How Logitech Uses Machines to Stress Test its Keyboards

By Marcus Yam
published

Keyboards have to withstand a lot of abuse. Here is how they're tested in the QA lab.

For its newest hardware offerings, Logitech boasts that its products are even more durable than ever, with much better tolerances to intense use. For example, Logitech advertises that many of its products are designed to continue operating through 20 million clicks or key presses. Of course, how could Logitech possibly test such a claim? It'd be insane to imagine that a test sample go under 20 million clicks... or is it? Apparently not, but thankfully it's not humans or animals who are doing the testing.

Logitech gave us a look at how it tests its keyboards. As you can see from the videos below, there is special software that works alongside the mechanical hardware to track and give feedback on the tests.

It's not just Logitech's hardcore offerings that get this sort of testing; the company even puts its iPad keyboard accessories through a similar procedure.

These were taken from Logitech's QA lab in Switzerland, but the company did tell us that even more rigorous testing takes place in its labs in Asia.

Further reading:

Logitech Goes Into Technical Detail About Mouse Sensors

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
Topics
Keyboards
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • michalmierzwa
    Impressive numbers, but what does it mean? How many keystrokes an average gamer uses in weekend session. Perhaps if I install a key logger I will get my answer.
    Reply
  • brandonjclark
    Doesn't account for people hitting the keys in different areas.
    Reply
  • ssalim
    They need to stress test asd keys 100x more and w key 1000x more.
    Pretty cool though, but they don't stress all the keys.

    "but the company did tell us that even more rigorous testing takes place in its labs in Asia."
    Hehe, humans testing them?
    Reply
  • michalmierzwa
    Impressive numbers, but what does it mean? How many keystrokes an average gamer uses in weekend session. Perhaps if I install a key logger I will get my answer.
    Reply
  • bigshootr8
    very neat to see this to say the least.
    Reply
  • nikolayivanov321
    Big fan of Logitech keyboards here. I have had one for more than seven years, still works flawlessly and the keys are in better condition than on some cheaper brand new ones.
    Reply
  • bigshootr8
    very neat to see this to say the least.
    Reply
  • wiinippongamer
    Too bad their whole scissor switch kb line breaks within a couple months of heavy use.
    Reply
  • kinggremlin
    "Pretty cool though, but they don't stress all the keys."

    They don't have to. Why would the "d" key be any more prone to failure from repetitive use than the "y" key? Testing multiple keys at the same time speeds up the process, it shouldn't alter the failure rate.
    Reply
  • ioconnor
    The keyboards will fail if left in a hot dry environment for two years. Whether the keys are pressed or not. They will also fail if you drop liquid on them. They want to impress us with the keystrokes and not look at the real reasons the keyboards go bad.
    Reply