Teardown - Omron B2H triple-magnet clicky Hall effect switches

Today we're looking at one of the most interesting switches I've encountered so far; a clicky Hall effect switch with counter-moving magnets. Hope you enjoy the video! :)
Intro by Kyle Carter
Outro by Facundo Cabanne
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
My tutorials and featurettes: bit.ly/2OrkLUh
My unboxing videos: bit.ly/2TSrr0m
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22

[@880User088]

"It's far too innovative to be a modern switch" LOL

[@Turbo_TechnoLogic]

welcome to the future

[@ugyuu]

It's almost like flicking a lightswitch with each keypress. Noiiice.

[@Thine_Reaper]

Thats super cool, would be interesting to hear a full board of them

[@anasevi9456]

Given Alps back in the 1990s had printers, consumer printers that could literally print in gold foil.. It is safe to say they were a hive of engineers criminally overlooked by the market.

[@spxctreofficial]

DAMN they sound pretty NOICE

[@gyozakeynsianism]

That magnet clicker really is a cool idea.

[@Mixail747]

Ah, yes, the 70s, when engineers, not penny counters, where actually in charge of production.

[@rafflesmaos]

Ah yes, I actually have these hall effect switches (based on a set of anti-parallel countermoving secondary magnets as you mentioned) controlling the hydrocoptic marzelvanes on my retroencabulator.

[@ronnetgrazer362]

No surprise there.

[@aygwm]

The side fumbling is what gets you, it’s a real problem.

[@NautsuJJR]

just a warning to the people who wouldnt normally get this, a retroencabulator is a made up joke machine created specifically to sound confusing and isnt actually operated source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboencabulator

[@ronnetgrazer362]

@@NautsuJJR Always explain all jokes, so that nobody gets confused. It's the right thing to do.

[@ronnetgrazer362]

Can you spot the sarcasm?

[@KabutoRyu]

NOICE a new intro (upgraded switch and keycaps)

[@KayvonJavid]

He has had this switch teardown intro for awhile now.

[@MikeStavola]

I ran into a few of these at my work a while back. It was a custom made keypad embedded in a piece of old test equipment. I was looking for enough to build a keyboard for a while, but never found more than a few for sale at a time.

[@chickenchuggets6395]

where doe??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[@keyboardhaver8365]

Do you have any more info? anything about the test equipment, where you saw any for sale

[@MagnusWendt]

I actually had an idea for a switch using magnets for tactility, but not clickyness. Pressing two repelling magnets embedded in the stem and the side housing towards each other would build up the tactile bump, and as they pass parallell the direction of repulsion would reverse and you would punch through. This would be coupled with a standard linear spring and a optical sensor.

[@ronnetgrazer362]

Somehow the same few magnets should be responsible for the suspension, the tactile feedback, auditory feedback, and actuation via hall effect sensor. Just a few more years of meditation on this subject and I'll start actually building prototypes. Also sexy: a magnetic coil to provide software-defined feedback envelopes. USB3 power delivery seems helpful for that. Actuation point should be configurable as well, but that's just common sense.

[@kuffo09]

It's a beautiful switch and no wonder that it never took off. Far too complex for commercialization, and at the same time very ambitious. The innovation of this switch represents a time where technology was in a boom of great ideas and beyond the box thinkers. I hope that one day it can be remade or retooled to fix redundancy issues. Eliminating some of it's complexities will take the life away from the original concept, but may be able to grant it a second opportunity for commercial use and recognition.

[@sEaNoYeAh]

This is genius, and has every factor I'd find desirable in a clicky switch. Hopefully someone does take this idea and runs with it.

[@wkgmathguy218]

That's very interesting. I got some APT Hall effect keyboards, but the switchs were not as smooth as one might hope. The I got a Steelseries apex pro, that is the real deal. It'd be great if one could find an entire board of these Omrons and make some comparisons. As always Tom, a pleasure to hear from you!

[@squirlmy]

I sometimes see USSR "Hall effect keyboards" for sale from Russia and Ukraine. I guess because the military, including scientific weapons research, were the main users of computers, they didn't bother with mass-produced crap. Even some of the ZX Spectrum clones they made had such keyboards, while the originals had only horrid "dead flesh" keys.

[@felenov]

The magnet clicker is a great idea. I would put some effort into recreating it in a cherry style design

[@macboards9778]

I pray to the modern manufacturers to pick up this idea.

[@pious.techpriest]

That is officially my favorite switch.

[@jingarjay8754]

Such a cool clicking mechanism!

[@callmetopaz]

I would love to try these. They seem really interesting.

