Mechanical switches are one of the most common electrical devices as they allow power to be turned on or off.
Switches are rated for the amount of current and voltage they are suitable for. For switching low power and low currents like using a switch as an input to a microcontroller just about any switch will do. When using a switch to control power from a battery or turn a motor on then care should be taken to ensure the switch is rated to the expected current. For high power uses an electronic solid state switch can be better.
Mechanically switches are varied. Momentary switches are either on or off while you hold them like buttons while others will maintain the state until switched back like toggles or sliders. Like relays, switches can be SPST (single pole single throw), DPDT (double pole double throw) or lots of other variations.
Code: SKU-005486
Keypads are very handy input devices, but who wants to tie up seven GPIO pins, wire up a handful of pull-up resistors, and write firmware that wastes valuable processing time scanning the keys for inputs? The SparkFun Qwiic Keypad comes fully assembled and makes the development process for adding... More Details...
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Code: SKU-001229
These simple switches are the Mechanical Bumper sensor for the SparkFun RedBot, giving you the ability to detect a collision before it really happens. This sensor works by acting as a SPST switch. More Details...
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Code: SKU-005249
These are the sturdy little stomp switches that you find on guitar effects pedals. They’re 3PDT (three-pole, double-throw) type switches. Thhese switches allow you to modify your effects for true bypass and lets you wire a status indicator LED. More Details...
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Code: SKU-000092
Surface mount DPDT switch for those tight portable designs. Capable of switching up to 1.2VA (360mA at 3.3V and 240mA at 5V). Documents: Datasheet More Details...
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Code: SKU-000152
Surface mount 3-way switch. These switches are commonly found on handheld devices like MP3 players. This switch allows the user to navigate using up and down selections then select by pressing the plastic piece inwards. Capable of swtiching up to 1.2VA (360mA at 3.3V and 240mA at 5V). More Details...
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Code: SKU-000811
A simple SMD slide switch. Perfect for when you need access to a setting or a power switch from the edge of a PCB buried deep within a project. Features: 4V - 300mA 70mOhm resistance 10,000 cycle life Documents: Datasheet More Details...
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Code: SKU-001941
This is an SMD 12mm square SPST button. What we really like is the large button head and good tactile feel (it ‘clicks’ really well). More Details...
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Code: SKU-001940
This is an SMD 6mm square SPST button. What we really like is the little button head and good tactile feel (it ‘clicks’ really well). This button is great for user input or a good reset button on a PCB. More Details...
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Code: SKU-000642
12 clicky tactile buttons in 6 different colours. This is a handy pack of breadboard friendly buttons. The pack contains 2 each of red, green, blue, white, yellow and black. More Details...
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Code: SKU-000301
This is a joystick very similar to the ‘analogue’ joysticks on PS2 (PlayStation 2) controllers. Directional movements are simply two potentiometers - one for each axis. Pots are ~10k each. This joystick also has a select button that is actuated when the joystick is pressed down. More Details...
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