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| playground:playground [18 Dec 2023 18:37] – tobleh | playground:playground [08 Feb 2024 07:29] (current) – obasim |
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| ====== Keyboard Conversion ====== | ====== Frankenswitch ====== |
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| | Frankenswitch (or Frankenswitching) is a mod where the switch parts are swapped out for a part from different switches. This is often done to improve the feel and sound of the switch but it can also be done for their aesthetic.\\ |
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| | === NK Cream Frankenswitch === |
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| | The NK cream switches are known for their "self-lubricating" properties((https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/96ilic/introducing_the_novelkeys_cream_switch/)) due to the switches being fully comprised of POM. However, due to the nature of POM, the friction between two POM surfaces creates a sensation in the community called "Stick-Slip"((https://w.wiki/942J)) where the slider gets stuck in the housing momentarily before an increase of force is applied to move the switch again. To alleviate this, people tried to use parts of the switch separately in order to not have the same POM material for both the housing and stem.\\ |
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| | == Frankenswitches using the Cream stem == |
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| | Examples of Frankenswitches that use the Cream stem are:\\ "Creampacas" which uses the JWK Alpaca housing with a Cream stem.\\ "Creamsicle" which uses the TKC Tangerine housing with a Cream stem.\\ "Creameron" which uses the Gateron Ink Black housing with a Cream stem. |
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| <WRAP center round info 60%> | <WRAP center round info 60%> |
| Not sure what protocol your keyboard is? Come and ask in the [[https://discord.gg/jDJXD2tq8s|Keyboard Institute Discord.]] | |
| </WRAP> | |
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| | It is worth noting that all of the housing given in the example are advertised to have self-lubricating properties. |
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| (Short explanation about convert, possibly including on difference between adapters and converters)\\ | </WRAP> |
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| ===== Common Protocols ===== | Alternatively, people found out the stem from Kailh Red and Kailh Black are comparable to the NK Cream((https://youtu.be/_FdmAsPWEV4)). However, there is no evidence that the stem uses the same material or not. But it is a cheaper and more widely available way to create the Frankenswitch listed above. This in turn created many variations of the Frankenswitches listed above with Kailh Red and Kailh Black stem instead.\\ |
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| (insert subheadings here for IBM XT, IBM AT and PS/2, older Macintosh protocols, ADB)\\ | == Frankenswitches using the Cream housing == |
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| (maybe quick notes on cheap pre-made commerical converters here, or in the Pre-Made Converters section?)\\ | Examples of Frankenswitches that use the Cream housing are: are:\\ "Paco" ((https://youtu.be/bEQ5-78SLOI?&t=1436)) which uses the Kailhua Halo stem with a Cream housing.\\ "Butter Cream"((https://youtu.be/EVbiN7mK7_0)) which uses the Gateron Yellow stem with a Cream housing.\\ "Macchiato/Krelbos"((https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/av31qq/i_call_them_krelbos_small_review_in_comments/)) which uses the Cherry Silent Red stem with a Cream housing.\\ |
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| ===== Making A Converter ===== | === Cherry MX Housing Frankenswitch === |
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| | Cherry switches have been regarded for their unique sound but with a major flaw of being scratchy. A way people tried to alleviate this is by swapping out the Cherry stem with a stem from another manufacturer. The earliest examples of these switches are the "Bumblebee"((https://youtu.be/7NnoI-Zfhmg)) which uses the Gateron Yellow stem and the "Vintage Burgundy"((https://www.reddit.com/r/CustomKeyboards/comments/8c2usv/burgundy_on_vintage_burgundies)) ((https://youtu.be/Dprpz9yOpeE)) which uses the Kailhua Burgundy stem. However, this practice has faded out for other modding tricks such as the use of break-ins and diamond polishing.\\ |
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| | === Cherry Silent Stem Frankenswitch === |
| | This Frankenswitch tries to solve the same problem as the one listed above, which is the scratchiness of Cherry MX switches. In this case, the Cherry Silent switch is both scratchy and louder to due the Cherry Housing. To alleviate this, people often swap the silent stem of a cherry for different manufacturer housing instead. The most popular Frankenswitch at the time is called the "MX Zilent"((https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/7l68zr/zeal_silents_zilents_review_are_they_worth_it)) which uses a Linear Zeal housing found switches like Tealios with a Cherry Silent stem. This give the switch a smoother and cleaner sound compared to the original. |
