Do generic keyboards have a simultaneous button push limit?

[JTsyo]

Trying to see what the differences between generic keyboards and gaming keyboards are. Currently the only things I notice is marco keys and backlight in general.

 

[Murloc]

they do, it depends on the keyboard.

Here's an old thread where a bunch of people tried theirs out: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1740906

It can go from 2 keys to many keys.

This is indeed a difference that some gaming keyboards offer, but you have to search on the internet I guess since they probably don't publicize the number if it doesn't stand out.

My classic kb-0133 (ps/2) does 4 keys.

Do this:

hold a key, press another, hold it, press another, hold it, and so on. Eventually it will stop, and maybe beep at you

 

[DigDog]

it's not a matter of how many, but rather of which ones.

the internal design of the keyboard means one key pressed is taking up a "channel", wire, solder path, from the key to the output. cheap keyboards don't have "1 key, 1 path", and they can have as little as 1 path per row of keys.

in addition to this, there is "rollover", a feature which diverts one (or more) signals through a secondary path if the first one is busy.

paths aren't necessarily straight, and they tend to be designed so that the most often used keys are on different paths. add to this a rollover feature (most kbs have 2-kro) and you might be able to press up to 5 or 6 keys at the same time;

however, on the same keyboard, you might not be able to press more than - as little as - 3 keys, if they are specific keys, and the 4th key is also on the same path.

my old dell membrane kb had a problem if i had [W] and [shift] pressed, then the [2] key would not work, but if instead of 2 i pressed for example [3], that one worked.

 

[JTsyo]

aaassdddddddffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

My current one seems to be 4.

 

[bononos]

Trying to see what the differences between generic keyboards and gaming keyboards are. Currently the only things I notice is marco keys and backlight in general.

Look for kb that advertise nkro/6kro/anti-ghosting. Some cheaper gaming keyboards like the gigabyte k7 will have anti-ghosting only around the wasd cluster of keys.

This thread has a fun test for anti-ghosting capability:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1523154

 

[mikeymikec]

Is there a way of knowing which keyboards (before purchase) can handle say four keys pressed simultaneously ? This thread reminded me of when I once wanted to swap keyboards then found that I couldn't play the old Tomb Raider games on the new one.

 

[mv2devnull]

Another explanation: http://blog.controlspace.org/2010/08/n-key-rollover-what-it-is-and-how-to.html
The USB protocol sets a separate limit, although latest keyboards get around it somehow.

(The USB and PS/2 protocols differ also on how the signal gets through; polling vs interrupts.)


As already said: some combinations are more restricted than others. Thus, what really matters is the actual combos that you need to press simultaneously.

For example, MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 (which is neither "gaming" nor "generic") failed to get:
2 (from WASD) + 1 (from QE) + 2 (from cursors)


Another (partly subjective) matter is the feel of the keys and how you have to press them in order to get a signal. The generic keyboards use the common (and thus cheap) switch mechanisms, while some gaming boards use different switches (for example "mechanical").


A close cousin of the macro keys is programmability; what input events does a (macro)keypress generate. The driver (i.e. software) does usually implement that, but some keyboards/mice store the macros/profiles in the hardware; one can simply plug the keyboard to any computer and have the macros without copying configuration. (Then again, how often does one have to do that?)

 

[oamgl]

It depends on the keyboard. If you want more, you can consider purchasing a better keyboard.