3D Printed Buttons, Printed As A Single Unit

These nifty buttons come from [Marc Schömann], and they are intended to cover just about any kind of tact switches. The buttons, their cover, and the compliant bits that act as a spring can be 3D printed as a complete unit that requires no assembly, and can be used fresh off the print bed.

The design is still being developed, but those interested in playing with it can download the current model here. [Marc] printed this version in two colors, but that’s just to make how the buttons work easier to see. It also gave him an opportunity to test and tune the tool changer on his printer.

Tool changer, you say? Yes, indeed. The printer is the Blackbox, a open source, tool-changing 3D printer of [Marc]’s own design with its own Hackaday.io project page.

Embedded below is a video overview of the button design being prepped and printed on a Blackbox printer, with a tool change happening in the process. Tool changing is an attractive feature that many people including E3D have taken a swing at, and it’s always exciting to see it in action.

Continue reading “3D Printed Buttons, Printed As A Single Unit”

Parts: Tactile Switches For Your Next Project

Electronics parts can be a pain to choose. It’s often hard to tell from manufacturers’ datasheets if a part will fit your design. We auditioned six different tactile switches to find a cheap button to use in upcoming projects. A tactile switch, also called a momentary button or push-to-make switch, is commonly used for input and microcontroller resets. This type of button creates a temporary electrical connection when pressed.

Footprints for most of these buttons are available in the Cadsoft Eagle library switch-tac, or in the Sparkfun parts library under TAC_SWITCH. Buttons in the image above are discussed from left to right. Continue reading “Parts: Tactile Switches For Your Next Project”