| <WRAP center round info 60%> | <WRAP center round info 60%> |
| //Pre-made converters for this protocol are invariably the vendor making something that follows these instructions with varying levels of quality. It's up to you if you want to buy someone's product or make it yourself; however, the end result will often be the same.// | |
| | Zeal Linear housing is exclusively used due to the Zeal tactile switch having a modified leaf spring.((https://imgur.com/a/JEOQNSu)) Although later people switched to using Gateron Aliaz switch housing instead due to it being supposedly made from the same material as Zeal switches at a lower cost. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| | === Cherry Top Housing Frankenswitch === |
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| (notes about making a converter here)\\ | This Frankenswitch tries to keep the smoothness of a modern switch and the sound of a Cherry switch. To achieve this, people utilize only the top housing of Cherry switches. The reason is that people argue that the unique Cherry sound is mostly from the "Top out" sound of the switch. Top out is when the switch is released and hits the top of the housing. Having the top housing of a cherry switch in a Frankenswitch supposedly makes the top out sound more like Cherry's.\\ |
| (Warning about not mixing up the VCC and GND)\\ | |
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| ==== Finding the pinout ==== | One of the most popular examples is the "Black Cherry Pie" switch. Which is a "Creampaca" switch from the NK Cream Stem section but replacing the top housing with Cherry's instead. Other notable switches are "Choreo"((https://youtu.be/CtIOpmzD6Bk)) which is "Creameron" with Cherry top housing and the Holy Panda Frankenswitch, Zyko.\\ |
| (Maybe making another page/guide for finding the right pinout?)\\ | |
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| ==== Example ==== | The practice of replacing the housing comes from the notion that the switch top housing mold and material can change the sound. This can be traced back to Cherry Nixies where people believed that the Milky top housing gave out a deeper sound. Same as the people preferring Gateron Milky Top instead of the normal transparent top due to believing that the sound of the former is deeper.\\ |
| (Maybe also make another page/guide where we make an XT converter as a live example)\\ | |
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| ===== Pre-Made Converters????? ===== | The tradition of replacing switch top housing later resort to use other switches than just Cherry's however. After the popularity of "Black Cherry Pie" people tried many combinations with many different switch top housing including the aforementioned Gateron Milky top housing. Most attempts of this mod are usually to deepen the Top out sound of their respective switch. Notable examples include: "Cthulhu" switch which is a "Creameron" with Gateron Milky Top housing and the Holy Panda Frankenswitch, Byko.\\ |
| (mainly adding this heading here because I don't know if we should mention pre-made converters at the top of the page or at the bottom of the page)\\ | |
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| | === ZealPC Zealios Stem Frakenswitch === |
| | When the ZealPC Zealios switch was first released, the housing of the switch was lackluster due to it being loose causing housing noise. People were putting the Zealios stem inside Cherry housing in order to remove flaws of the original housing, thus creating the "Cherrios" switch. Note that this was when the main manufacturers were Cherry, Gateron, and Kailh, and things such as switch films does not exist as of yet. Later, people started using the Invyr Panda housing instead, creating the "Zanda" switch. The "Zanda" was then preceded by the very own Zealios V2 which have a better housing and a more tactile leaf spring, which was a direct competitor to the Holy Panda Frankenswitch, quote "//All Zealio V2 have reduced wobble that's less than Holy Pandas, while managing to be even more tactile with a bigger, smoother bump as well. Bump starts at the very top of the keypress, no pre-travel.//"((https://zealpc.net/products/zealio?variant=6502846147)) Even after the new housing mold, some people still made "Cherrios" switch with the Zealios V2 stem due to some people preferring the weaker tactility.\\ |
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| | **Firmwares** || | |
| | **IBM set 1 (XT)** | [[https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard|TMK]]\\ [[https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=17458.0|Soarer's Firmware]] | | |
| | **IBM set 2 (AT)** | [[https://github.com/tmk/tmk_keyboard|TMK]]\\ [[https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=17458.0|Soarer's Firmware]] | | |
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