Types of keyboards and their principle of operation. Summary: The keyboard as the main element of the computer. There are also several non-standard types of PC keyboards.

Plan

Introduction

1. Purpose of the keyboard

2. Types of keyboards

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The keyboard is one of the main parts of the computer. It is used to enter alphanumeric data and control the operation of the computer.

There are many different keyboard designs available today. Also keyboards differ in functionality.

Keyboards are an indispensable accessory for your computer. One of the most basic input devices, computer keyboards are used for navigation, process execution, programming, and several other purposes. Several software applications directly deduce their existence from the keyboard. For example, sites social networks, programming languages, navigation through computer menus, etc. use a computer keyboard. Even this article would not have been possible without the keyboard.

Various types of computer keyboards. Regular computer keyboard consists of 110 keys. Among the various types listed below, the keyboard can be based on several types. The artifact of this keyboard is slightly wider and differently compared to a regular keyboard. This keyboard will have some space between the two sets of keys, and the opposite shape of this keyboard allows users to place their hands in a natural position for typing. These keyboards are mainly used by people who often work with keyboards as they are easier to use and less stress on the wrist.

A keyboard is something that, along with a mouse, is in direct contact with the user, and accordingly largely determines whether you feel comfortable or not when working with a computer.

Someone will say that the keyboard is a relic, and that now the mouse is needed much more often than the keyboard. This is true and not. On the one hand, we live in an age of total domination by Windows, but even this operating system, with its graphical interface, cannot completely do without a keyboard. After all, they have not yet come up with another text input device. Of course, many attempts are being made to develop speech recognition systems, but they are not that far from perfect, they are just monstrously far from it. Attempts are also made to recognize handwriting, but these systems are also not perfect. And if you work in a terminal, some DOS program, or just chat, then you definitely cannot do without a keyboard.

In the following illustration: The ergonomic keyboard shows how a set of keys is separated by spaces between them. This keyboard resembles a laptop keyboard and has a square shape. This keyboard consists of fewer keys and does not have a separate numeric keypad.

The multimedia keyboard is specially designed for people who are a lot in multimedia design. This keyboard is similar to a standard keyboard but consists of additional keys for multimedia purposes such as launching multimedia applications, controlling the volume, and a mute button.

The purpose of the abstract is to consider the keyboard as a modern basic element of the computer.

1. Purpose of the keyboard

The IBM PC keyboard is designed to enter information from the user into the computer. Typing on the keyboard is still the main method of entering alphanumeric information from the user into the computer. Each key on the keyboard is a cover for a miniature switch (mechanical or membrane). A small microprocessor contained in the keyboard monitors the state of these switches, and when each key is pressed or released, it sends a message (interrupt) to the computer, and the computer programs ( operating system) process these messages

Internet keyboards are designed for a wider range of multimedia applications, these keyboards are specially designed for the heavy Internet user. Special keys included in this keyboard are home key, back and forward key, launch key Email and the browser launch key, etc. these keys have the same function as buttons on a web page. To use these additional keys, the computer must be built into the desired operating system.

Wireless keyboard, the name itself diminishes the meaning of using this keyboard without resorting to a wired connection to the processor. As the name suggests, gaming keyboards are those who play games and need easy access to keys that are commonly used in games.

Conventionally, four groups of keys can be distinguished on the keyboard:

1. Alphanumeric and sign keys (space, numbers 0-9, Latin letters A-Z, symbol Cyrillic A-Z, punctuation marks, service symbols "+", "-", "/", etc.).

2. Function Keys: F1, F2, F3 .. F12.

3. Service keys: Enter, Esc, Tab, arrow keys Left, Up, Down and Right, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End and many others.

Membrane keyboards are one of the types of keyboards that are very rarely used. The keys built into this keyboard are non-sliding pressure-sensitive keys. The keys on this keyboard are so close together that there is no way to spill liquid on the keyboard. These types of keyboards are also used in mobile phones and old landline phones.

