Possible latching/momentary switch device $7

[TroyO]

This little guy takes a momentary switch input and turns on a latching high current switch.

In theory, you could hook a momentary up to this board and to your soundboard that takes a momentary switch. (You may need a DP momentary)

Then, you hook your high current LED to the latching side of this board (With resistors, pucks, whatever) so that your light comes on and stays on.

The only thing I'm not sure would be so great is that theoretically if either this or the soundboard missed a click they would get out of synch... soundboard on/lights off or vice versa.

It's worth a look.... it seems to answer a recurring problem for some folks.

http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/750

[Skottsaber]

I would think that to stop the out of synch scenario you would just have to take out the batteries since its not an analogue latching switch.

Sounds cool.

[Sunrider]

Good find, I can use a couple of these. Thanks:)

[TroyO]

I ordered one, I'll give it a run through and see what it does.

[TroyO]

I got this fella in the mail... tiny! I haven't had a chance to test it out yet, but size wise it seems to fit the bill!

Anyway, it bodes well for being the exact thing to fix the momentary/latching connundrum.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

eastern57 hasn't posted this here, I think, but he found a very cheap way to do this and posted a tutorial here:
http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?topic=22399.0
It basically uses a $0.99 keychain flashlight to do the same thing.

[xl97]

the 'lighthound' pcb as it is sometimes referred too.

[TroyO]

I don't think the lighthound can direct drive a LED, though.

This guy is good for 10A.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

I don't think the lighthound can direct drive a LED, though.

This guy is good for 10A.

I've never tried it, so I don't know....I'll have to give a try this weekend.

[Zook]

No the lighthound will not take the current to drive a puck or a LED directly.

I had my doubts it would and then I read a post by Fender (I think it was him) somewhere recently that it will not work and the post sounded as if he was speaking from experience. If it was someone else I apologize to that party and Fender :D

[Lord Dottore Matto]

It was Luminara.;)

[Zook]

It was Luminara.;)

I was close then :mrgreen:

I got some of these switch circuit boards and hooked up one tonight to test it out. Works great with a puck.



click me for video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2FfPp0nI4U)

[Arkhan]

I ordered a couple of the pololu boards, wired one up tonight with an illuminated 16mm AV style momentary switch (brainfade, should have ordered the latching one) and a Hasbro FX Anakin EPIII

I was getting some weird behavior from the board, but some quick searchfu yielded the answer: The soundboard and pololu board must be grounded to each other.

One quick wire between pololu ground pad and "-" on the Hasbro FX, and everything fell into place.

momentary switch, converted into latching switch, with added bonus of the 10AMP capacity (which is irrelevant in this case, but oh well)

And at $7 a piece, a crazy bargain in today's Internet world. I spent more than that on heatshrink and wire at the Shack to hook it up.

[greatwazoo42]

Hi guys, I'm new.

I own this saber:
http://www.randomsabers.com/saber.php?name=killswitch

For it I bought this switch:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Gold-Plated-Momentary-Switch-P470.aspx

I learned about the difference between Momentary and Latching Switches after the fact.

Following Tim's advice and reading this thread I bought that little doodad you guys talked about:
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/750

My saber only has a LED and battery pack, no sound board. Which wires should go where? I don't want to blow anything up and I'm something of novice when it comes to electrical...stuff.

Thanks!

[Zook]

Hi guys, I'm new.

I own this saber:
http://www.randomsabers.com/saber.php?name=killswitch

For it I bought this switch:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Gold-Plated-Momentary-Switch-P470.aspx

I learned about the difference between Momentary and Latching Switches after the fact.

Following Tim's advice and reading this thread I bought that little doodad you guys talked about:
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/750

My saber only has a LED and battery pack, no sound board. Which wires should go where? I don't want to blow anything up and I'm something of novice when it comes to electrical...stuff.

Thanks!


what are you using to drive the LED. Are you using a resistor in there or a buck puck (I would recommend the puck if you haven't gotten anything yet).

Here is a diagram I made using a puck. If you are not using a puck just change the Vin + and Vin - of the puck to the LED (slip the resistor on either one of those wires).

