Supported Hardware

This page lists the machine known to work with Plover.

It lists:

• Stenotype Machines
• Keyboards
• Dedicated machines designed for use with Plover

Stenotype Machines

Supported protocols

Plover supports several protocols that are in use by various machines:

• Stentura serial: most machines by Stenograph and many others.
• Gemini PR serial: typically any recent machine made by the Neutrino Group, such as the Piper, Revolution, or Infinity series.
• ProCAT: protocol used by all ProCAT machines.
• TX Bolt: an older protocol supported by some machines as a primary or secondary protocol.
• Treal: used only by the Treal from Word Technologies.
• Passport: used only by the Passport Writer from Advantage Software.

This means that, in theory, many machines work with Plover.

Known supported stenotypes

The following machines have been confirmed by users to work with Plover after actually trying it:

Product Name	Manufacturer	Protocol/Connection	Comments
Elan Cybra Student	Stenograph	TX Bolt (serial)
Flash, Blaze, Impression, and Xpression	ProCAT	ProCAT
Flash Writer	ProCAT	TX Bolt	Press Mode (far right button), click Setup, then press the Emul button. Display should read Emulate: Baron
Gemini2	Neutrino Group	Gemini PR (serial)
Gemini RT	Neutrino Group	TX Bolt	Must start a job on screen or in Infinity2
Lightspeed	Stenovations	TX Bolt (serial over USB/Bluetooth)	Baud rate 9600
Infinity Ergonomic	Neutrino Group	Gemini PR (serial over USB/Bluetooth)	Baud rate 115200
Infinity Genesis	Neutrino Group	Gemini PR (serial)
Passport	Advantage Software	Passport (USB)
Passport Touch	Advantage Software	USB, Bluetooth	While in "Emulation Mode": Stentura over Bluetooth or TX Bolt over USB 
Protege	Stenograph
Revolution Grand	Neutrino Group	Gemini PR (serial)
SOFT/HRUF	Scott Urueta	TX Bolt (serial)	Open source hardware
Stenoboard	Utopen	NKRO/TX Bolt/Gemini PR	Open source hardware
Stenomod	Charley Shattuck	TX Bolt	Open source hardware
Stentura 400 SRT	Stenograph	Stentura (serial)	[[Setup Instructions
Tréal	Word technologies	Treal (USB)
Wave	Stenograph

Keyboards

If you don't have a steno machine, the next best option is a keyboard that supports N-Key Rollover (NKRO).

What's NKRO?

This is a feature that certain keyboards have that let the keyboards register each key regardless of other keys being pressed. Read the Wikipedia entry about NKRO.

How do I know if my keyboard has NKRO?

A simple test is to open up a text editor and--while holding down both shift keys--type each letter on your keyboard. If all keys are typed into the text editor, your keyboard probably has NKRO.

This site provides a web application that lets you test your keyboard's capabilities for registering multiple key presses. To test, click where it says "click to use", then each key you press lights up green in the picture of a keyboard. Press the middle row keys asdfjkl; and with a normal keyboard only 6 of the 8 keys will light up green, maybe fewer, but if your keyboard has n-key rollover, all 8 will light up green. Then press other multiple-key combinations such as yuhj and see if they all light up green.

What if my keyboard is not capable of NKRO?

If you don't have a keyboard that's capable of NKRO, but still want to give Plover a try, you can arpeggiate/roll the keyboard chords. More info can be found at the bottom of this post.

Known supported keyboards

Product Name	Manufacturer	Comments	Price
Apex m-800	SteelSeries	NKRO over USB	$199
CM Storm Quickfire TK	Cooler Master	NKRO over USB	$85
Noppoo Choc	Noppoo	NKRO over USB	$95
Ergo Pro	Matias	NKRO over USB	$200
Ergodox	Ergodox	NKRO over USB	$295
G710+	Logitech	NKRO over USB	$130
Keyboardio	Keyboardio	NKRO over USB	$329
Majestouch-2	Filco	NKRO over USB	$167
Das Keyboard 4 Ultimate	Das Keyboard	NKRO over USB	$169
Ultimate Hacking Keyboard	Ultimate Gadget Labs	NKRO over USB	$250
Vengeance K65	Corsair	NKRO over USB	$90
ZM-K600S	Zalman	NKRO over USB	$40

Which type of key switch should I choose?

Stenography works best when the keyboard takes little force to depress keys. The lighter, the better. Ideally, the switch will be linear, it should lack any clicks or bumps. The lighter the force, the better, for steno. In the Cherry MX line, the best switch is Red, at 45 cN actuation. For Gaterons, the best switch for steno is Clear/White (different names, same switch), at only 35 cN actuation.

Dedicated machines designed for use with Plover

Various steno enthusiasts are making and selling machines designed for use with Plover:

• Stenomod
  • This has light keys and a split design.
  • It is built and sold by Charley Shattuck, in California.
  • See Ted Morin's review of the StenoMod.
  • The name is supposed to hint at how the machine is "modular" and adaptable. It is very barebones so it is easy to take apart and customize.
• SOFT/HRUF
  • This has the shape of a stenography machine, but is built using computer keys rather than levers.
  • It is built and sold by Scott Urueta, in Miami.
  • See Ellis Pratt's review of the SOFT/HRUF and Stenomod.
  • The name is the steno representation for, and is pronounced as, "soft love".
• Stenoboard
  • The first open source steno machine on the market, released in 2014.
  • It is sold and built by Caruso Emanuele, in Italy.
  • The Stenoboard's keys actuate like mouse-clicks instead of a keyboard or lever-machine.