I know what you're talking about but I don't see anything about someone mentioning polling rates. Also was just stating what it says on the corsair product, I tested my keyboard (K65) and I can press a lot of keys at once (didn't count since I'm only playing mania with it and only need 10 kro)Rori Vidi Veni wrote:
I suggest actually reading up on NKRO and USB polling(two separate topics you're mixing up) somewhere knowledgeable like Deskthority and their wiki or GeekHack.
There are three ways a keyboard can send data through USB.
1) The official USB HID standard way, limited to 6 keys but works with everything.
2) Keyboard's controller is claiming to be an USB hub with a bunch of keyboards in. Theoretically limited to 6 * number of fake keyboards, in practice it depends on a bunch of things. Most of the implementations don't work on Macs and some of them on Linux too.
3) NKRO(more like 256KRO but who cares, it's enough) over USB. Yes, it's possible, however it's quite far from the standard, and some motherboards(regardless of the operating system) just won't take it either just in the BIOS/EFI or at all. That's why some keyboards have a NKRO/6KRO toggle,
Your safest bet is to get a keyboard that works with an USB to PS/2 passthrough and buy one if it's not included in the box. It even can make some of the implementations in the second way work on Mac/Linux(I think Noppoo Choc Mini is one of them?), but don't expect it to fix everything and do your research before buying.
NKRO itself depends on the PCB/wiring and the controller of the keyboard rather than the cable sticking out of it.
There are three main ways of making a keyboard NKRO.
1) Use a controller that has one pin per key + common ground + power and output pins. Viable for a keypad, not so much for a whole keyboard.
2) Make the keyboard more or less a giant oscilloscope. That's how Sidewinder X4 and the RealKey do it.
3) Make a proper matrix and put diodes after every switch. That's how 99% of NKRO keyboards do it.
I'm not gonna go into some obscure ways done only by one very old keyboard like making every key an ultrasonic transmitter(again, go check out Deskthority) or things done on capacitive keyboards. Go read up on them if you're interested.
The part about the BIOS thing, yea some PC has to use BIOS mode on the keyboard since the keyboard won't work if not in which you will be limited to 6 kro (some keyboard can toggle between NKRO and NKRO as you stated)
I wouldn't buy a mechanical keyboard if I didn't have knowledge about NKRO and polling rates xD
