The Difference Between Optical Switches And Mechanical Switches

Mechanical switches are similar to optical switches, but they have a much longer history. The key difference from the optical switch is their activation method. The switch core (trigger) and spring which is sleeved on the internal switch column, which controls the operation of the entire switch when triggered. These switches rely on contact between two conductive materials to send a signal through a circuit board to the computer when a key is pressed. 

Since mechanical switches have been popular for a long time, the market has so many different mechanical switches: blue switch, red switch, brown switch, black switch, silver switch and so on.  And there are three types of mechanical switches: linear, tactile, and clicky. They are defined by their keystroke behaviour.