Mechanical Keyboard Switch Chatter & Diode Matrix Architecture
Modern keyboards arrange physical key switches in an intersecting grid of rows and columns polled by an onboard microcontroller unit (MCU). Standard membrane keyboards share electrical traces across key groups, leading to key ghosting or blocking when three or more adjacent keys are pressed. Mechanical keyboards resolve this by installing individual isolated diodes on every switch circuit, enabling N-Key Rollover (NKRO).