Tastenfeld

Tastenfeld is a German term used to describe a field of keys on a device used for input. In everyday language it is often used as a synonym for keypad or button panel. In common usage, “Tastatur” refers to a full keyboard, for example a computer keyboard, while “Tastenfeld” usually denotes a smaller input area consisting of a limited number of keys arranged in a grid or in a line.

A Tastenfeld is typically implemented as a matrix of momentary switches arranged in rows and columns. Activating a key connects one row line to one column line, which is detected by a keyboard controller through scanning. Variants may use mechanical switches, silicone domes, or touch sensors, and some designs incorporate diodes to prevent ghosting. The term also appears in reference to keypads on security devices, remote controls, and industrial panels.

Applications for Tastenfelder include calculators, ATMs, access control pads, vending machines, and embedded systems. In consumer electronics, keypad modules or front panels provide compact input without a full keyboard, while in industrial environments such fields are designed for durability and simplicity of operation.

Tastenfeld is also a place name. Tastenfeld is a municipality in Austria, located in the district of Gmünd in Lower Austria. It comprises several villages and is part of the Waldviertel region. Local governance is based on a municipal council and mayor.

See also: keypad; keyboard; input device.