Keyboards turn on slowly in touch screens which are widely used in various phones and tablet computers... In this article, we will talk about different types computer keyboards such as gaming keyboards, laptop keyboards, ergonomic keyboards, thumb keyboards, numeric keyboards other.

4. Right (sub) keyboard.

Functions of some keys in most programs.

(Caps Lock) - usually serves as a switch between upper and lower case of the keyboard.

(Shift) - switches the keyboard to the opposite mode set by the Caps Lock key.

(Alt), (Ctrl) - have no independent meaning, they work in conjunction with other keys.

A regular laptop has the same keyboard type as a regular keyboard, except for the fact that most laptop keyboards condense characters into fewer buttons to accommodate less space. There is also additional keys such as power buttons, volume buttons, play buttons, rewind buttons, mute buttons and others.

According to the shape of the keyboard there are

Lighted keyboards are useful for gaming at night when it's too dark to see the keyboard properly. Ergonomic Computer Keyboards is a computer keyboard designed with ergonomic considerations to minimize muscle strain and myriad associated problems.

(Enter) - signal about completion of input. Select a menu item. Pressing the OK button.

(Esc) - cancel the last entered command.

(Tab) - Move between screen zones or tab stops.

(Home) - move the cursor to the beginning of the line.

(End) - move the cursor to the end of the line.

(PgUp) - move up to the "page".

(PgDn) - move down one "page".

The ergomic keyboard is designed to make typing easier and to reduce stress that can hurt your hands, such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The laser keyboard is a recent gadget for the computing world. This device projects the keyboard onto a flat surface such as a desk or table. Then you can enter text directly on the table. However, this invention still needs improvement and may be disappointing at this time.

Storage computer keyboards are extremely useful for travel. Just roll them up and then unfold them when you need them again. Usually the material is silicone or polyurethane. These devices are designed to fold, not bend, as bending can damage the circuit.

(Ins (Insert)) - switching the insertion and replacement mode when entering information into text editors and editors without data.

(Del (delete)) - deletes the character under which the cursor is located.

(Backspace (<-)} - удаление символа слева от курсора.

(Print Screen) - print a text screen (DOS). Send a graphical screenshot to the clipboard (Windows).

Other types of computer keyboards

Well, the variety of computer keyboards can go on and on. There are so many different types. Another way to separate the types of computer keyboards is the connection method between the keyboard and the computer. There is such a wide variety, and the idea of choosing a particular type can be daunting. Remember that you will be using this computer keyboard many times and that this is an important part of your computer setup.

Give us your opinion on the computer keyboard!

It is a good idea to find a keyboard that is comfortable and suitable for you. What is the best type of keyboard? Uploading your story is easy. Your story will appear on the web page exactly as you enter it here. You can enclose a word in square brackets to make it bold.

(Print Screen) - generates a copy of the screen on the printer.

(Scroll Lock) - smooth scrolling of the screen.

(Pause) - temporarily pauses the running program.

When you press a key, a certain number is transmitted to the computer - the number (code) of the pressed key. This code does not depend on the language or the alphabet, but only on the specific key pressed. The system contains special tables, which indicate which key corresponds to which ASCII code, and sends the required ASCII code to the program that is currently awaiting input from the keyboard, for example, to a text editor. But we would like to somehow tell the system that pressing the key on which the letter "A" is drawn, in some cases should be perceived as a lowercase "a", and in others - as an uppercase "A". In addition, we would like to enter other necessary characters using the same keyboard, because it is stupid to connect several keyboards to one computer just to enter a few additional characters.

Of the two types of keyboards that you are probably interested in, standard and specialized, there are differences in both. With the advent and rise of the use of computers in homes and almost every population of people, there is a computer keyboard that fills almost every need, preference, and constraint. You are the first choice between a standard keyboard and a dedicated keyboard.

Standard keyboard refers to keyboards with standard functions and key configurations. These two configurations are ideal for simple word processing tasks, as well as accessing the Internet, typing emails, or doing basic office work.

