The magnetic switch keyboard differs from mechanical keyboards primarily in how the switches operate. While mechanical switches rely on contact points to trigger responses, magnetic switches use the Hall effect for sensing. This difference allows magnetic switch keyboards to offer more advanced key switch settings.
Currently, ATK offers the ATK68, ATK75, and RS7 series magnetic switch keyboards. All of these can be configured and fine-tuned using ATK V HUB or ATK VB HUB WEB.
Preparation Before Setup
Before configuring your keyboard, ensure that its firmware is updated to the latest version. You can update the firmware via the V HUB. If V HUB fails to recognize your keyboard, you’ll need to visit the firmware download page at desktop.vxe.com/download to find and install the latest firmware for your keyboard model. After installation, please reconnect your keyboard.
Introduction to Magnetic Switch Functions
Rapid Trigger Settings
(Take the ATK68 as an example.) First, open the Magnetic Switch Settings page.
In the lower-left section, the "Full-Key Actuation Travel" module, you can set the actuation travel for all keys at once, ranging from 0.10mm to 4.00mm. The lower the actuation travel value, the easier it is to trigger a key press. For instance, if you set the actuation travel to 0.10mm, a slight press on any key will instantly register the input. However, this could lead to accidental key presses during regular use, so it’s advisable to set a higher full-key actuation travel value.
On the right side, you'll find the "Full-Key Rapid Trigger Mode" module. Enabling this feature allows your keyboard to rapidly trigger multiple times in quick succession. You can also adjust the reset and retrigger sensitivity according to your preferences.
While these settings apply to all keys, they might not be convenient for everyday use. Therefore, it's recommended to set a suitable full-key actuation travel and rapid trigger sensitivity for all keys, and then individually configure specific keys like the WASD movement keys. This approach ensures a balanced keyboard experience for both gaming and typing. Additionally, you can set onboard profiles in the top-right section to have separate configurations for gaming and typing.
Moreover, the magnetic switch keyboard offers several unique advanced features such as Dynamic Keystroke (DKS), Mod-Tap (MT), and Toggle Key (TGL).
Advanced Key Remapping
Open the Key Remap page.
Click on any key you want to modify to access the advanced key remapping settings.
Dynamic Keystroke (DKS): This feature is a macro on an analog key that allows you to program actions at four different parts of the keystroke: (1) at actuation, (2) at bottoming out, (3) at first release, and (4) at full release.
Click on Dynamic Keystroke (DKS) to enter the settings page. As shown in the image, I selected the Q key to configure it. You can set four custom key actions for the entire key travel (from start to finish), corresponding to:
1. Q at actuation (1.00mm)
2. W at bottoming out (3.6mm)
3. E at first release (3.6mm)
4. R at full release (1.00mm).
Remember to save after setting. Now, when you fully press the Q key, it will output QWER sequentially. You can also configure it to output Q twice and W twice, or even Q four times—it's entirely up to your manual settings.
Mod-Tap (MT): Mod-Tap is a feature that allows you to create dedicated or dual-functional keys based on key press behavior. Tap the key for one action, hold the key for a second action.
First, enter the Mod-Tap (MT) settings page. As shown in the image, select the W key for configuration, set Tap to W, and Hold to E. After saving, a single Tap of W will trigger the W key, while holding the W key will trigger the E key. You can also define the hold duration to balance the tap and hold triggers more accurately.
Toggle Key (TGL): The Toggle Key transforms a key into a toggle switch. When you press this switch, you can activate one of two scenarios: either continuously hold down the key/function, or trigger the key/function multiple times at a high frequency.
Enter the Toggle Key (TGL) settings page. Using the Left Control key, commonly used for crouching in games, as an example, after setting it up, a single press of Left Control will enable continuous crouching, pressing it again will cancel crouching, and holding Left Control will activate normal crouching, releasing the hold will cancel it.
These are the most common features currently available on the magnetic switch keyboard. For the SNAP TAP or SOCD features are still under development, so stay tuned!
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