EYE on NPI – E-Switch’s RT3301 Series Reverse Tactile Switch #EYEonNPI #DigiKey #Adafruit @digikey @eswitch @Adafruit
This week’s EYE ON NPI (video) will have you doing cartwheels and somersaults, it’s the E-Switch RT3301 Series Reverse Tactile Switch, a spin on the common 6×6 tactile switch, with reverse mounting for easy assembly and clean design.
E-Switch manufactures thousands of different tactile switches that are stocked at DigiKey of various sizes, actuator heights, and mounting styles. In addition to the classic 6x6mm tactile switch, there’s also the SMT 6mm tactile that can be pick-and-placed.
These buttons have built-in round actuators but they’re intended to be used with moulded buttons that have a nub to do the actual pressing: the actuator is just for height.
Which explains how the through-hole reverse mount 6mm tactile switch is expected to work – you’re going to definitely need an actuator button since otherwise your fingers will bump into the solder pads!
The most curious of these is the reverse-mount SMT tactile switch, which was recently featured by DigiKey in their new products section…and with great timing because just a few weeks ago we published a cool Lisp-powered badge project with a built-in keyboard on the blog.
To make the key labels nice and large, the author used similar switches with an angled layout for tight packing. The result is a nice clean look on the front, without needing to purchase separate key caps.
We’ll note that the RT3301’s actuator is not as long, so using it with a half-thickness board will get buttons that are flush with the PCB surface. That means it’s best for use with separate key caps or overlay…but we’re also pretty sure that E-Switch will come out with another version that has longer actuator – just like they have a variety of actuator lengths on the non-reverse 6mm tactile switches.
If you want to try E-Switch RT3301 Series Reverse Tactile Switches, they’re available right now and in stock at DigiKey for immediate shipment! Order today and you’ll have reels or cut tape in hand tomorrow afternoon, a great solution to your complex UI panel design problems.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Open Hardware is In, New CircuitPython and Pi 5 16GB, and much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
