15C Keyboard Issues [EMAIL ME - INFO BELOW]

[Tim Wessman]

Hello,

Can anyone that feels they have a problematic keyboard you are not happy with, that has 1) keys not registering or 2) very noticeable differences in key pressure, please email me at my full name as written below connected to @hp.com? We definitely would like to get those for examination. May need to smack some heads or put a new process in place. There have not been things like this for quite a long time on the 12c units and they come off the same assembly line. There is quite a bit of puzzlement about the whole situation. . . :-(

Nobody can figure out how the 12c firmware could have slipped in there either. Should be impossible as every unit has the full tests run before it goes out. . .

A "loose" function key is not a keyboard issue. As the steel molds wear towards replacement, the tolerances for those two keys are not as tight and they become a bit looser. You have wear on the key molds, and then on the upper case. Thus two parts wear and the design of the mold takes that into account for the projected life of both molds.

This is normal. Those function keys essentially have a "barrel" at the bottom that rotates in a slot on the upper mold. All they other keys are in a keyboard tree which is why they don't have any movement.

timwessman

Edited: 18 Sept 2011, 11:27 p.m. after one or more responses were posted

[hpnut]

Yay! Tim is gonna bring out the whacking stick :-)

hpnut in Malaysia still waiting for his 12C and 15C

[Walter B]

Quote:

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Tim is gonna bring out the whacking stick

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Sounds more like they're going to analyze the problem :-) Far better approach IMHO. Thanks, Tim, for listening!

Walter

[Dan Grelinger]

Tim, I sent you an email about my HP-15C LE.

Dan Grelinger

[Dan Grelinger]

Tim, I received a FedEx Label notification for shipment of my HP-15C to Charlie RadmanHP in Fort Collins. Is this for your investigation, or is it a result of my open ticket with HP from my Monday call with their normal support group?

Dan

[G Clark]

Tim, I sent you an email about my HP-15C LE 02228.

[Paul Gaster]

Quote:

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A "loose" function key is not a keyboard issue. As the steel molds wear towards replacement, the tolerances for those two keys are not as tight and they become a bit looser. You have wear on the key molds, and then on the upper case. Thus two parts wear and the design of the mold takes that into account for the projected life of both molds.

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With all due respect, I disagree with this statement. I worked as a project engineer at a contract manufacturing company for 10 years, and I was mostly working on plastic projects. Our factory was in China and I was there 3 times over the years working on project launches. Each time I was there for 2 weeks to a month.

As tools wear, typically the overall size of a part will get larger, not smaller. Of course I would like to see a tool drawing or the tool itself to know for sure, but I can't see how these keys would get smaller over time. Outside to outside measurements grow as the steel wears.

I know from experience that our factory always did everything very steel safe, which seems to be the situation with these function keys. The tool maker is either slightly out of tolerance on the key sizes now, or right at the lower limit, but the tools will wear into spec over time, and eventually the keys will get too large and out of spec. Then it's time for new tools.

Of course the housings are obviously very steel safe too, and that magnifies this issue. Let me explain. The steel features that create the key openings in the housing are bosses or posts that stick out. They will wear smaller over time. When the tools are new, the key openings are the largest they will ever be.
For the keys, as I said, they are the smallest they will be when new. This makes for loose keys when both sets of tools are new, which may be the situation here. Over time this will get better, and this strategy gives you the most tool life, but also the most complaints when your new products are launched.

[robert rozee]

could it be the issue with the f and g keys is in fact a slight warping of the PCB, such that the bottom edge curves backwards slightly allowing those two keys to sit loose?

[Paul Gaster]

I don't think so. The PCB could warp, yes, but I believe the board is held down by some screws. That would take any warpage out of the equation. Plus some have said those keys rotate a bit in the openings, indicating that they are just a bit on the small side.

[Hugh Evans]

I might have to get nerdy with this key pressure issue and stick my 15C LE in one of the Instrons at work, LOL. Everything looks and feels great so far on #02226.