Illuminated tact-switches - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: rhdf
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2016, 10:46:56 pm
content: I'm looking for some decent illuminated tact-switches. Obviously it's some black magic involved in putting a led in them since they seem to cost at least 3 times as much as standard switches.I found the MEC multimec 5G series witch have translucent white soft-feel tops as option. exactly what I want, but the price is not even close to what i really want..So, is there anything close to them (rectangular 11x11 translucent tops) with good quality (Not wan hung loo supercheap of ebay)

author: Connecteur
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 22, 2016, 04:30:40 pm
content: The Chinese manufacturers deserve a lot better, than to be called "One hung low."For they are the best in the world at what they do; which is to deliver a product to quality specifications, whatever that may be...Including "cheap as possible" which is the most common specification by sellers of consumer electronics.Don't forget that Chinese manufacturers also manufacture nearly every other quality of specification, in nearly everything else you buy.Why do you buy it, if the quality is always "no good?" Answer: you buy it plenty, because the quality is good, and you know it.

author: rhdf
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 10:48:39 pm
content: The thing with "one hung low" from some stranger on Ebay or some "we sell anything containing plastic and some metal"-shop is that you can get either really good and cheap parts, or it turns out they were just cheap clones (or not even clones, just looking similar).I Know there is great stuff made in china, by companies that know that if the don't deliver what's specified, someone else gets the contract.Then there are those (or the same) wich produces cheapest possible "version" of a part, mainly made for toys etc.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 12:25:38 am
content: Panasonic makes a nice PC, surface-mount switch that is hollow in the middle for you to insert your LED of choice:http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Panasonic/EVP-ADK04K/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiittTwXz%252b4bkiT%252bCCF2OINK5dCS7rbrUfvh7MoOni9bw%3d%3dhttp://www.mouser.com/ds/2/315/ATV0000CE16-45412.pdfIt assumes that you are doing your own button cap on top. I am using special-shaped chunks of translucent acrylic.You could also consider Cherry keyboard switches which are widely available and used by the custom keyboard fanatics.The latest model includes a place where you can insert an LED (5mm I think or maybe only 3mm?)You can use clear, translucent key-caps so you can see the LED shine through.http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/CHERRY/MX1A-11NW/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMsqIr59i2oRck%252brJF20sIm2GQvQAXuvA88%3dhttp://www.mouser.com/ds/2/71/mx_cat-526196.pdfAnd there are those buttons made for the game console crowd. But those are typically round and quite a bit larger.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 12:44:59 am
content: Is this a one-off or a production project?Consider putting the LED adjacent to the switch, then using a light pipe to illuminate the keytop if that is truly mandatory.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 01:30:59 am
content: Then there were these things. They were a button cap for the standard tactile switch shafts, but they had an offset light-pipe for an adjacent LED which would illuminate the top of the cap. Alas SparkFun don't sell them anymore. Perhaps they would reveal where they got them...https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/8807

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 01:41:32 am
content: And there are also the silicon rubber button caps which will take a LED underneath. Both SparkFun and AdaFruit (and others) sell these in various shapes and sizes. But, tactile, they are not.https://www.sparkfun.com/products/7835

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 05:29:07 am
content: That keycap with the built-in light pipe for an adjacent LED is a neat idea. First time I've seen something like that. I suppose that if the keycap is translucent and sufficiently long, mounting an LED 90-degrees shining at the side of it might get enough light through the top.

author: DTJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 07:15:00 am
content: Quote from: Connecteur on May 22, 2016, 04:30:40 pmThe lower quality ones are "One hung low", the guys that make the good gear are "One Slung Hi".

author: C
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 07:16:17 am
content: http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/switches/tactile-switches/1114206?k=&pkeyword=&pv528=15&FV=fff40011%2Cfff8005e&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=100] http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/switches/tactile-switches/1114206?k=&pkeyword=&pv528=15&FV=fff40011%2Cfff8005e&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ColumnSort=0&page=1&quantity=0&ptm=0&fid=0&pageSize=100http://www.mouser.com/Electromechanical/Switches/Illuminated-Switches/Illuminated-Tactile-Switches/_/N-cbt5p?Ns=Pricing|0

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 07:26:25 am
content: TME has some manufactured by HIGHLY.http://www.tme.eu/en/katalog/push-button-switches_100055/#id_category=100232&search=highly&s_field=niski_prog&s_order=ASC&visible_params=2%2C689%2C692%2C693%2C699%2C698%2C157%2C32%2C117%2C22%2C23%2C42%2C10%2C718%2C695%2C31%2C721%2C730%2C711%2C727%2C694%2C13%2C725%2C82%2C102&used_params=2%3A45204%3B711%3A3084%3B

author: rhdf
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 09:05:51 am
content: Those lightpipes is kind of neat, I thing I've seen them in a remote corner of mouserIt's a one of (or rather a super small run of maybe 2-3 units)But I'm a bit picky about switches, especially stuff like build-quality and contact-bounce. The latter seems to be what separates good ones from really cheapo ones

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 12:16:24 pm
content: Other optionhttp://pt.aliexpress.com/item/50-pieces-lot-No-lock-switch-Illuminated-Tact-Switch-12-12-Small-4-Pin-button/32361720802.html?spm=2114.02010208.3.22.4KKyzg&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_8,searchweb201602_4_10037_10017_405_507_10032,searchweb201603_10&btsid=37a669bd-eab1-4b88-b5ba-0b42f1202e6c

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 02:32:42 pm
content: Just go to farnell category tactile switches, filter illuminated yes and you get 143 results.You do not specify if you want smd or not, both are available, different colours sizes.just an example: MULTICOMP MCML4L12RQR Tactile Switch, Illuminated, 160 gf, 12 V, 50 mA, SMD €0.72 a piece ex VAT.