Post by thread:TINY switches?

Hi, all; I'm looking for some really small switches for a tiny keyboard. Want to find some that're under 4mm square or so. SMD would be great, for this. 2mm would be unbelievably great <G> Something like "tactile switches", as they're called. I'm starting to think I'll be doing carbon conductive switches for this thing... I figure a nice SMD PIC on there would do for a keyboard monitor, if I can find the switches. Otherwise I'll have to make some cobbled together nightmare with stacked layers of switches and push-rods, ACK! I'm thinking of a way to use those 3mmx6xx rectangular switches with pushrods if I have to, but other options would be far better. Mark -- I re-ship for small US & overseas businesses, world-wide. (For private individuals at cost; ask.)

My talking communicators use a membrane keyboard of my design which I have had made for me. The keys are about 20mm square BUT each consists of an 11 x 11 array of "keylets" which are electrically joined. This keyboard uses "ink separator" technology to hold the membrane layers apart. The conductive part is a series of horizontal and vertical stripes at right angles to each other. A series of ink dots at the interstices of the x/y grid keeps them apart. IF your design can tolerate a custom keyboard this may be an acceptable way to go. The ink for the separators is a special one intended for this express purpose (from Canada I believe). Russell McMahon _____________________________ >From other worlds - http://www.easttimor.com http://www.sudan.com What can one man* do? Help the hungry at no cost to yourself! at http://www.thehungersite.com/ (* - or woman, child or internet enabled intelligent entity :-)) From: Mark Willis <spam_OUTmwillisTakeThisOuTFOXINTERNET.NET> {Quote hidden}>Hi, all; I'm looking for some really small switches for a tiny >keyboard. > >Want to find some that're under 4mm square or so. SMD would be great, >for this. 2mm would be unbelievably great <G> Something like "tactile >switches", as they're called. I'm starting to think I'll be doing >carbon conductive switches for this thing... > >I figure a nice SMD PIC on there would do for a keyboard monitor, if I >can find the switches. Otherwise I'll have to make some cobbled >together nightmare with stacked layers of switches and push-rods, ACK! > >I'm thinking of a way to use those 3mmx6xx rectangular switches with >pushrods if I have to, but other options would be far better.

It's a "qwerty" keyboard, so what I want's a really good feel and good lifetime; So many designs have such different "feel". A tactile switch group would work, but be somewhat pricey ($20 or so for switches alone.) I'm thinking <G> Mark Russell McMahon wrote: {Quote hidden}> > My talking communicators use a membrane keyboard of my design which I have > had made for me. The keys are about 20mm square BUT each consists of an 11 x > 11 array of "keylets" which are electrically joined. This keyboard uses "ink > separator" technology to hold the membrane layers apart. The conductive part > is a series of horizontal and vertical stripes at right angles to each > other. A series of ink dots at the interstices of the x/y grid keeps them > apart. IF your design can tolerate a custom keyboard this may be an > acceptable way to go. The ink for the separators is a special one intended > for this express purpose (from Canada I believe). > > Russell McMahon > _____________________________ > > >From other worlds - http://www.easttimor.com > http://www.sudan.com > > What can one man* do? > Help the hungry at no cost to yourself! > at http://www.thehungersite.com/ > > (* - or woman, child or internet enabled intelligent entity :-)) > > From: Mark Willis <.....mwillisKILLspam@spam@FOXINTERNET.NET> > > >Hi, all; I'm looking for some really small switches for a tiny > >keyboard. > > > >Want to find some that're under 4mm square or so. SMD would be great, > >for this. 2mm would be unbelievably great <G> Something like "tactile > >switches", as they're called. I'm starting to think I'll be doing > >carbon conductive switches for this thing... > > > >I figure a nice SMD PIC on there would do for a keyboard monitor, if I > >can find the switches. Otherwise I'll have to make some cobbled > >together nightmare with stacked layers of switches and push-rods, ACK! > > > >I'm thinking of a way to use those 3mmx6xx rectangular switches with > >pushrods if I have to, but other options would be far better. -- I re-ship for small US & overseas businesses, world-wide. (For private individuals at cost; ask.)

Mark, Are you aware of the folding keyboards now available for PDAs? They fold up smaller that the PalmPilot, but unfold to be laptop-sized full QWERTY keyboard. Maybe too pricey? But.. all done, and available. Food for thought at least. And if you want tiny tac. switches check the NKK and Panasonic lines. Even DigiKey has a range of the Panasonic ones. -Barry. ------------ Barry King, Engineering Manager NRG Systems "Measuring the Wind's Energy" http://www.nrgsystems.com Phone: 802-482-2255 FAX: 802-482-2272 -Barry