Help me pick a switch

[Beo]

Remote foot controller, maybe 16 to 25 switches, using CMOS switching. I'm trying to decide how to invest my switching dollars.

This is for bedroom gigging...

4$, very low profile:

for sale here: http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/PB-143/HD-METAL-PUSHBUTTON-N.O.-MOMENTARY/1.html

4$, I like these for tap tempo applications:

for sale here: http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=672

25cents,

for sale here: http://www.taydaelectronics.com/servlet/the-1569/Push-Button-PUSHBUTTON-SWITCH/Detail

[blooze_man]

of those three, I would choose the Smallbear switch.

[Beo]

of those three, I would choose the Smallbear switch.

I think so too, I have two of them already and I like the way they feel. I'm thinking that with a 4x4 or a 5x5 configuration of switches, I want something that gives a bit of force feecback, and not a light touch. I can only imagine though, what it would be like to give a light tap with a toe and turn on an effect...

[Fender3D]

With Tayda's you'll discover what's like to give a normal tap and break a switch  

Banzai has these http://www.banzaimusic.com/SW1065M-SPST-Momentary-Footswitch.html 25 will cost €1.67 each

[defaced]

+1 for the Small Bear style switch. 

This is for bedroom gigging...

4$, very low profile:

I've never used these, but was looking at similar stuff few years ago for a similar application.  If the button doesn't engage until it's below the surface of the switch body (like elevator buttons), it won't be good for this application.  You'd probably have to order one to see before you went 25 in. 

[Mark Hammer]

You'll want somethng that provides tactile feedback, and that can withstand normal use.  Unless that first one has a pronounced click to it, it would seem that theSmall Bear one comes out the clear winner.

There are some fairly large (an inch across) plastic momentaries that can provide sufficient tactile feedback, and have the virtue of being not only inexpensive, but offering color-coding of function.  They would provide a profile taller than the first dome-top kind you show, noticeably lower than the Small Bear type, and noticeably larger than the small slender momentary. 

The color-coding will let you tell somebody else "Hit the red one, then the green one, then hold the blue one down for a bit".  If the layout and functioning does not require anything as complicated as that, or if you'd rather have different LED colors light up to designate function, then go for metal ruggedness.

[Beo]

I read somewhere on this forum that this low profile switch makes contact very early in it's travel... you do not need to depress the switch below the rim. If the LED is positioned far enough away so it's not hidden by your foot, you'll get the visual cue that you engaged the switch... so maybe the physical feedback might not be mandatory. I think I'll order one to try it out. I'm pretty sure I agree with the consensus that the smallbear carling type switch is probably best.

Any recommendations on what type of connector and cable to use to connect this controller to the rackmount switching unit? It'll have to carry Ground, Power and 25 control signals, 27 wires total. I could use four RJ45 ethernet cables (8 wires each). Dsub connectors come in 9, 15, 25, 37 and 50 pin configurations.

[Beo]

With Tayda's you'll discover what's like to give a normal tap and break a switch  

From the picture, it looks like a metal shaft, so I wondered if it might have a bit of strength to it. I figured if I'm gentle, I shouldn't break them to often, and they'd be easy to replace. I'll add a few next time I do a Tayda order, so I can check them out.

[asatbluesboy]

The SmallBear one is (I believe) the one on the Whammy. I bought a couple for my PDS 1002 (gotta hate those DOD switches...) and they work like a charm. They feel like they'll never ever really break. The only downside to them (apart from the price) is they're quite tall.

[Mark Hammer]

The SmallBear one is (I believe) the one on the Whammy. I bought a couple for my PDS 1002 (gotta hate those DOD switches...) and they work like a charm. They feel like they'll never ever really break. The only downside to them (apart from the price) is they're quite tall.

Height CAN be a consideration, but if you're building your own controller, it's no big deal to recess it to the height you want/need, sorta like Pete Cornish does.  For instance, say you had the switches attached to a sheet of metal, but with an overlay of thin masonite covered with a bit of indoor-/outdoor carpeting, and cutouts around the switches, so that maybe only half the switch was poking out above the level of the overlay.  You get your easier foot angle, your tactile feedback, and reduced accidental bumping.

[defaced]

I read somewhere on this forum that this low profile switch makes contact very early in it's travel... you do not need to depress the switch below the rim.

If you happen to go this route, I'd be interested in hearing your experience.  I much prefer this style of switch because there's nothing that can catch/break when things get lugged around, and they look really cool. 

[Beo]

There doesn't seem to be any recent remote switching threads, so I'll just continue this one that I started.

I've searched all the threads regarding the various single-coil and dual-coil relay switching driver circuits, and the cmos switching circuits. Here are my questions: how can you ensure that the remote switch LEDs show the true position of the remote switch? Couldn't the flip-flop circuitry initialize randomly (or to last known configuration) and mismatch with the remote LED? If the relay fails to trigger, is there no way to send a feedback signal back to the remote switch to prevent the remote LED from illuminating?

Using the CMOS CD4053, you could use the third switch to drive the LED, both at the rack unit and sent back to the remote switch. However, all relays I've seen are DPDT, so how can you have a confirmation signal that can ensure the correct sync of on/off at the rack unit and the remote footswitch unit?

Sorry if these questions are dumb or don't make sense... I'm still learning.

[Fender3D]

You have to choose what "logic" will drive your relays.
You may have a simple switch supplying a voltage to engage relays or you may have a (more or less complex) digital "logic" doing the same task: supplying a voltage.
You'll always end up with 2 logic states (1 or 0).
These 2 states will always be in sync with whatever will follow.
If you choose to go with digital logic you'd better have that logic near to your switches, thus avoiding any issue with cable lenght, noises and so on; so you'll send 1 or 0 straight to relays/cmos-switches.
Whether relays won't engage they're faulty and should be subbed...