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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: FrizzleFried on July 13, 2007, 05:58:01 pm

Title: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: FrizzleFried on July 13, 2007, 05:58:01 pm
These buttons have multiple connections...for the button functionality as well as the light.  Does anyone know what connections are for what (ground, power for the light, etc).

Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: grantspain on July 13, 2007, 06:03:23 pm
get your meter out and check the continuity,when you press the button the dead short will be the switch and the lamp will not change and will have some resistance
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: SirPeale on July 13, 2007, 06:28:05 pm
Not only that, but get it in your hand and physically look at it.  Everything is pretty self-explanatory.   You can see that the switch is separate from the light.  Standard microswitch rules apply here.  The light IIRC has + and - labeled, so you know how to hook up your LED.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: ChadTower on July 13, 2007, 06:46:21 pm

I have one in my hand as I post this.   The left set of three have the NC and NO tabs labeled and the right set of two has the ground tab labeled.  It also says they consume 0.1A at -125VAC.

-125VAC?  Odd.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: SirPeale on July 13, 2007, 06:58:02 pm
That's what the switch can handle.  125V @ .1A
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: FrizzleFried on July 13, 2007, 07:02:33 pm
Mine has 4 posts on one side and 2 on the other.  The 2 by themselves appear to be the lighting side whereas the other 4 posts are labeled NC and NO (I am having a brain fart,  can someone tell me what NC and NO mean...durrr?!).

Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: grantspain on July 13, 2007, 07:09:56 pm
NC=normally closed
NO=normally open
com=common
 :dizzy:
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: FrizzleFried on July 13, 2007, 07:11:00 pm
NC=normally closed
NO=normally open
com=common
 :dizzy:

I had the OPEN and CLOSED part but couldn't put my finger on the "N" word.

Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: grantspain on July 13, 2007, 07:13:51 pm
and i am normally drunk :cheers:
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: Kevin Mullins on July 13, 2007, 07:23:30 pm
Obviously .....   :cheers:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/avatars/user/avatar_9130.png)
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: grantspain on July 13, 2007, 07:27:05 pm
Obviously .....   :cheers:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/avatars/user/avatar_9130.png)
she's a looker ain't she :cheers: :cheers:
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: Jouster on July 13, 2007, 07:31:48 pm

I had the OPEN and CLOSED part but couldn't put my finger on the "N" word.


Ouch...be carefull...you need to watch yourself when talking about the N word.

Jouster
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: torez on July 13, 2007, 08:04:12 pm
I have 6-lead volcano button with 250 VAC (originally it was in Bally/Midway cab), same as FrizzleFried's.  I use two NO (normally open) for  button/credit press.  From my inspection, I see no solder residue on the two in the center (out of 4 in a row).  Other two sideways would be the led light.  They are right in the center, so they look like led leads anyway.
The two center leads (out of 4) would be for circuit always closed and you open it when you press the button.

Ps.  You have to use resistors to reduce current to these leds.  Search this site here for other posts like this.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: ChadTower on July 13, 2007, 08:08:53 pm

We were going on the fact that he said Atari.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: torez on July 13, 2007, 08:11:59 pm

I have one in my hand as I post this.   The left set of three have the NC and NO tabs labeled and the right set of two has the ground tab labeled.  It also says they consume 0.1A at -125VAC.

-125VAC?  Odd.

These are maximum allowable values.  You have to calculate proper resistance, so the current to the led is <=0.1A.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: SirPeale on July 13, 2007, 08:33:51 pm

I have one in my hand as I post this.   The left set of three have the NC and NO tabs labeled and the right set of two has the ground tab labeled.  It also says they consume 0.1A at -125VAC.

-125VAC?  Odd.

These are maximum allowable values.  You have to calculate proper resistance, so the current to the led is <=0.1A.

Amps are draw, not output.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: Jouster on July 13, 2007, 09:11:08 pm
Can you still buy these somewhere?  I thought  they were no longer available.

Or are there cheap (or not so cheap) knock offs available?

Jouster
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: Kevin Mullins on July 13, 2007, 09:35:52 pm
Here's one source......
http://www.ram-controls.com/order-cones.html (http://www.ram-controls.com/order-cones.html)

There was an "Atari Cone Button War" going on awhile back about reproduction of these amongst some people. Not sure who all else is still supplying these though.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: BrentRadio on July 13, 2007, 11:29:35 pm
Jouster, did you need the buttons or the cones that go on them?

I have the cones very cheap if you need some.

Brent
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: Jouster on July 14, 2007, 05:34:20 pm
I was really more curious than anything...I thought that I had read somewhere that the Atari cone buttons weren't being manufactured anymore.  $20 a button is a bit much...but then again...I don't have a cab to put them in yet.  I'm sure when I start my next project that won't seem so high.

Jouster
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: SirPeale on July 15, 2007, 07:53:54 am
The switch assembly isn't being made any more.  People have made repro cones, however.
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: Level42 on July 15, 2007, 10:18:18 am
Luigi from Germany sells repro cones, and both used and new switches for very good prices, although the Euro-Dollar rate may bring things up for the US folks here...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=profile;u=6387
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: rockin_rick on July 19, 2007, 09:28:24 pm

I have one in my hand as I post this.   The left set of three have the NC and NO tabs labeled and the right set of two has the ground tab labeled.  It also says they consume 0.1A at -125VAC.

-125VAC?  Odd.

These are maximum allowable values.  You have to calculate proper resistance, so the current to the led is <=0.1A.

I don't believe this to be correct -

The LED draw is not specified, this 0.1A is the switch contact rating.  Allowing 100mA (at 100% duty cycle) to the LED most likely will damage it.  While I don't know just what the rating on the LED is, most 'normal' ones are rated for a max of 20mA (0.02A).  Usually only the 'superbright' ones are rated at more than 20mA.  I have my doubts that superbrights were even invented 25-30 years ago let alone used in these buttons...

I suggest calculating resistance so that the current to the LED is limited to 10-20mA.

Rick
Title: Re: Atari "Volcano" Button Help
Post by: BrentRadio on July 19, 2007, 11:56:50 pm
Todd at TNT Amusements has the buttons for $10 each.

Brent