Divided by convention
There are two types of conventional keyboards: mechanical keys and capacitive keys. In industrial computer keyboards, there is also a type of keyboard that lightly touches membrane buttons. Mechanical keyboards were the earliest structures to be adopted, generally based on the principle of contact switches, which make the contacts conductive or disconnected. They have the characteristics of simple craftsmanship, easy maintenance, average hand feel, high noise, and easy wear and tear. Most inexpensive mechanical keyboards use copper springs as elastic materials, which are prone to breakage and loss of elasticity. Over time, the failure rate increases, and capacitive keyboards become more common. It is a keyboard based on capacitive switches, which works by changing the distance between electrodes through buttons to generate changes in capacitance, temporarily creating conditions for oscillating pulses to pass through. In theory, this type of switch is contactless and non-contact, with a very low wear rate that can even be ignored, and there is no risk of poor contact. It has low noise, is easy to control the feel, and can produce high-quality keyboards. However, the process is more complex than the mechanical structure. There is also a type of keyboard used for industrial computers that uses light touch film buttons for complete sealing, which is only suitable for special occasions.
Divided by appearance
The appearance of keyboards can be divided into standard keyboards and ergonomic keyboards.
The keyboard interface includes AT interface, PS/2 interface, and the latest USB interface. Desktops often use PS/2 interface, and most motherboards provide PS/2 keyboard interface. Older motherboards often provide AT interfaces, also known as "big ports," which are no longer common. As a new type of interface, some companies have quickly launched keyboards with USB interfaces. USB interfaces are just a selling point and have little effect on performance improvement. Users who are willing to try and are not yet nervous about USB ports can choose them.
