"Fuzzy" push button component

Hi im looking for a button, the harder you press it, the less resistance will run through the circuit, in effect a potentiometer but with a button instead if a turning knob.

Im a newbee to the components world and was wondering if some knows how to find such a component and if there are any tutorial online on how to get started finding the right component etc. If someone know the cross reference code or whatever its called ill be very happy.

thanks

Reply to
Arne Harisson
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Well, this is an easy one.

Yamaha makes electronic keyboards, and on some models, the keys are velocity and pressure sensitive.

I don't know exactly how they do this, I doubt it is a simple analog circuit, especially for an 88 key electric piano.

But at least I can tell you that something like that does exist.

Where do you live? There are many switch manufacturers that would be willing to send out a sample to you, that you can later buy from a dealer.

Reply to
Myron Samila

A fast and cheap method is to use a piece of that black anti-static foam and a pair of metal contacts. The greater the pressure, the lower the resistance. You can experiment with this for starters.

Cheers!

Chip Shults

Reply to
Sir Charles W. Shults III

I live in Mountain View, CA.

Would a dealer send out a sample to a hobbyist like me?

velocity and pressure

circuit, especially

willing to send out

Reply to
Arne Harisson

Look at force sensors, like this:

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Reply to
Alan Holt

That component was cool!

This is what im trying to do. Im trying to detect if something is over the thing im trying to make. it has to be a device that gets pushed down. e.g. an optical solution wouldnt work.

I guess a piezo electric solution would work since it can be made very thin (I need something that is 1-1.5cm thick). I think smart houses uses this in floors that can detect how much the person standing on it weighs and where he is going and where he as been. But i dont need that advanced feature, basically on or off with a couple of steps in between that could be adjusted electronically/programmatically for a threshold , e.g detect when (some signal voltage/resistance) more than x. The range of weight is approx between 2-20 kg

thanks

Reply to
Arne Harisson

Baldwin used [use?] wire key contacts and conductive elastomers as collectors (~bus bars). You didn't get the explosive attack lik you do with Hammonds, as the gradual-make contact softens it up.

Chip Shults' suggestion has the advantage of being free. Use the conductive foam that they ship your ICs in and sandwich it between stiff metal plates.

Reply to
JeffM

and pressure sensitive.

As far as I know, velocity sensitive piano keys incorporate two switches, and the key velocity is sensed by measuring the time delay between the first key-closure and the second. This can be done quite easily and cheaply in the digital domain.

The U.K. hobbyist magazine published a "build your own electric piano" project more than twenty years ago that - IIRR - worked on this basis.

------ Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

Reply to
Bill Sloman

"Arne Harisson" schreef in bericht news:cvGSb.18185$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com...

Very nice indeed. You can also try to google for 'load cells', but if this component fits, I wouldn't search any further.

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Thanks, Frank.
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Reply to
Frank Bemelman

Digital version on this page (scroll down a bit)...

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or perhaps...

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Reply to
CWatters

On a sunny day (30 Jan 2004 16:36:06 -0800) it happened snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net (Arne Harisson) wrote in :

I see pressure sensors in the conrad catalog (

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), page 781 a, whole range, itt says (translated from Dutch):

10g - 10kG gives 2 Mohm to ca 3 kOhm There is a whole range, some type numbers: FSR-149NS 8 mm diameter (these are foil type sensors), 4,85 Euro oder nr 18 23 89 44 (catalog page 781 with the other sensors). That one is 8mm diameter, , the bigest one is 46x46 mm hehe They specify 10 000 000 activations. Have not tried one but for that price it is easy to find out. You will need a (knob) construction on top of the foil, it has soldering wires it seems.
Reply to
Jan Panteltje

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Or, for a quick and sloppy answer, use a piece of IC protective foam. Or better foams available at outrageous cost from Emerson & Cuming. Avoid the silver ones; they stop working as soon as they get a fingerprint on them.

We quickly sold out of these by advertising them on eBay as tinfoil hat liners.

We offer component finding services per

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Many thanks,

Don Lancaster
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Reply to
Don Lancaster

In message , Alan Holt writes

Or this...

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These are fairly flat. I had a sample once, it worked as advertised.

Cheers

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Keith Wootten
Reply to
Keith Wootten

The best way to do this at a resonable cost is to get a varible resistor, and mechanicaly couple it to a spring loaded lever. This would require some custom work to have the pot rotate as the lever is pushed in.

Another approach is to get a slider pot, and mechanicaly couple it to a lever that is spring loaded.

There are some varible resistance type push buttons on the market, but their prices are very expensive. If this is for a professional type job, then I would suggest going with something that is commercialy made. I cannot recall the manufactures at the moment.

Jerry Greenberg

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arnehar@sbcglobal.net (Arne Harisson) wrote in message
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Reply to
Jerry Greenberg

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