Need help for converting breadboard to pcb, have simple switch questions - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 11:08:12 pm
content: hii am looking for a really flat rocker switch that is pcb mounted,do you of any?I also am looking for a compatible 10k pot with the same specs as this one but pcb mounted and with at least 25-30 mm handle on itthanks for your help

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 11:09:21 pm
content: the current switch i have selected is this one and i think its gonna snap off the pcb after hard use,is there a way to glue this down or another model?thx

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 11:46:38 pm
content: The pot you showed *IS* PCB mounted, that's why it has thin parallel pins rather than wider radial tags with holes to hook a wire through! Perhaps you want one with right-angle pins or pins on the back for vertical mounting, rather than the edge mount style you've shown us?For your switch, if you want something more robust either use a DPDT switch which will have two rows of pins, either ignoring one pole or wiring both in parallel or get one with mounting legs on the metal body.

author: pqass
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 11:46:58 pm
content: They make switches with supports.https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/nkk-switches/MS12ASG13/1052535Also, you can search for just the right pot here:https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/filter/rotary-potentiometers-rheostats/84

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 12:28:01 am
content: thanks for the infoThe pot you showed *IS* PCB mounted, that's why it has thin parallel pins rather than wider radial tags with holes to hook a wire through! Perhaps you want one with right-angle pins or pins on the back for vertical mounting, rather than the edge mount style you've shown us?thanks for the info there's something i dont understand, the pins are always shorter than the circular body of those pots,Is it me or the pins are not going to stick through the pcb if i drop that pot flesh with the pcb layer?

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 12:28:55 am
content: hey that one looks cool !thats exactly what I need for this projectdo people still use a little glue under some components?thx

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 12:33:45 am
content: A pot with right-angle pins intended for vertical mounting will usually have long wide pins as far as the plane of the back of the pot , then a shoulder, necking down to narrow pins to fit round holes in the PCB. It ma also have the wiper pin brought out the opposite side of the pot body to the track end pins, for better mechanical stability.

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 12:35:32 am
content: apparently that switch's top is 3,8 mm wide are there any bigger ones?seems like there always tiny, Do you know of any flat rocker switches?thx

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 01:57:30 am
content: can you place a switch like this through a pcb?or is that a nono

author: Jwillis
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 06:16:35 pm
content: Quote from: foruuser on November 05, 2021, 01:57:30 amYou can but the through hole pads need to be large enough to support it. There are miniature rocker and toggle switches for PCB mounting . They will have pins instead of quick connect tabs .

author: foruuser
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 02:51:17 pm
content: that switch with support is great but why is 7 dollars? that is way moreI have another question I am using blue resistors with color lines on them and capacitors that are orange circular with numbers on them, If I switch these for the modern tiny little ones that are soldered on the pcb, does that work? Are they exactly similar in functionality and compatibility? thanks

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2021, 05:05:14 pm
content: Quote from: foruuser on November 06, 2021, 02:51:17 pmBoth through-hole and surface-mount discrete passive components are made with different materials, depending on the part. Color is not important. "Exactly similar" is not a good question: surface-mount parts have many advantages, but there are differences between them and their leaded equivalents.Your "blue" resistors may be metal-film (maybe not), and the direct replacement would be "thin film" surface-mount parts, but they are more expensive than "thick-film" surface-mount parts. You need to check what the actual requirement on the resistor is: thin-film may have a better temperature co-efficient, but that may not be necessary for your application. You also need to consider the power dissipation in resistors to choose the correct part.Your "orange" capacitors: do you mean "disc" capacitors or "tubular" capacitors (both of which are often orange). Two important questions about capacitor construction (for non-polarized types):1. Ceramic or film? If ceramic, "C0G/NP0" capacitors, available in smaller values, are generally better than "X7R" capacitors for critical circuits, but "X7R" capacitors are usually OK for less-critical circuits such as bypass capacitors where their voltage co-efficient can be tolerated. (See lots of discussions on this site about the voltage dependence of non-C0G capacitors and how to deal with it.)2. If film capacitors are required, you may find that surface-mount film capacitors are inferior to the leaded parts, since the best dielectrics (such as polypropylene) are not available in surface-mount due to physical properties.