SparkFun Cherry MX Switch Breakout

Easily bring top-of-the-line mechanical keyboard switches into your custom electronics. This specialised breakout board bridges the gap between the unique physical footprint of a Cherry MX mechanical keyswitch and standard breadboard or matrixed layouts. Whether you are building a simple single-key macro input or a full-sized keyboard layout, this breakout takes the anxiety and complexity out of the equation!

Matrix Layouts Made Simple

Building a multi-key interface can quickly deplete your available microcontroller pins if each switch is wired individually. This can lead many to think that building a custom keyboard is an extremely daunting task. The Cherry MX Switch Breakout is specifically designed to make multiplexing straightforward and easy, even for beginners.

• Matrix Ready: The pin layout on the breakout is optimised for keyboard matrixing, seamlessly interconnecting multiple boards in row-and-column configurations to minimise your total I/O pin requirements.
• Standard Spacing: The board's physical dimensions are designed to match standard mechanical keyboard key spacing and row offsets for a natural typing layout.
• Diode Footprint: This breakout includes a dedicated onboard footprint for a switch-isolating diode. Why? So it can actively prevent key ghosting and masking when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously!
• Optional Lighting: Provides direct access to an optional switch-mounted 3mm LED, complete with a dedicated footprint for a current-limiting resistor to protect your illumination.

This small board eliminates the typical frustrations of custom keyboard design by breaking out every contact to a friendly layout and providing built-in footprints for the additional Cherry MX features. It gives you a clean, reliable foundation for building, testing, and perfecting your custom interface hardware.

• Schematic
• Eagle Files
• Hookup Guide
• Button and Switch Basics
• GitHub Hardware Repo