The so-called modifier keys - Command, Control, Option (Alt), Shift, Caps Lock, allow using the same keyboard to specify several options for converting the code of the pressed key to the ASCII code of the entered character. To do this, for each script, the system stores several tables of correspondence between the code of the pressed key and the ASCII code of the character entered with its help. When, together with pressing the main keys, we also hold a certain combination of modifier keys, the system automatically switches to the desired table. Since the keyboards of Macintosh computers have five modifier keys, there are 32 possible keystrokes for each script and, therefore, 32 tables of correspondence between key codes and entered ASCII codes.

An example of an ergonomic keyboard. Variations on the standard keyboard are usually related to size and ergonomics. The keyboard is split in the middle and titled here so that wrist users can rest in a more natural position. Specialized keyboards range from those with additional features to those that target specific languages or populations. They are, along with every other key on this keyboard, programmable to perform a specialized gaming function.

There are also keyboards designed for most non-Greek languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Sanskrit. Often, the variations that are often seen on specialized keyboards are usually population specific. It has large, raised letters and a clear contrast between keys and letters.

The keyboard layout is exactly the collection of all 32 tables of correspondence of key codes and characters entered with their help. When we say: “We must switch to the Russian keyboard, this means that we must activate 32“ Russian ”tables of the Cyrillic script.

The Unicode Hex Input keyboard layout is used to enter Unicode characters using a set of numeric code values. To do this, you must additionally hold down the Option key in order to "warn" the system that further one Unicode character will be entered in hexadecimal notation, and not four separate alphanumeric characters. Keyboard layouts are associated with a general writing system, with some "base" alphabet defined by a script. Within the framework of the same script, several keyboard layouts can exist, each of which takes into account the specifics of a particular language, that is, it serves to enter not only characters from the general basic alphabet, but also additional characters specific to a particular language. The keyboard layout is based on the language-specific arrangement of the keys on the keyboard. For example, there are American, French, German, Spanish, and other layouts for the Romanesque script. Similarly, for the Cyrillic script, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian layouts are created.

Keystroke hardness

Mechanical keyboards, or keyboards with full individual switches under each key, have exploded in popularity recently, although the technology inside is as old as the keyboard itself. Choosing the best mechanical keyboard can be tricky, however, as there are dozens of models, different types of switches, and more. Here's how to tell them everything and choose the right one for you.

A brief history of mechanical keyboards

There was a time when almost every computer keyboard used individual mechanical switches under each key. These keyboards were expensive to manufacture, and even as the technology that went into them became cheaper, advances in plastic molding technology made it possible to manufacture keyboards with one "all-in-one" switch instead of separate switches for each key. Combined with cheap, easy-to-print membrane sheets that shortened keystroke distance and used electrical circuitry to detect keystrokes instead of individual sensors, keyboard design shifted away from mechanical components and toward cheap membranes and scissors, like most keyboards available. on the market today.

In "international" systems there are tools that allow you to easily switch between different scripts and keyboard layouts, which will make it possible to enter different character sets using the same keyboard in accordance with national standards and peculiarities.

Now a few words about fonts in the context of typing text from the keyboard and displaying characters.

In response, several companies began to produce mechanical switching keyboards - keyboards that were more affordable but similar to the spring-of-spring feel of the past. Initially aimed at enthusiasts who wanted to feel it, they became popular with gamers, programmers and developers.

Why You Should Consider a Mechanical Keyboard

You probably know someone who already sings the virtues of their mechanical keyboard. There are several reasons to consider a mechanical model, some of which you may have heard. Depending on the type of switches you get, not only do you get special tactile feedback when you press a key and it is registered on the screen, you also never wonder if you actually tapped the key or not. you will experience how a tactile "bump" feels with certain easy-to-enter mechanical keys, you will be more confident in the keys you pressed rather than double-typing to make sure you actually pressed a button Mechanical keyboard sound can enhance haptic feedback, unlike quieter scissors or membrane keyboards where you can't even know if you really pressed the right key. One of the biggest advantages of mechanical keyboards is that they are durable and designed to withstand heavy use. Depending on the model you buy, the keys are rated for tens of millions of keystrokes, far beyond the typical stress on a membrane keyboard. If you are the type of person who wants a good keyboard to stay with you for a long time, or you notice that you are pressing hard on membrane keyboards, mechanical can change the way you work. Plus, since the switches are mechanical, the keys pop out and back on - meaning a lost key or bent scissor switch doesn't mean the keyboard in the dumpster can be cleaned and serviced. Mechanical keyboards are more satisfying This is very subjective, but most people using a mechanical model on a daily basis will tell you that this is just a more satisfying typing experience. Plus, as we mentioned, depending on how you use your computer, this audible and tactile feedback can improve your game or help you minimize typos, especially if you're typing quickly. Modern mechanical keyboards can bring that feeling back, depending on which one you buy. We'll do it soon.

