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-004093
This is a mountable SPDT slide switch — great for use as a general control switch. The pins are spaced by 3.7mm (0.14"), making breadboard use not an option. It is rated for 300mA at 125VAC. More Details...
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Code: SKU-004359
This is a simple 4-pack of multicolor buttons, great for all sorts of projects! Unlike previous iterations of multicolor buttons, this pack’s tactile switches are actually recessed into the housing so they don’t accidentally fall off during use. More Details...
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Code: SKU-000345
This is a 33mm round momentary push button similar to the ones you find on arcade games. Simple screw in design. Perfect for mashing. Features: Convex Button 35.75 mm Diameter x 46 mm Height M28 thread Mounting Hole Diameter: 27.3 mm Net weight: 0.015kg Rated for 12V/1A More Details...
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Code: SKU-000783
This tactile switch has a good click and is positioned at right angles to the mounting leads. Typically mounted on the edge of a board for side access. It is designed for through hole attachment and is rated at 12VDC / 50mA. More Details...
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Code: SKU-005108
This little round on/off/on toggle switch is rated up to 10A at 125VAC and can be panel mounted in a 20mm diameter hole. It’ll also look pretty slick in your project! More Details...
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Code: SKU-002105
This is a single pole, 10 position rotary switch able to select up to 10 different states in a durable package. Unlike our other rotary switch, this model is much more robust and capable of handling larger currents and voltages. More Details...
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Code: SKU-000326
A simple slide potentiometer can go a long way. Rated at 10kOhm and 0.5W. Comes with solder tab connections. The taper profile for this slide can be found in the datasheet below labelled “0B” Documents: Datasheet More Details...
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Code: SKU-000327
This is the knob that connects to the linear slide potentiometer. Knob has a nice friction fit onto slide. Documents: Datasheet More Details...
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Code: SKU-006116
Buttons are an easy and tactile way to interface with your project, but why would you want to deal with debouncing, polling, and wiring up pull-up resistors? The Qwiic Button with built-in red LED simplifies all of those nasty worries away into an easy to use I 2 C device! Utilising our Qwiic Con... More Details...
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Code: SKU-006117
Buttons are an easy and tactile way to interface with your project, but why would you want to deal with debouncing, polling, and wiring up pull-up resistors? The SparkFun Qwiic Button Breakout simplifies all of those nasty worries away into an easy to use I 2 C device! Utilising our Qwiic Connect... More Details...
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