Main > Main Forum

Benefit of different weighted microswitches

(1/3) > >>

Generic Eric:
It was easier picking out controls 10 years ago.  The biggest choice was between buttons with leaf switches or without.  Anyway.

I was looking at a website that had options between:

* 25 gram
* 50 gram
* 125 gram
* 75 gram cherry microswitches
Can someone comment on the pros/cons of each of these.  Thanks.

Necro:
^--- This.  I'd like the insight as well.  Is it solely 'press less hard' or something else?

Nephasth:
Sounds like you're shopping on Paradise Arcade Shop ;)

That rating of the switches is just how much force it takes to actuate the switch. 125 grams takes noticably more force to actuate than your standard 75 gram Cherry switch. Just the opposite with the 20 grams, very easy to actuate. I went with 50 gram switches, still feels good and I was able to save some money on an order of 50 switches ($12.50).

RandyT:

--- Quote from: Generic Eric on April 14, 2011, 09:04:56 pm ---It was easier picking out controls 10 years ago.  The biggest choice was between buttons with leaf switches or without.  Anyway.
...
Can someone comment on the pros/cons of each of these.  Thanks.


--- End quote ---

Most will find the lightest switch possible to be the one most preferred.  Due to this, all of our pushbuttons come standard with sub-20 gram (as tested) microswitches at no extra charge.  Lighter force switches mitigate fatigue and remove the switch from the button's physical equation.  For example, some buttons are made with heavy spring resistance, and the actuation force required is increased even further by the resistance of the microswitch.  Using a very light switch actually makes buttons like this usable, where they would not be (for most) otherwise.  Light switches are also good on standard buttons which don't have heavy springs because they allow for much more flexibility in customizing the feel of the button.  A button which has had it's internal return spring stretched a bit to give a 50gram total resistance, will feel better to those wanting more resistance, than a light button with a 50gr microswitch.

RandyT

SammyWI:
Generally lighter = better feel but more $.  But, I did find one use for the heaviest microswitch I could find (the 125 gram from Paradise Arcade).  I wanted to make a lightgun that was as close to one of my real guns as possible.  I modified an airsoft pistol with an Aimtrack and used the 125 gram switch for the trigger since I needed a fairly stiff and distinct trigger break to match the real one. 

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version