Mechanical keyboards can minimize typing errors.
You need a keyboard that will stand the test of time.

These are not the only reasons, but they are some of the best.

Using the keyboard, we enter the ASCII or Unicode codes of the characters we need, but at the same time we want the images of the characters themselves to appear on the screen or on paper, and the calculated values of their codes. Moreover, we would like to change the style of characters depending on the style of the document or our mood, for example. For these purposes, fonts are used.

In each font, for most of the 256 ASCII codes, a graphical representation is created - an image of a specific character, maintained in a single style of a specific font.

For Unicode fonts, the number of characters can be significantly more than 256, although, probably, pi one font does not contain the entire set of characters included in the full Unicode table.

There are some service symbols that are not intended for display on the screen or printing on paper. There are no corresponding images for such symbols.

You can create fonts in which, instead of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, there will be images of useful graphic objects: arrows, asterisks, icons, or even company logos.
The specific form of describing the curves that make up the fragments of the graphical representation of font characters depends on the type of font. Bit map fonts specify each point in the image, while PostScript, TrueType, and OpenType fonts store mathematical descriptions of the portions of the curves that make up the graphic images of the symbols.

2. Types of keyboards

Today you can find a huge variety of keyboards. Keyboards are membrane, semi-mechanical, mechanical and reed switches.

The principle of operation of a membrane keyboard is that when a key is pressed, two membranes are closed, while the return is carried out using a rubber dome. The main advantage of such a keyboard is its protection against the penetration of foreign substances, such as crumbs or coffee, into the interior, the disadvantage is fragility, the contacts applied to the membrane tend to wear off.

The semi-mechanical keyboard is more durable as it uses non-abrasion metal contacts located on the PCB, although the key is still returned using a rubber dome.

Mechanical keyboards differ from semi-mechanical ones in that instead of a rubber dome, a spring is used to return the key, which significantly extends the life of the keyboard and increases its reliability. The disadvantage of mechanical and semi-mechanical keyboards is that they are not protected from external objects.

Recently, reed switch keyboards have become increasingly common, i.e. keyboards in which reed switches (contacts in a vacuum cylinder that react to a magnetic field) and magnets are installed under the keys. The positive aspects of such keyboards are a rather long service life (reed switches practically do not wear out) and a very soft fit, so that it is easy and pleasant to work with them. The main disadvantage is dependence on external magnetic fields. Many electronic devices can generate magnetic fields that affect the keyboard and cause false key operations. If you have a reed switch keyboard, you can do a simple experiment: put a cell phone next to it, connected to a charger, and observe the behavior of the computer. The keyboard behaves in the most unpredictable way, from false triggering of individual keys to complete "fury". A similar experiment can be carried out with other electromagnetic devices, however, not every device and not in every situation will create such significant interference.

Also keyboards differ in stroke length. Naturally, the larger it is, the longer it will take to press a key. But even a short stroke length is not good, as it can lead to frequent accidental clicks. The main thing here is to try different options and choose something that is most convenient for you. By the way, some keyboards tend to knock loudly when you press the keys. This is called a click. Why is clickable keyboard good? Only by the fact that you will always know for sure whether you pressed a key or not, which should save you from accidental keystrokes.

Another parameter, as mentioned above, is the shape and location of the defining keys. Basically, keyboards differ in the shape and location of the Enter key. It can be straight in the form of a "-" sign or in the form of mirror images of the letters "L" and "G".

