What are your thoughts on hysteresis?

I honestly didn’t know wit was a thing, until I saw one of Chyrosran’s videos.

I’m not sure if I’ve just never noticed hysteresis or if I’m just attuned to it, as I’ve been using MX Blue’s at work since 2015.and a mix of different switches at home, since 2011.

It’s definitely a thing if you’re into tactiles (or clickies). Once you can spot it on force curves it becomes clear which switches are very tactile and which ones aren’t.

I was under the impression, that the click jacket style MX switches were the only MX switches with hysteresis.

What tactile switches have hysteresis?

I think basically any tactile switch.

Pretty much as long as the bump starts after the press begins, if the tactile event starts right from the beginning (V2 Zealios for example) it wouldn’t have hysteresis by definition.

"Hysteresis -

NOUN physics

The phenomenon in which the value of a physical property lags behind changes in the effect causing it, as for instance when magnetic induction lags behind the magnetizing force."

According to the Oxford Dictionary at least.

Wouldn’t it also depend on the reset point being after the tactile bump, on the up stroke?

My current understanding of hysteresis in key switches:
With hysteresis: TOP__RESET_BUMP_ACTIVATION___BOTTOM

Without hysteresis: TOP____BUMP_ACTIVATION/RESET ____BOTTOM

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

1 Like

You are probably right as far as switches go, that was just the basic definition, not the definition under specific circumstances like with a switch. I know Cherry’s first attempt at a switch with hysteresis was Cherry Whites & the so called “click jacket” was made to provide hysteresis not a click (that’s why to this day Cherry Whites have the click collar factory lubed, to kill the click) . So I couldn’t say for sure if a click jacket style switch is needed or not for a mechanical keyswitch to be considered to have hysteresis.

I think I misunderstood the definition. Thanks for clarifying. It’s interesting how Cherry tried to implement that concept with a click jacket. I wonder if a magnet could accomplish something similar.

1 Like