Variable Keyfeel Keyswitch

The Variable Keyfeel Keyswitch (VKF) can change it's keyfeel to suit the user's preferences. Each key on your keyboard contains a keyswitch. It is responsible for detecting the press of the key. Keyfeel refers to how the key feels as it is being pressed. Some keys are hard to press while others bottom-out at the slightest touch. Some keys glide smoothly to the bottom, while others have a tactile bump where the key press is detected.

There are many keyswitches on the market with different keyfeels. If you want a different keyfeel for your keyboard, you must manually replace the keyswitches with different ones, or replace the keyboard. The VKF will have a programmable keyfeel, allowing keyboard enthusiasts more customization then ever before.

A sprinkler solenoid was used to adjust the force of the slider, which is magnetic, and a slide poteniometer was used to measure the position of the slider. An ADC on the microcontroler measured the voltage between the wiper of the poteniometer and ground. Using this infomation, the microcontroller used PWM to control the force the solenoid excerted on the slider.

Prototype can switch between linear and tactile keyfeel