"Ergonomic" is a keyboard in which the profile of the alphabetical part of the keyboard is an arc, the field itself is divided into two halves, one for each hand, and endowed with a "rest for the hands". It is, of course, beautiful, but, firstly, this ergonomics with its stand takes up quite a lot of space on the table, and secondly, a person who does not know the method of touch typing has to constantly move his eyes from one half of the field to another, constantly changing the focal point. distance of the lens, which makes the eyes tired.

Many keyboards have additional keys. There are usually three of them: two with the Microsoft "a" icon and one with the image of an arrow choosing something from the list. These are the so-called Windows keys. They are quite convenient when working in the "operating system" of the same name. Combined with other keys, you can quickly perform common operations such as launching the Start menu, launching Explorer, or minimizing all windows, which are not required in other operating systems.

More and more often keyboards with three additional keys began to come across. As a rule, an on / off icon, a month and a sun (or an alarm clock) are drawn on them, respectively. The first button is used to turn off the power of the computer. The second key sends the computer to sleep mode, for example, if you need to move away for a while, which significantly reduces power consumption, and the third key accordingly returns the computer to normal operation and wakes it up.

Rarely, but still there are already keyboards with "Internet keys". These are the keys designed to facilitate navigation on the worldwide computer network Internet. They, as a rule, allow you to connect / disconnect from the network (in the case of DialUp connection), receive / send mail, and by pressing one button go to the specified site.

There are also so-called "multimedia keys". They are used to control the multimedia CD player. They can be used to change the volume, jump from song to song, start / stop playback, open / close the CD-ROM, or turn off the sound.

Quite common are keyboards with the Fn or Turbo button, with which you can change the speed of repeating characters on the keyboard and lock it.

An important parameter when choosing a keyboard is its size. Many manufacturing firms, trying to solve this problem, give various options for its solution. The only acceptable method of shrinking the keyboard size without compromising its usability is to reduce the bezel, and maybe shrink the keys slightly.

You also need to pay attention to some useful little things that make your work more pleasant and convenient. If you own, or intend to master, touch typing, the so-called "hooks", which are usually found on keyboards, on the "F", "J" and gray "5" keys, will be very useful to you. Also, pay attention to the presence of the FCC symbol on the back of the keyboard, which means that the keyboard complies with the FCC standard and has a low radiation level. Also, the metal bottom contributes to the reduction of the radiation level, which, moreover, increases the life of the keyboard. And the last is the color of the Russian layout. If you do not want to constantly get lost and confused, choose the keyboard on which the Russian layout is marked in red.

There are also wireless keyboards. The option is spectacular, although the keyboard (in the context of a desktop computer, and not, say, a web-set-top box) seems to be the device that the wire gets in the least.

There are, of course, all sorts of unusual keyboards such as the following: Flexis FX 100.

The Flexis FX 100 is a keyboard that you can fold up and take with you on your travels. Flexis FX 100 has solid advantages, as the list of its characteristics speaks volumes: sealed, silicone, dust-, dirt-, moisture-proof housing; it is easy to clean with soap and water;
- corresponds to the size of airplane tables; low weight ensures ease of transportation; the absence of moving parts reduces the possibility of breakage; haptic feedback similar to a standard keyboard; simple connection; no batteries required.

Conclusion

So, the keyboard is the main element of the computer, traditionally used to enter text into the computer. There are four groups of keys: alphanumeric and sign, functional, service, auxiliary.

Many keyboards have various additional keys, for example, for navigating the Internet or multimedia keys. The presence of such keys facilitates the user's work.

The choice of keyboards is huge today. Keyboards are membrane, semi-mechanical, mechanical and reed switches. There are also wireless keyboards, silicone keyboards, and many more.

When choosing a keyboard, you need to consider for what purpose it is needed, what design and size is more suitable and some other factors that are important for working on the keyboard.

