubber keys)
321:Commodore PET 2001
227:Electrical current
215:
36:
483:"Coco Chronicles"
412:counterpart, the
277:Mitsubishi Pedion
273:scissor keyboards
219:membrane keyboard
200:
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83:scissor keyboards
60:membrane keyboard
44:computer keyboard
16:(Redirected from
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774:oldcomputers.com
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489:. Archived from
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387:Panasonic JR-200
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40:chiclet keyboard
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770:Wayback Machine
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534:Wayback Machine
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511:Wayback Machine
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444:VTech Laser 200
350:Mattel Aquarius
309:Atari Portfolio
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281:Hewlett-Packard
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79:remote controls
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793:Home computers
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552:"Inside Track"
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493:on 2000-12-02.
487:www.cs.unc.edu
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54:", a brand of
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327:Commodore 116
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315:Cambridge Z88
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727:. Retrieved
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671:the original
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644:. Retrieved
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614:. Retrieved
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564:. Retrieved
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491:the original
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406:TRS-80 MC-10
392:Spectravideo
298:
295:Notable uses
270:
254:
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236:
216:
186:
180:January 2023
177:
162:Please help
150:
111:
103:TRS-80 MC-10
92:
68:
63:
39:
37:
606:PC Magazine
450:ZX Spectrum
426:Thomson MO5
414:Matra Alice
344:Jupiter ACE
118:ZX Spectrum
114:John Dvorak
71:calculators
56:chewing gum
787:Categories
704:2021-11-17
616:24 October
469:References
223:conductive
202:See also:
636:InfoWorld
556:InfoWorld
375:OLPC XO-1
362:Multitech
151:does not
77:and many
766:Archived
747:Archived
723:Archived
698:Archived
640:Archived
610:Archived
584:Archived
566:23 March
560:Archived
530:Archived
507:Archived
420:TI-99/4A
408:and its
339:IBM PCjr
122:IBM PCjr
73:, cheap
52:Chiclets
729:May 31,
646:May 26,
463:VG-8010
461:Philips
261:plastic
239:moulded
172:removed
157:sources
89:History
48:erasers
410:French
395:SV-318
381:Oric-1
369:MPF II
267:Legacy
242:rubber
231:switch
132:Design
105:, and
126:Tandy
42:is a
731:2020
667:CNET
648:2011
618:2013
568:2016
367:and
289:Vaio
285:Sony
255:The
155:any
153:cite
75:PDAs
50:or "
457:MSX
283:).
166:by
789::
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688:.
665:.
634:.
604:.
554:.
485:.
101:,
66:.
38:A
733:.
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650:.
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193:)
187:(
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178:(
174:.
160:.
20:)
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