Page 3 - A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
As part of disassembling, the first stop is the keycaps. These are PBT or polybutylene terephthalate plastic with a dye-sublimation process for the legends. I like PBT as a material choice, as it is more durable and does not shine or fade over time compared to other commonly used plastics like ABS. The thicker wall also adds to a deeper sound when used. Dye-sublimation is a process where heat is applied to a solid dye and it sublimates into a gas, which permeates into the keycap material. It is a slightly cheaper process than double-shot injection, but still results in a durable print that resists fading and wear after time. It is an improvement over UV-printing too. Otherwise, the choice of font is clear and legible with OEM-like writing. The keycaps use standard MX stems with a Cherry profile. The Epomaker Split70 offers full NKRO over USB. NKRO stands for N-key rollover, which refers to the number of keys scanned independently by the hardware.
The longer keys of the Epomaker Split70, like space bar and Enter, have Cherry stabilizers on each side to ensure an even actuation and to prevent wobbling. These are factory lubricated as it has a smooth travel and does not rattle or squeak when the longer keys are pressed. The stabilizers are plate-mounted rather than screwed into the PCB. This is usually a cheaper alternative, as plate-mounted stabilizers can cause a bit more rattling. Thankfully, the stabilizers do not make much noise.
One of the key selling points of the Epomaker Split70 is its switch technology. Mechanical switches consist of a housing base, stem, and spring, offering varying levels of tactile and audible feedback. More specifically, these are Epomaker Wisteria Linear V2 mechanical switches. They are linear in travel with an actuation force of 38g and a bottoming out force of 45g. They actuate at 2.0mm and travel a total of 3.6mm. The expected lifespan of these switches is fifty million keystrokes. These connect to the PCB with hot swap sockets, and the sockets support both three-pin and five-pin mechanical switches. As such, if you do not like these or an individual one fails, you can swap it out without replacing the entire keyboard.
Taking a closer look at the Epomaker Split70 switch, it has a light lilac top and a darker lilac bottom. A light green stem is in the middle with a 20.5mm spring that keeps the switch elevated. The switch stem has minimal lateral movement inside the housing, which ensures actuation is stable and the keys do not wobble about. The switches are factory lubricated for a smoother typing feel and sound. The stem is made of a mixture of polyoxymethylene and PTFE plastics for a smooth and scratch-free experience. The upper casing is polycarbonate, while the bottom is PA66, which refers to polyamide or nylon 66. These also have a light diffuser made of polycarbonate for spreading the backlights.
Unfortunately, taking apart the Epomaker Split70 requires several pry tools, as there are plastic clips holding everything together. With the small gap at the back corners of each side, I was able to slowly work my way around the body and increase the gap until the clips unlatched. It is possible to break these clips in the process, so I would not recommend doing this unless you know what you are doing. Once released, the top and bottom shells separate from each other. You also need to remove the metal volume knob on the left side to release the shell. The two top shells have magnets inside to hold the two sides together. The decks of both sides have ribbon cables attaching the keyboard portion to a daughterboard underneath for the USB connections. The left keyboard half houses the 3000mAh battery. It is nice to see ribbon cables here, as they prevent any movement in the keyboard deck from affecting the stable portions of the keyboard, such as the USB port and its back switches.
The Split70's keyboard deck sits here with gasket mounts in between the top and bottom shell. There are four protrusions around each half with rubber mounts to hold it in place. These gaskets should reduce vibration or unwanted movement transferring from the deck to the rest of the enclosure. The plate is polycarbonate, but it only slightly flexes under pressure. On the outer edge of the PCB, there is a column of LED lights, which produce the lighting on the sides of the Epomaker Split70.
In between the plate and the PCB, there are several layers of sound damping material, including a sandwiched latex, IXPE switch pad, and a sound-enhancing PET layer. Under the printed circuit board, there is another layer of sponge foam and silicone padding to fill in the hollow areas. All these layers contribute to the overall typing sound and feel.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. A Closer Look - Disassembly and Internals
4. Conclusion
