What are hot-swappable switches?
What is a hot swappable keyboard exactly? It’s a type of keyboard that’s designed with removeable switches. All keyboards have switches. For each key on a keyboard, there’s typically a corresponding a switch. If a keyboard has 104 keys, it will likely have 104 switches. Each of these switches is responsible for controlling a circuit. When you press a key, the switch will close, in which case your computer will register the key press. Hot swappable keyboards are simply keyboards with removeable switches.
While all hot swappable keyboards are designed with removeable switches, some of them use different technologies than others. Some of the most common technologies for hot swappable keyboards include the following:
- Hall effect
- Laser projection
- Buckling spring
- Optical
- Capacitive
Benefits of Using a Hot Swappable Keyboard
The main benefit of using a hot swappable keyboard is customization. You’ll have to freedom to remove some of the existing keys while replacing them with new keys. Traditional keyboards, on the other hand, are more difficult to customize. They generally feature static keys that you can’t remove. As a result, you can’t easily customize a hot swappable keyboard.
Hot swappable keyboards are easier to clean as well. Keyboards are often a haven for dust and debris. Over time, dust and debris will make its way into your keyboard where it accumulates underneath the individual keys. Hot swappable keyboards aren’t immune to dust and debris. Fortunately, though, they are easy to clean. You can remove the individual keys by pulling them up and out, after which you blast some pressured air into your keyboard.
