A keyboard system comprising: a plurality of keys; a plurality of lights, each light associated with one of the keys and having a first light terminal and a second light terminal; a plurality of switches, each switch associated with and actuated by one of the plurality of keys and having a first switch terminal and a second switch terminal; wherein the keys are logically arranged into one or more two-dimensional arrays so that some lights and switches share a set of electrical signal lines in one dimension of the array; a plurality of switch lines (205, 206, 207), wherein each of the switch lines is coupled to each of the first switch terminals associated with a group of keys to define a first group of keys having a common first array dimension value; a plurality of light select lines (221, 222, 223), wherein each of the light select lines is coupled to each of the first light terminals associated with the first group of keys having a common first array dimension value; a plurality of common lines (214, 215, 216, 217) each coupled to controllably supply a reference voltage to both the second light terminals and to the second switch terminals associated with a group of keys to define a second group of keys having a common second array dimension value, wherein illuminating a particular light of the plurality of lights is achieved by supplying the reference voltage on the common line coupled to the corresponding second light terminal of the particular light when the light select line coupled to the corresponding first light terminal of the particular light is activated; and a controller coupled to the plurality of light select lines, the plurality of switch lines and the plurality of common lines, wherein the controller is configured to activate the lights associated with any of the plurality of keys by activating the light select lines and the common lines associated with the one or more keys, and to simultaneously detect the actuation of one of the plurality of keys using the switch lines and the common lines by detecting value changes on each of the switch lines as the controller sequentially applies the reference voltage to the same common lines that are activated to activate the lights associated with the one or more of the plurality of keys. a plurality of keys; a plurality of lights, each light associated with one of the keys and having a first light terminal and a second light terminal; a plurality of switches, each switch associated with and actuated by one of the plurality of keys and having a first switch terminal and a second switch terminal; wherein the keys are logically arranged into one or more two-dimensional arrays so that some lights and switches share a set of electrical signal lines in one dimension of the array; a plurality of switch lines (205, 206, 207), wherein each of the switch lines is coupled to each of the first switch terminals associated with a group of keys to define a first group of keys having a common first array dimension value; a plurality of light select lines (221, 222, 223), wherein each of the light select lines is coupled to each of the first light terminals associated with the first group of keys having a common first array dimension value; a plurality of common lines (214, 215, 216, 217) each coupled to controllably supply a reference voltage to both the second light terminals and to the second switch terminals associated with a group of keys to define a second group of keys having a common second array dimension value, wherein illuminating a particular light of the plurality of lights is achieved by supplying the reference voltage on the common line coupled to the corresponding second light terminal of the particular light when the light select line coupled to the corresponding first light terminal of the particular light is activated; and a controller coupled to the plurality of light select lines, the plurality of switch lines and the plurality of common lines, wherein the controller is configured to activate the lights associated with any of the plurality of keys by activating the light select lines and the common lines associated with the one or more keys, and to simultaneously detect the actuation of one of the plurality of keys using the switch lines and the common lines by detecting value changes on each of the switch lines as the controller sequentially applies the reference voltage to the same common lines that are activated to activate the lights associated with the one or more of the plurality of keys.