[@McOuroborosBurger]

You should look into the EVGA Z15 and Z20 The Z20 is an RGB optical keyboard with LK light strike switches in it, and the Z15 is a hot swappable RGB keyboard that comes with kailh speed silver or bronze by default. It would be interesting to see your take on them. The only reviews i've come across for these were from hypetuber types

[@ash36230]

Hope you manage to get a keyboard using these for a review on the typing in practice

[@cthulpiss]

Now... add another two magnets to replace spring! ;-)

[@faranocks]

Interesting, I wonder if you could modify a gateron optical switch thing to work with this. That would make it quite easy to implement, as you wouldn't have to worry about any electrical components within the switch itself, just getting the plunger right. Edit: at least as a PoC

[@khoinguyenphamtrong4637]

@chyrosran22 idk but can you explain to me what's the point of dampening a clicky switch? I mean the clack can sometimes be really noisy but dampening makes the clicky noise become quite uncomfortable like the i-rocks clicky switch you reviewed

[@Ralesk]

This is way too beautiful

[@DarkestFaux]

Next time you feel like reviewing a modern switch, you should do a review of the TKC Kiwi tactile switches or a keyboard using them. Once the lube wears off a little bit they get a beautiful clicky-clack noise to them. Goes really well with my board's thick-ass SA keycaps and has a retro feel to it. Normally I am a hardcore fan of stuff like Kailh BOX switches, but those got me interested in branching out a little bit.

[@an2qzavok]

Use clicking magnet to close a circuit and you'll get a buckling magnet switch, essentially.

[@lucidmoses]

3:53 Could that plate be used to mess with the magnetic fields of the magnet on the next switch?

[@StripeyType]

you're close, but I suspect that instead that plate is intended to shape the field of the relatively-weak-by-modern-standards ferrite magnet so that the Hall effect sensor is better able to detect it.

[@andybullis1140]

Now I want Silo triple-magnet switches.

Segue? Is he talking about the Zeal's new clicky switch with MX mount and ALPS style click leaf?

[@Riskable3DPrinting]

😁

[@0xss]

Whoa what an interesting switch!

[@KangoV]

Just need to make the electrical contact when the magnets touch. That would be perfect. How about a small sound sensor that detects the click?

[@NautsuJJR]

this sound for me beats the venerable click of blue alps (although some other switches do too since my preference for sound is a bit different)

[@Chyrosran22]

Outside of a chassis, let alone without a keycap, you can't really tell what a switch will sound like when actually used. But I agree, it seems promising!

[@yeahok9165]

This is straight out of a sci-fi movie

[@VishnuZutaten]

The only good thing about Cherry MX type is one can make Simple and cheap Hall Effect swtches based on their housing.

[@swandonovan]

Was this ever used in a keyboard? Doubting it

[@BrianMcKee]

How does the tactile feel compare to the AT&T magnetic separation switches?

[@Chyrosran22]

It's not as tactile, it's more subtle. But the tactile force in these is greater than I would've guessed from just some magnet repulsion!

[@thumbwarriordx]

I put a click leaf from a filthy alps switch into a Matias gray dampened switch and I'm willing to get on board the dampened clicky train. If only Novelkeys would leave the click tab on their non-clicky switches when the housing supports the damn click bar...

[@Dinjoralo.]

So, a friction-less click mechanism? That's kind of insane.

[@Chyrosran22]

Yeah, it's awesome, right? :D

[@karellen00]

What was the diode used for? It doesn't seem necessary as the input is registered by the hall effect sensor.

[@Chyrosran22]

I suspect they'd use it as an NKRO-capable jumper.

[@RBLevin]

Wonder what board they were in.

[@Dvovsky]

What keyboard/s is/are these in?

[@excitableboy7031]

Typically old government or military computers from like the 70s. You know, places where the reliability mattered

[@Dvovsky]

@@excitableboy7031 thanks

[@hax0rz36]

Does it have inherent NKRO because of that diode?

[@maxphangss]

i'm guessing the fourth pin on the hall effect sensor is for sensing redundancy...

[@Chyrosran22]

Yes, it's pretty standard.

[@0LoneTech]

Hall elements normally have four connections (current supply and differential cross voltage). It's common for integrated amplifier sensors to have only three pins though.

[@TheTimLara]

What the world needs is some Elon Musk/Mark Cuban type to get obsessed with keyboards as a hobby so we can get all these nice vintage designs remade with no regard for profitability. If I win lotto I will get it done.

[@vyrva5690]

epic

[@mreggman4682]

cool

[@theallknowingsause8940]

Plorp

[@travdump209]

Why the fuck would you need three goddamn magnets?

[@iComment87]

That's pretty sweet. Would love to try 'em out in an actual board.

[@excitableboy7031]

Good luck, these go for thousamds of dollars if they're in good condition, and old hall effects do not appreciate dust

[@goal2004]

When you've been leaning so hard onto your pronunciation of "hideous" you start calling it "Haitch" instead of "Aitch".

[@Chyrosran22]

I used to say "aitch" which is correct, but since I lived in the UK I can't anymore. I haven't met a single person there who said "aitch". I've been crippled for life xD .

[@gyozakeynsianism]

"Haitch" is wrong, wrong, wrong.

[@Chyrosran22]

@@gyozakeynsianism "Aitch" is one of the very few things about the English language that Americans generally do more correctly than Brits, but it's definitely true xD .

[@gyozakeynsianism]

@@Chyrosran22 Come on, man! Malarkey!

[@Chyrosran22]

@@gyozakeynsianism I think you may have misread my response, or I worded it badly xD .

[@qr-phyzz5453]

Fortnite?

[@qr-phyzz5453]

@SPENCER KIDD fair, I just commented because the video was posted like 50 minutes before