Click here for diagram (http://mandysbabies.com/pololuboard/pololuboardpuck.jpg)

[greatwazoo42]

Zook - Thank you very much. That picture helps a lot but my saber runs on a resistor based circuit and not a puck based. Could I ask if you could either draw up a diagram, take a picture or even just explain what goes where on a resistor based version?

For extra credit please explain what a buck puck is.

[Zook]

Zook - Thank you very much. That picture helps a lot but my saber runs on a resistor based circuit and not a puck based. Could I ask if you could either draw up a diagram, take a picture or even just explain what goes where on a resistor based version?

For extra credit please explain what a buck puck is.

please re-read my post above yours. I mentioned if you are using a resistor replace the Vin + and the Vin - of the puck and put them to the LED and stick a resistor on either of those wires.

Basically.

Put the LED + wire to the V out of the board and put the LED - line to one end of the resistor and the other end of the resistor to the GND (where I have Vin -).

simple as that.

A Puck regulates current to the LED. It drains the battery less and it will give the LED a constant current throughout the battery voltage. If you go with a puck though you will need to use two Li-Ion batteries for the required voltage of the puck.

[greatwazoo42]

Zook, thank you very much! :D

[greatwazoo42]

That little doodad certainly did the trick. Here's my updated hilt with my shiny new button:

http://randomsabers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=101639#101639

Thanks again to everyone, especially Zook.

[Matt Thorn]

greatwazoo42, that is one sweet saber. I'm embarrassed to admit that I only learned about randomsabers recently. :oops:

I went through three Lighthound keychain lights, with zero success. The Pololu worked like a charm the first time, and was a breeze to wire up. It also has an on-board red LED that could probably be used as an accent LED with some careful designing. Strongly recommended, particularly if you need an ultra compact switch (which is to say, a tactile), but are working with something that requires a latching switch (a Force FX board, Buckpuck, etc.).

[greatwazoo42]

Matt - I'm glad you like it. You should see it in person.

So...everything was going fine until...

I put new batteries in the saber and now it will turn on by the button but not off unless I interrupt the flow of electricity by moving one of the batteries off it's connect lead. I'd test it with the old batteries (to see if it's a voltage issue) but I already threw them out. D'oh!

Anyone else had this problem?

[Matt Thorn]

Matt - I'm glad you like it. You should see it in person.

So...everything was going fine until...

I put new batteries in the saber and now it will turn on by the button but not off unless I interrupt the flow of electricity by moving one of the batteries off it's connect lead. I'd test it with the old batteries (to see if it's a voltage issue) but I already threw them out. D'oh!

Anyone else had this problem?
Hm. When I first hooked up the Pololu, I recall having a little trouble at first with it turning off. But after a few tries, it started working consistently. I wondered if it might have something to do with static, or even residual heat from soldering. But I haven't had any trouble since. I had that same thing happen with a solid-state relay I once tried out. :?

[greatwazoo42]

After a few tries, eh? Did you just hit the momentary button a few times or did you do like I did and kill the power a few times? I'll play with it more tomorrow. It's late and I'm tired.

Thanks for the data, Matt. You've given me something to hope for other than ripping it out and starting over.

[Matt Thorn]

After a few tries, eh? Did you just hit the momentary button a few times or did you do like I did and kill the power a few times? I'll play with it more tomorrow. It's late and I'm tired.

Thanks for the data, Matt. You've given me something to hope for other than ripping it out and starting over.
Just hitting the tactile switch a few times (and maybe holding it down longer than you normally would) fixed it for me.

[greatwazoo42]

I experimented with it this morning and found that it needed some burn in time with the new batteries. I turned the saber on and let it run for a few minutes. Now I can turn it off with a press of the button after it runs for ten seconds. Thanks Matt. :D

[Matt Thorn]

I experimented with it this morning and found that it needed some burn in time with the new batteries. I turned the saber on and let it run for a few minutes. Now I can turn it off with a press of the button after it runs for ten seconds. Thanks Matt. :D
Just one of those mysteries of electricity that would no doubt make perfect sense to us if we had electrical engineering degrees from M.I.T.. :p

[greatwazoo42]

LOL! Too true. :D