What is the keyboard and its types

The generalized meaning of the word "keyboard" is a set of levers arranged in a certain order, used either to control the device or mechanism, or to enter data. To date, there are two main types of keyboards - alphanumeric and musical.

About what the keyboard of a musical instrument is, everyone has an idea. This is a set of levers, clicking on which causes the sound of a certain key. The duration of the sound depends on the duration of the press. Pressing these levers at a certain tempo and order creates a melody.

But also the meaning of this word is associated with various input devices . By type of input, they are divided into digital and alphanumeric. The most common and simple kind of digital keypad is the dialer on the phone. What is the phone's keypad everyone knows. This is a collection of buttons that contains numbers from 0 to 9 and several additional keys that expand the functionality of the device. In the initial version, these were the end and redial buttons. Similar keyboards can be seen also on modern intercoms and code locks, but the value of additional buttons is different there.

The alphanumeric keypads are more complicated in performance. In addition to the numeric buttons, they contain keys that display letters, as well as a set that has special functions. An example of such a device we see in front of us - it's a familiar computer keyboard. The arrangement of the levers responsible for letters is the same as on a typewriter. There are also numeric keys on top, but there is also a separate digital block, which is convenient for fast entering numbers. There are also function keys, navigation buttons and controls.

Speed dialing on the keyboard is possible due to the standard arrangement of the components. The shape or angle of inclination can vary slightly in different models, but the arrangement of letters and numbers is always the same.

Keyboard Types

Keyboards on the principle of performance and work are divided into mechanical and film. Mechanical - the most common. They are characterized by the presence of a board and metal contacts. What is a film keyboard? These are three interconnected films with a dielectric between them, on which the contours of the buttons are applied. The latest generation of keyboards can be disassembled and washed.

In the struggle for consumers, manufacturers produce a wide variety of types of this device. For gamers, special keyboards have been developed that provide additional features during the game. For those who often use the Internet, there are devices that display the process of surfing the network. There are ergonomic models, the panel of which is bent at an angle, and the alphabetic keys are divided into two zones - the right and left hands. There are models with a variety of backlighting, a key to turn off the computer and a number of other functions, but most importantly when choosing a keyboard - its convenience: with the wrong position of the hands can develop various diseases. The appearance of the keyboard, of course, is important, but convenience and health is much more important.

We hope you realized what a keyboard is, and what it is.