Keyboards - Peripheral (Minimum & Additional) Specifications v2.0

Version: 2.0.1
Last updated: 2026-09-28

Overview

Minimum and Additional Requirements

This specification document is divided into two sections:

1. Minimum requirements describe the criteria for a peripheral category to be compatible.
2. Additional requirements describe the criteria for certification.

Use these navigation buttons to show only the minimum or both the minimum and additional specification, respectively.

Minimum Minimum and Additional

Legend

Product Verb	Development Action
"MUST"	Mandatory product requirement
"SHOULD"	Optional recommendation
"MAY"	Nice to have

Glossary

• Function keys: Numbered Fn keys like F1, F2, ....

• Navigation keys: Up, Down, Left, Right.

• Six-pack: In extended layout, the two rows of three keys sitting above Navigation keys.

• Dongle: A small port adapter that provides communication with an accessory in a format not supported natively by the ChromeOS device. A dongle often contains an RF receiver.

• RF: Radio Frequency. The most common form of wireless communication.

• Modal keys: Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock; Keys that change the behavior of the keyboard and continue to have effect after they are released.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Generic peripheral Specifications

• The peripheral MUST meet the minimum requirements defined in the Generic peripheral specifications.

Key Behavior

HID Codes

• The keyboard MUST be compliant to HID v1.11.

• All keys MUST send HID codes or combination of HID codes mapped to KEY_ or BTN_ code by the linux kernel.

Combination keys

• If the keyboard has an AI Key, then the keyboard MUST send Meta + Shift + f23

Function Keys

• If the keyboards have keys with a secondary behavior as Function Keys, the keyboard MUST have a Fn key.

• If a key with secondary behavior as a Function Key is pressed simultaneously with a Fn key, the keyboard MUST send a Function Key HID code.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Along with the Minimum requirements, a peripheral MUST meet the following mandatory requirements to achieve certification.

Generic peripheral Specifications

• [Mandatory] The peripheral MUST meet the additional requirements defined in the Generic peripheral specifications.

Key Behavior

Function Keys

• [Optional] Keys MAY have a secondary behavior as Function keys.

• [Optional] The keyboard MAY have dedicated Function keys.

Battery and Power

• [Mandatory] If the keyboard contains a battery, then the keyboard firmware MUST report battery level using HID.

• [Mandatory] If the device is bundled with a USB-C charger, then the charger MUST be USB-IF certified for power delivery.

Low power mode

• [Optional] When the keyboard experiences a period of no activity, the keyboard SHOULD go into a lower power mode.