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Buttons: Leaf or Micro-Switch?

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WhereEaglesDare:
Is there any advantage to leaf buttons over micro-switch buttons?

I read the discussion about RoboTron and leaf sticks, but what about buttons?

D_Harris:

--- Quote from: WhereEaglesDare on January 22, 2011, 11:53:39 am ---Is there any advantage to leaf buttons over micro-switch buttons?

I read the discussion about RoboTron and leaf sticks, but what about buttons?

--- End quote ---

Basically the same thing. They feel different from each other. And the Micro switches are of course more maintenance free.

The issue really isn't that you can hear the click of Micro switches as much as you being able to feel the click, which is something you don't experience with leaf switches.

Outside of that I think the hoopla made over the difference in "throw distance" is hogwash. (That goes for buttons as well as joysticks). But you'll need to put more pressure on your buttons to activate the micro switch compared to the leaf switches.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

opt2not:
There's a good explaination of the button difference posted in that robotron thread as well ( by Xiaou2):
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108565.msg1154453#msg1154453
He's pretty bang-on with the explaination.


--- Quote ---And the Micro switches are of course more maintenance free.
--- End quote ---
No way. Micros are way more prone to failing than leafs. They have more small moving parts and are more likely to fail over time than leafs. I've had to replace several microswitches on the machines that I've maintained before, and these were machines that got lots of play time. And in most cases it was the small actuators inside the switch that would bend or snap.


--- Quote --- But you'll need to put more pressure on your buttons to activate the micro switch.
--- End quote ---
This is the problem. More pressure means less activation presses, or more effort to keep up with quick activation.

Really, the only good reasons to use micros are that that are readily available, and much cheaper in price.

D_Harris:

--- Quote from: opt2not on January 22, 2011, 02:33:55 pm ---There's a good explaination of the button difference posted in that robotron thread as well ( by Xiaou2):
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108565.msg1154453#msg1154453
He's pretty bang-on with the explaination.


--- Quote ---And the Micro switches are of course more maintenance free.
--- End quote ---
No way. Micros are way more prone to failing than leafs. They have more small moving parts and are more likely to fail over time than leafs. I've had to replace several microswitches on the machines that I've maintained before, and these were machines that got lots of play time. And in most cases it was the small actuators inside the switch that would bend or snap.


--- End quote ---

Micro switches are still more maintenance free. I'm talking about having to keep adjusting the leaf switches over the course of their life. You don't have to do that with micro switches.  But like anything, when they break then you replace them.


--- Quote ---


--- Quote --- But you'll need to put more pressure on your buttons to activate the micro switch.
--- End quote ---
This is the problem. More pressure means less activation presses, or more effort to keep up with quick activation.


--- End quote ---

Of course. For games like Asteroids and especially Track and Field leaf switches are indispensable.


--- Quote ---
Really, the only good reasons to use micros are that that are readily available, and much cheaper in price.


--- End quote ---

As long as you don't mind having to adjust the leaf switches regularly, then I agree.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Nephasth:

--- Quote from: opt2not on January 22, 2011, 02:33:55 pm ---More pressure means less activation presses, or more effort to keep up with quick activation.

--- End quote ---

How much force does it take to move a leaf switch into making contact? I know it's not much, but surely it is measurable. You can also get microswitches with a 20 gram rating, which isn't much at all. Just curious as to how many grams it takes to activate a leaf switch.

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