How Does an Optical Keyboard Work?

Optical keyboards have become increasingly popular in recent years. Like all keyboards, they consist of rows of keys. Some of these keys are for letters, whereas others are for numbers or special characters. Optical keyboards aren't the same as scissor-switch keyboards, however. While they both considered mechanical keyboards, only optical keyboards leverage light to detect keypresses.

The Basics of Optical Keyboards

Also known as photo-optical keyboards, optical keyboards are characterized by their use of light to detect keypresses. They've been around for over a half-century. The first optical keyboard, in fact, was invented in the early 1960s by Harley Kelchner. Since then, they've become a popular alternative to scissor-switch keyboards. Optical keyboards are simply computer or device keyboards that use light to detect keypresses.

How Optical Keyboards Work

You might be wondering how optical keyboards work exactly. All keyboards consist of rows of individual keys - and optical keyboards are no exception. Underneath these keys of an optical keyboard, though, are light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photo sensors. The LEDs emit light, whereas the photo sensors detect this light.

While there are different types of optical keyboards, most of them work in the same way. The LEDs emit light across the center of each key. The photo sensors, conversely, detect this light. When you press a key, the light will be obstructed for that key. This allows the photo sensors to detect your keypress so that they can respond with the appropriate command.