Use case for Normally closed (NC) on joystick switch?

[xantari]

Who uses the Normally Closed switch pin on their joysticks?

What use was it for?

[johnrt]

Who uses the Normally Closed switch pin on their joysticks?

What use was it for?

Noone use it in the joysticks or arcade buttons. It's just the micro switches that comes with that option. These microswitches can be used in almost anything. Alarms, intrusion detections, for example.

[DaOld Man]

What johnrt said.
These type microswitches have a lot of uses in factories, controlling and monitoring equipment.
The NO and NC contacts both have many uses in that field, but I havent seen anyone use the NC contact in this hobby, except for rotating monitor setups

[xantari]

Thanks!

[PL1]

Who uses the Normally Closed switch pin on their joysticks?

What use was it for?

To be clear, the NC tab is usually not used.

Exception:  Anyone using KADE Extended Mode.

Other examples of using the NC tab for arcade-related applications:
  1. Piggy-backing a second button (or two) on an input like the MAME/Pinball switches in this diagram.



  2. Drventure mentioned here that he used it on a pinball plunger switch.


Scott

[ivwshane]

I used it for my coin button on my arcade. When a user pressed the coin reject button it would register as a button press (depress actually).

[severdhed]

I used the NC tab on the reset switch on my Raspberry Pi SNES.  It was easy to mount the switch so it pressed in its resting state.

[CheffoJeffo]

Noone use it in the joysticks or arcade buttons. It's just the micro switches that comes with that option. These microswitches can be used in almost anything. Alarms, intrusion detections, for example.

+1

I once fixed a dishwasher by replacing a stock microswitch from my arcade stash.

[AndyWarne]

With this curious switch from China there isnt much option

[big10p]

Classic. Doesn't give you much confidence in the quality of the switch, does it. 

[RandyT]

Would you rather it be marked in Chinese? At least the terminal numbers aren't all the same 

Seriously though, the Chinese getting an English marking incorrect doesn't mean much with regard to the quality of the materials used.  The top one is always NC, and the bottom is always NO.  Pop any switch like this apart, and it will be obvious as to why this must be the case.  While you are in there, you can examine the quality of the construction, contact points, etc, which is the true way to evaluate the quality of a switch.

[AndyWarne]

The top one is always NC, and the bottom is always NO. 

Except when they are not:

[pbj]

Nerd fight!

[lilshawn]

[johnrt]

How many BYOAC'ers does it take to change a lightbulb?

1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.
27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs.
53 to flame the spell checkers.
41 to correct spelling/grammar flames.
6 to argue over whether it’s “lightbulb” or “light bulb”…another 6 to condemn those 6 as anal-retentive
2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is “lamp”.
15 know-it-alls who claim *they* were in the industry, and that “light bulb” is perfectly correct.
109 to post that this group is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a lightbulb group
203 to demand that cross posting to hardware forum, off-topic forum, and lightbulb group about changing light bulbs be stopped.
111 to defend the posting to this group saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts *are* relevant to this group.
306 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique, and what brands are faulty.
27 to post URL’s where one can see examples of different light bulbs.
14 to post that the URL’s were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL’s.
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19 to quote the “Me too’s” to say “Me three”.
4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ.
1 blind user who doesn't share the significance of the issue
44 to ask what is a “FAQ”.
4 to say “didn’t we go through this already a short time ago?”
143 to say “do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs”.
1 forum lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start it all over again….
45 Google geniuses who find the topic on an Internet search and reply to it 6 years later without checking the date of the post

[RandyT]

Except when they are not:

You can dig up an exception to any rule if you look hard enough.  It's obviously an oddball, special purpose switch which deviates from the others the same company produces.  Crouzet seems to be counting the terminals using the binary system as well 

I'll add something else here.  When the first "snap switch" was produced, it was a heavily defended patent.  To make a switch which competed with it, one would have needed to change the internal design.  IMHO, this is what Crouzet did, and the design is a remnant from the past which they apparently still offer.  Of course, they also make standard ones now like everyone else, now that the patent has long expired.

Was the one you posted with the conflicting labeling configured as the Crouzet or as I stated earlier?

Nerd fight!

Given that you posted this on a forum dedicated to arcade controls, I hereby declare you the winner! 

[AndyWarne]

You can dig up an exception to any rule if you look hard enough.  It's obviously an oddball, special purpose switch which deviates from the others the same company produces.  Crouzet seems to be counting the terminals using the binary system as well 

Was the one you posted with the conflicting labeling configured as the Crouzet or as I stated earlier?

The Crouzet switches are a standard type as used on certain types of I-L joysticks.

I would presume the Chinese switch actually operates as per the schematic diagram on the switch, but then again...

[RandyT]

The Crouzet switches are a standard type as used on certain types of I-L joysticks.

Likely selected a long time ago for those assemblies, with both companies being based in Europe probably having something to do with the decision.  Companies are loathe to make changes to parts they sell regularly to large corporate interests, who may use them for purposes where these switches offer some benefit to them.

This does, however, explain why I get so many requests for better joystick switches with short blades like the one shown.