What are these switches?

[fr1tz]

Definitely Cherry brand, I don't think they're MX switches - the stems seem too tall. They do not click. (please forgive poor quality photos!)

Spoiler:

[chzel]

Black stem M9?
http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_M9

[fr1tz]

Black stem M9?
http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_M9

These look similar. Aside from the difference in color, the base of the switches in my photos have the Cherry logo on them, whereas the M9 switches do not. Would this mean they are a completely different switch? Or could it simply be a variant?

[fr1tz]

Just as an aside, whilst taking a closer look underneath the PCB just now, a spider crawled out from between the PCB and the plate. Looked like this:



Does this help in identifying the switch?

EDIT: Update: I believe these switches look closer to http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_M7#Second_generation, except with out the funny angled stem - the switches in my photos are all completely straight (perpendicular to the plate)

[Hypersphere]

If the spider was indeed a brown recluse (with a guitar-shaped marking on its cephalothorax), watch out! These spiders inflict a terrible bite, injecting a necrotizing venom that eats away at the flesh, leaving a disfiguring crater after a slow-healing process.

This doesn't, however, help me identify the keyboard switch!

[chzel]

They are definately not M7, the top plate design and stem design point to M9.
The one I have in front of me has no Cherry logo, just writing, and has the funny angled stem in white colour.
The fact that they seem to split at the top instead of the bottom makes me believe that they are a M9 variant.
What board are they on?

PS: I have no idea about the spider!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

These look similar. Aside from the difference in color, the base of the switches in my photos have the Cherry logo on them, whereas the M9 switches do not. Would this mean they are a completely different switch? Or could it simply be a variant?

Welcome to the Cherry vortex!

Yes those are M9. They look like a later production run with the Cherry logo on them; earlier switches (70s to early 80s) just had "CHERRY" in a thin sans-serif font, but in time they were re-moulded with the proper Cherry logo. (I think the M7-type switches may go back to the late 60s; we're not sure.)

[fr1tz]

What board are they on?

It's something branded 'Advantest'. I'll get some photos later on today.

These look similar. Aside from the difference in color, the base of the switches in my photos have the Cherry logo on them, whereas the M9 switches do not. Would this mean they are a completely different switch? Or could it simply be a variant?

Welcome to the Cherry vortex!

Yes those are M9. They look like a later production run with the Cherry logo on them; earlier switches (70s to early 80s) just had "CHERRY" in a thin sans-serif font, but in time they were re-moulded with the proper Cherry logo. (I think the M7-type switches may go back to the late 60s; we're not sure.)

Thanks for the info guys. Would it be useful to add information or photos of these switches to http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_M9 ?

Also, in the above article we find:

The stem has a dual design for both linear and tactile depending on the position it is inserted against the leaf.

followed by superscript 'citation needed'. Can anybody shed some more light on this? Does this mean, for instance, that these switches can be modded to have a tactile feel like, say, Cherry MX Blue switches?

[Nuum]

It means that you can reverse the slider inside the housing. One side of the slider is supposed to have a little bump on it, that makes the tactile feel. However this may not be true for all M9 switches. Mine do not have a reversible slider.

[fr1tz]

It means that you can reverse the slider inside the housing. One side of the slider is supposed to have a little bump on it, that makes the tactile feel. However this may not be true for all M9 switches. Mine do not have a reversible slider.

Question: is there 'M9' written somewhere on the switch, possibly inside or underneath? I ask because it seems that if this is not the case, the classification of these pre-MX switches is arbitrary - three switches that look & operate very differently are called the same thing. Perhaps if these are designations from Cherry a more sophisticated nomenclature would be in order - something like, M9-1 and M9-2 or M9L for M9 'long'.

But its probably not important.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Question: is there 'M9' written somewhere on the switch, possibly inside or underneath? I ask because it seems that if this is not the case, the classification of these pre-MX switches is arbitrary …

See [wiki]Cherry catalogues[/wiki]. M9 is covered in the Cherry Keyboards and Switches Catalogue 1982 in particular.

M8 and M9 are specific families, with no known confusionb. The confusion arises over M7, since the same switches are also given M6 numbers in earlier catalogues, and are also given M5 numbers. M4 numbers also exist, but without pictures or specifications that would give any clues as to what they look like. M7 is an official series; there is no M6 series, only identical-looking, identically specified switches with lower part numbers.

[mr_a500]

That kind of spider only lives in keyboards with the Cherry M9 switch. That's its natural habitat.

If the spider was indeed a brown recluse (with a guitar-shaped marking on its cephalothorax), watch out! These spiders inflict a terrible bite, injecting a necrotizing venom that eats away at the flesh, leaving a disfiguring crater after a slow-healing process.

I'm pretty sure I got bitten by a brown recluse last year. I was in the woods trying to grab a snake when I got bitten by the unseen spider. The bite kept getting worse for 5 days, going from a small red dot into a huge blistering open sore. It finally healed, but it took about 14 days. I still have a scar.

I'd post a picture, but it's pretty gross.

[fr1tz]

Question: is there 'M9' written somewhere on the switch, possibly inside or underneath? I ask because it seems that if this is not the case, the classification of these pre-MX switches is arbitrary …

See [wiki]Cherry catalogues[/wiki]. M9 is covered in the Cherry Keyboards and Switches Catalogue 1982 in particular.

M8 and M9 are specific families, with no known confusionb. The confusion arises over M7, since the same switches are also given M6 numbers in earlier catalogues, and are also given M5 numbers. M4 numbers also exist, but without pictures or specifications that would give any clues as to what they look like. M7 is an official series; there is no M6 series, only identical-looking, identically specified switches with lower part numbers.

Thanks! This clears it all up.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

That kind of spider only lives in keyboards with the Cherry M9 switch. That's its natural habitat. ;)

Like how Amaurobius fenestralis (or A. similis) likes those rubbish transparent Apple keyboards.

I think I deleted the photo from the wiki about keycap spider preferring doubleshots …

Spiders are cool.