Tutorial post: "Buttons on the SPIDER"
(Please do not quote this post, we don't want to SPAM up the forum)
Well, I promised you guys a trigger button post, and here it is!
One of the most integral parts of the web shooter is the trigger; the actual input that tells your shooter when it needs to... well, shoot.
Here is your standard SPST pushbutton:
As you can see from the following picture, it has 4 terminals.
However, for all practical purposes, we will be only using two.
Below is a basic setup for actuating a HIGH (+5 or +9V) output when the pushbutton is pushed, and a LOW output (+0V) when the button is not being pushed.
As you can see, the LED indicator is off when the button is not pushed...
... and on when the button is pushed.
However, one does not necessarily need to go out and buy a button... there are several places that one can find a button by simply looking around.
Here is an old PCB (Printed Circuit Board... remember that!) from an old RC car controller that wiped out and was rendered ineffective. Thus, the controller was no longer needed, and I took it apart. This is what was inside.
Those things hanging from the main board by wires are separate, small boards with button terminals on them.
This is the kind of button which is called a membrane button... the same kind of button that is used in your keyboard (unless you have a mechanical keyboard). It is just a small piece of rubber on the board, which has a small electrically conductive plate on the bottom, to connect two terminals and complete the circuit. This is one of those buttons:
You can also build your own button by following the same basic principles of a cast button:
-it snaps back up when not being pressed
-it has an electrically conductive surface on the bottom
-the conductive surface connects two terminals to complete a circuit and actuate the shooter
A few tips before the end of this little post:
-don't go taking apart things you want/need to get buttons
-don't go out and buy buttons before you look for ones you can make/use from things you don't want or need
-look for new ways to accomplish tasks without having to use extra materials
-research more about the different types of buttons (SPST, SPDT, DPDT, Momentary contact, etc.) and pick the one that best suits your needs
-have fun!
Hope you all enjoyed this little tutorial, "Buttons on the SPIDER", and keep watching for the next tutorial, "Basic Electronics for Use With the SPIDER".