TTC Heart Switches

TTC is a brand from Huizhou Trantek Electronics Co., Ltd. which in turn was established in Hong Kong in 1998. The company is known for its variety of switches, connectors, and digital encoders, with the relevant products here being its mechanical keyboard switches and hot-swap switch sockets. TTC, when it first entered the keyboard scene was more of a budget option, not doing much to distinguish itself outside of Cherry MX clones. However, in the time since then, we have seen some TTC switches released that rival the best of enthusiast-driven mods, and the TTC Heart is one of them. It's full name is the TTC Honey Heart keyswitch, although no one calls it as anything but TTC Heart. The switch was first adopted by Ducky in several keyboards last year. In the time since, TTC has sold the switches separately, vendors such as Epomaker/Skyloong have packaged them in their own boxes as seen here. Epomaker sent over three boxes of the TTC Heart switch, each containing 35 switches, these arrive in a two-piece plastic bluster clamshell, with individual containers for every single switch. I do wish the switches were oriented the same way though, but it still makes for an impressive first look. Note also the switch removal tool taped and included with each set.


I know that the TTC Heart switch is intended to be a silent switch, but the product page still sets the scene with lots of love language—literally. In that sense, and also because there is an actual pink heart visible on each switch from the top, I thought this was a good match for the rest of the fun components used in this build. Cats can also be very quiet when they want to, matching this switch set. The set is otherwise built off the familiar Cherry MX formula with a white/pink crosspoint stem with a round wall around it, to let you know it is a silent switch akin to what Kailh also produces. The switch uses transparent components where possible to enhance your RGB experience when fit with a compatible keyboard, a glance from the sides confirms this is a 3-pin switch that is compatible with the 5-pin sockets in the Mini Cat 64 kit. I should also mention that TTC has patented a LEGO-style assembly of this switch allowing different colored components to be mixed and matched by vendors/customers, but this specific version is the default all-clear configuration.


Taking apart one of these switches reveals the insides are similar in design to a typical MX stem-style mechanical switch. However, they are tweaked throughout to fit the TTC goals with this switch. This includes a longer POM stem slider and dampers placed internally to minimize noise in both upstroke and downstroke. The stem also glides smoothly between the top housing and the bottom base—both made of polycarbonate—via precisely molded columns, being lightly pre-lubed too. The spring is gold-plated and longer than usual, although a quick look at the base and stem design confirms this is a linear switch with a single extension, pushing the silver-plated copper contacts in the bottom housing together to complete the circuit, and be read by the USB microcontroller on the PCB. I will also note here how the heart shape visible from the top is composed of different elements laid out vertically on the polycarbonate stem top, working well together only from a specific viewing angle, the aesthetic effect is enough in practice though, so no complaints from my side!