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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.
222:
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
51:, 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
240:
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,
233:
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
201:
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
202:
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).
252:
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.
241:
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.
117:
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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210:. 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
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Most often the tops of the keys were hard, but sometimes they were made of the same material as the rubber dome itself.
264:
with simplified, flat keycaps separated by a bezel. The first laptop to feature this style of chiclet keyboard was the
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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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113:'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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312:(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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372:(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
324:(has a rubber keyboard, on top of which plastic keycaps were glued)
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18:
493:
The TRS-80 MC-10: too little, too late for too much? (evaluation)
277:
273:
621:"FROM HOME TO BUSINESS: THE ECLECTIC RADIO SHACK COMPUTER LINE"
445:
124:
101:
This style of keyboard has been met with a poor reception.
708:"What the Vaio Z says about Sony's little design problem"
529:
Vol. 10, No. 3. March 1984. p. 93. (atarimagazines.com).
366:(green rubber keys molded from a single sheet of rubber)
306:(arguably a mix between a membrane and chiclet keyboard)
417:(French microcomputer based on the 6809 microprocessor)
23:
A white standard wired chiclet keyboard (flat keyboard)
441:
16/48K (later models have slightly improved keyboards)
300:(its keys resemble those of an HP pocket calculator)
16:
Type of keyboard using flat keys separated by bezels
765:History of Home and Game Computers. Erik Klooster.
288:All of the computers listed are from the early
268:in 1997 (rebranded as the OmniBook Sojourn by
223:plate, so there is a space between the keys.
98:were all described as having "chiclet keys".
8:
335:(Sinclair spectrum style black rubber keys)
159:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
70:, though the name is also used to refer to
435:(also known as the Video Technology VZ200)
391:(later 'CoCo's have full-travel keyboards)
360:(the latter an early Apple II compatible)
179:Learn how and when to remove this message
318:(version of the C16 sold only in Europe)
516:"The Timex-Sinclair 2068. (evaluation)"
463:
74:with superficially similar appearance.
652:"MacBook Air rivals, past and present"
7:
157:adding citations to reliable sources
86:of the late 1970s to mid-1980s. The
650:Crothers, Brooke (March 16, 2008).
411:, which has a full-travel keyboard)
714:from the original on June 21, 2020
14:
733:"Chicklet Keyboard frm IBM PC Jr"
506:Vol. 9, No. 10. October 1983. 39
129:
689:from the original on 2023-03-09
631:from the original on 2023-03-09
601:from the original on 2023-03-09
551:from the original on 2023-03-09
347:(Brazil ZX Spectrum derivation)
82:The term first appeared during
658:. Red Ventures. Archived from
627:. 1984-08-20. pp. 47–52.
539:Dvorak, John C. (1983-11-28).
218:cannot flow between them; the
1:
589:Sandler, Corey (1984-02-21).
429:(U.S. ZX Spectrum derivation)
579:. ComputerMuseum.50megs.com.
407:TI-99/4 (predecessor of the
742:. DigiBarn Computer Museum.
448:computers, for example the
292:era, except the OLPC XO-1.
808:
675:"Pedion Proves Thin Is In"
190:
696:– via Google Books.
591:"A Secret Inside The ROM"
752:"Philips VG 8000 / 8010"
354:Microprofessor I (MPF 1)
792:Computer keyboard types
389:TRS-80 Color Computer I
570:"Sinclair ZX Spectrum"
423:(U.S. ZX81 derivation)
203:
53:island-style keyboards
24:
710:. November 15, 2011.
685:(3). CMP Media: 128.
662:on November 17, 2021.
525:. Owen W. Linzmayer,
502:. Owen W. Linzmayer,
444:Some early models of
246:dome switch keyboards
200:
88:TRS-80 Color Computer
84:the home computer era
22:
673:Forbes, Jim (1998).
153:improve this section
427:Timex Sinclair 2068
421:Timex Sinclair 1500
345:Microdigital TK 90X
193:Keyboard technology
96:Timex Sinclair 2068
787:Computer keyboards
757:2019-06-19 at the
738:2010-12-30 at the
575:2006-05-11 at the
527:Creative Computing
521:2011-06-22 at the
504:Creative Computing
498:2013-06-17 at the
341:(blue rubber keys)
310:Commodore PET 2001
216:Electrical current
204:
25:
472:"Coco Chronicles"
401:counterpart, the
266:Mitsubishi Pedion
262:scissor keyboards
208:membrane keyboard
189:
188:
181:
72:scissor keyboards
49:membrane keyboard
33:computer keyboard
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478:. Archived from
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29:chiclet keyboard
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577:Wayback Machine
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523:Wayback Machine
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500:Wayback Machine
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433:VTech Laser 200
339:Mattel Aquarius
298:Atari Portfolio
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270:Hewlett-Packard
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68:remote controls
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782:Home computers
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541:"Inside Track"
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482:on 2000-12-02.
476:www.cs.unc.edu
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43:", a brand of
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316:Commodore 116
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304:Cambridge Z88
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716:. Retrieved
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691:. Retrieved
682:
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660:the original
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645:
633:. Retrieved
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603:. Retrieved
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553:. Retrieved
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511:
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488:
480:the original
475:
466:
395:TRS-80 MC-10
381:Spectravideo
287:
284:Notable uses
259:
243:
239:
236:
225:
205:
175:
169:January 2023
166:
151:Please help
139:
100:
92:TRS-80 MC-10
81:
57:
52:
28:
26:
595:PC Magazine
439:ZX Spectrum
415:Thomson MO5
403:Matra Alice
333:Jupiter ACE
107:ZX Spectrum
103:John Dvorak
60:calculators
45:chewing gum
776:Categories
693:2021-11-17
605:24 October
458:References
212:conductive
191:See also:
625:InfoWorld
545:InfoWorld
364:OLPC XO-1
351:Multitech
140:does not
66:and many
755:Archived
736:Archived
712:Archived
687:Archived
629:Archived
599:Archived
573:Archived
555:23 March
549:Archived
519:Archived
496:Archived
409:TI-99/4A
397:and its
328:IBM PCjr
111:IBM PCjr
62:, cheap
41:Chiclets
718:May 31,
635:May 26,
452:VG-8010
450:Philips
250:plastic
228:moulded
161:removed
146:sources
78:History
37:erasers
399:French
384:SV-318
370:Oric-1
358:MPF II
256:Legacy
231:rubber
220:switch
121:Design
94:, and
115:Tandy
31:is a
720:2020
656:CNET
637:2011
607:2013
557:2016
356:and
278:Vaio
274:Sony
244:The
144:any
142:cite
64:PDAs
39:or "
446:MSX
272:).
155:by
778::
761:.
681:.
677:.
654:.
623:.
593:.
543:.
474:.
90:,
55:.
27:A
722:.
683:9
639:.
609:.
559:.
182:)
176:(
171:)
167:(
163:.
149:.
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