Unusual Pots with Momentary Switch?

[varialbender]

Anyone know of a pot that also acts as a momentary switch? I've seen something similar on the Alesis Micron, but I would want the pot part to really be a pot, instead of a rotary switch, if you know at all what I'm talking about.
How big would something like this be?
Would it save any space?
Or would it make more sense to keep the pot and momentary switch separate?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I don't know what your application is, but some analog (games) joysticks have TWO pots and TWO momentary switches! Before throwing this out, note that some joysticks can have the return springs removed so they stay where you put them.

[varialbender]

Thanks for the reply Paul
I would prefer the pot to have a spring so that when you push it, it comes back up.
I would need another switch anyway, so I'll probably just use one switch with up and down, returning with springs to the center position.
There's a question, know where I can get a switch that stays in the middle and can be pushed momentarily up or down?
I think I'd only need spdt.
I want to use it to send voltage to 2 different pins of a chip, so either voltage to one of the pins, the other, or none.
Thanks again

[DiyFreaque]

Just about any of the major electronic suppliers will have such a switch.  The switch in question will be described as 'SPDT (on) off (on)'.

The 'on' in parenthesis will indicate the position is momentary, if there are no parenthesis, then the 'on' indicates it's a normal 'fixed' position.  This applies also for 'off' positions - (off) would be momentary off. 

For example, 'DPDT (on) off on' would describe a three position DPDT switch, with one position momentary, the other not and the center position off.

Cheerio,
Scott

[Processaurus]

I don't know what your application is, but some analog (games) joysticks have TWO pots and TWO momentary switches! Before throwing this out, note that some joysticks can have the return springs removed so they stay where you put them.

Great idea Paul, I've taken those apart and noticed the joystick was just hooked up in a clever way to two ordinary pots.  Those joysticks have to be good for something musical and DIY, probably more for synth or a stand alone noisemake rather than guitar, or anything where you can have a hand free (I suppose you could take off your shoe and wiggle it with your toe, though).   You could have one joystick control both a filter's cutoff frequecy and resonace, or a ring modulator or something.

[DiyFreaque]

(I suppose you could take off your shoe and wiggle it with your toe, though)

I've got a great little toe joystick.  I ordered it from one of Noble's distributors a while back - paid way too much for it.  It's spring centered, and has a momentary switch on the Z axis (you press down on it to actuate the switch).  This would be handy for gating stuff.  Tiny little thing, fits in the palm of my hand.  I imagine once one became skilled with the toe, it would work out pretty well.

Actually, though, it would be nice as a pitch bender on something tiny like the Sound Lab. 

[Processaurus]

I've got a great little toe joystick.  

Pinky toe joystick?

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

DiyFreaque, thanks for the tip about hte parenthesis! I hadn't twigged to that
I did get a bunch of salvaged momentary toggle switches from some old Nortel power supplies, I think you toggled them down either to reset the auto shutdown, or to set something.

[DiyFreaque]

I think I learned it one time when I ordered a switch, received it, felt the action and thought "Huh. That must be what those parenthesis mean." 

Cheerio,
Scott

[DiyFreaque]

Here's a good resource on switches and how to know what you're getting or what you need:

http://www.carlingtech.com/products/switches/learn_more.asp?page=switches_basic-circuit-function#2

Great text and PDF.

Cheerio,
Scott