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Leafswitches - Check this out!!!!!!!!

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GGKoul:
For people that don't understand the difference between the 2 switches, I thought I'll dig up an old thread on the topic.

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* Leaf switch vs. Microswitch:

Leaf switch = two thin parallel pieces of metal that are usually not in contact, but when one piece  is pressed against the other (by a button, or joystick) an electrical circuit is completed.  Older games (pre-90s) used leaf switches for most everything, but most modern arcade controls, for better or worse, use microswitches.

Microswitch = one piece of metal that is bent to spring into contact with a pole when pressure is applied to the middle.  If you want to see how one works, you'll have to take it apart, because these kinds of switches tend to be encased in plastic.  They are smaller and easier to maintain than leaf switches, but have a distinct click when engaged (unlike nearly-silent leaf switches).
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Santoro:

--- Quote from: RandyT on February 01, 2006, 07:35:23 pm ---Plastic changes the equation a bit.
--- End quote ---

Plastic is a new development since 2 years ago?  ;)

JoyMonkey:
I'm not too familiar with the ins and outs of leaf switches, but couldn't you use shorter blades to keep everything a little more compact? Or does the blade length directly affect the swithces response time?

Level42:
Ahh, forget it Ponyboy......they'll never sale......

We hard-core BYOAC-ers either want clickerty-clack Cherry's OR those space consuming, never-the-right-size-for-your-CP-thicknes leafholders.

 :D

WHOHAAAHAHAHA what a great idea ! I love it !
This may be the rescue for us leaf-lovers !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recently had a nice and long chat with a long-time employee at Suzo's head office here in Holland, and he told me things are running thin on the leaf and button parts ! I actualy only could still get the expensive Tungsten holder assembly's and they even had to back-order those. No blue translucent buttons anymore too....

Anyway. I like what I see. Only question: will the smaller size of the leafs have an influence on the "feel". My guess is not too much....My only hope is that the leafs will be of Suzo/Happ quality, not the Chinese rubbish found elsewhere, but I guess Ponyboy wouldn't even think about it.

This once again prooves: the best ideas are the simplest :)

Also nice to be able to eliminate the last microswitches on my CP: 1P and 2P buttons

RandyT:

--- Quote from: Santoro on February 02, 2006, 09:29:16 am ---
--- Quote from: RandyT on February 01, 2006, 07:35:23 pm ---Plastic changes the equation a bit.
--- End quote ---
Plastic is a new development since 2 years ago?  ;)

--- End quote ---

No, but the low-cost availability of such an item from a company who has already spent the thousands in mold costs changes the price dynamic.
There also weren't too many companies out there offering short production runs on expendable, low-cost tooling then either. :)

It would have cost me $3 each to have them made from metal.  A plastic part this size would cost about 3 cents each in large quantities, excluding the actual switch, once the tooling was paid for.  That means a re-seller should be able to purchase them for less than a dollar.

I would have needed to sell a ton more than I could sell to this community in order to cover setup costs.  Makes it a lot easier to offer them at a reasonable cost if a manufacturer did all that already (assuming they did :) )

RandyT

BTW, here is the post where I mentioned such an adapter.  It was at that time when I investigated this.  Just so nobody thinks I'm pulling a "sour grapes " :)



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