Bibliography

1. Medvedovsky I. Keyboards. // COMPUTERRA. - 2002. - No. 1.

2. Semyanov P. Choose the keyboard. / Work with computer. - M .: Olma-press, 2000.

Our company has long been specialized in providing services such as setting up computers and. Our experts are well aware of which components are suitable for certain computers, so they will be able to help you in solving any such issues.

Particular attention is often paid to the choice of keyboard. A conventional keyboard has 105 keys, divided into several separate groups:

Functional;
Standard;
Small keyboard;
Control keys.

Of course, on sale you can find such types of keyboards, in which the presence of a larger number of keys is provided.

Popular types of keyboard for a computer

The keyboard is not always as easy to choose as it might seem at first glance. A huge number of forms, types, manufacturing companies can be distinguished.

The most common types:

Mechanical;
Semi-mechanical;
Membrane.

These types of keyboards have similar principles of operation, but differ in the main components that are located inside the devices. is inextricably linked with the selection of a keyboard, which must fully correspond to the tasks for which the PC is being purchased.

Mechanical keyboards

Mechanical keyboards are notable for the fact that they contain keys that are held in a spring-like manner. As soon as the user presses the key, the spring sags, which allows the contacts to close. This becomes a signal for the computer, which displays on the monitor the action associated with this key. After the user releases the key, it will return to its previous position. A small click can be heard when pressing the keys.

The advantage of such a keyboard is a long service life, the disadvantage is that there is no case. The cost of such devices is quite high.

Semi-mechanical keyboards

Semi-mechanical keyboards have metal contacts and a rubberized dome, which allows you to instantly return a pressed key to its previous position. Experts note the high level of durability of such devices.

Membrane keyboards

The most popular type, and this is primarily due to the price. In the production process of membrane keyboards, rubber and plastic raw materials are used. Plastic is needed for the housing, and rubber is needed to form the dome located under each key. This type of keyboard is well protected. The keys are easy to press, quickly return to their original position.

The main disadvantage of this type of keyboards is the likelihood that the contacts will close repeatedly. This becomes the reason that on the monitor the user will see several similar symbols or will perform several of the same type of actions in a row. In addition, due to the slight contamination of the keyboard, the contacts will sometimes not close at all, so this must be carefully monitored. The operation of such a keyboard is quiet and comfortable. Among the very best examples of membrane keyboards can be distinguished.

Characteristics of some types of keyboards

Connection interface

Today, wireless and wired connection types are common. Wired keyboards can be connected through two types of connectors: USB and PS / 2. When connecting via USB, it should be noted that this port is also used for the operation of other peripheral devices, which often leads to errors in the operation of the system. The PS / 2 port is only designed for keyboard operation, so the connection is stable and there are no errors. Typically, this port has a distinct purple color.

Wireless keyboard connections are not as common as wired connections. Of course, this is very convenient, but the stability of modern devices of this type leaves much to be desired (of course, we are talking only about inexpensive models).

Keystroke hardness

Each keyboard has a different level of key pressure. In cases where the level of rigidity is high enough, this causes certain difficulties when typing, so you need to put in some effort for this. At the same time, the overly soft keyboard is inconvenient in that an accidental touch will lead to a key press.

If you need to type text and do it quickly enough, it is recommended to opt for a keyboard with a short key travel.

Compactness of keyboards

The small size of the keyboard is a very convenient solution, but due to the reduction in size, manufacturers often refuse to embed many important keys, which, of course, makes it difficult to work on a computer. In this case, many will depend on the user's requirements for the performance of the keyboard.

Keyboard layout

For those who use the Russian-language keyboard, there are two types of layouts:

The Y key is located in the upper left corner.
The key with the letter E is located in the lower right corner.

There are no other differences between these layouts.

Of course, keyboards with the first type of layout are more common, while devices with the second type are used in organizations where keyboards have become a replacement for traditional typewriters. When choosing a keyboard, take into account that the letters on the keys are red and located in the lower right corner. In such cases, the user will not have the path of the Latin alphabet with the Cyrillic alphabet.

When choosing a keyboard, you need to pay attention to the following factors: type, stiffness, level of key travel, connector, layout, manufacturer. Also, the design and appearance of the device play an important role.

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