

The switch is an On/Off sensor that takes a variety of forms: knob, button, limit switch or reed, sensor mat, rocker switch, ball switch, magnetic bulb, alligator clips, etc...
The switch is an "all-or-nothing" sensor that can take many different forms: pushbutton, momentary or permanent contact button, lever switch, slide switch, rocker switch, sensor mat, bead tilt sensor/ball switch, magnet contactor, limit switch, customized set-ups using dry contacts...
Buttons can be used in a wide variety of ways: either as stage management elements, allowing you to switch from one sequence of effects to another, or as event sensors. They can be placed on the floor, walls, furniture, in an installation, on an actor, in a costume, in a glove, under an object, etc, ... waiting for a hand or foot to be pressed, a door to be closed, an object to be moved, etc...
They are also proprioception tools in mechanical systems: along with potentiometers, they can be used to control the position or angle of motorized objects.
What all our switch sensors have in common is that they are "momentary/fleeting-contact", meaning they are activated only when pressed. They do not remain engaged when the hand or foot is removed.
The table below summarizes our catalog's the standard switch assembly. "Card" means that the button is soldered onto a small card which is easy to attach, screw or sew. The card also helps to prevent wires from being pulled out. This specification does not apply to a button sold as-is ("No connections").
Button | Assembly | |
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Tiny button | Card |
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Mini grey pushbutton | Card |
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Mini blue button | Card |
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Medium white button | Card |
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Push-button | To be screwed |
More details and photos can be found on the « Buttons and switches »page.
Among the many possible switches, we've included a few unusual ones: a ball tilt switch, a magnetic switch and the sensitive floor mat. Classic buttons and push-buttons are detailed on other pages, as are our reed switches.
Button | Assembly | |
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Reed switch - limitswitch | Card |
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Ball tilt switch | Card |
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Magnetic switch | Card |
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Sensitive floor mat | On the ground |
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Alligator clips switch | Custom tweak |
Switch connectors | Sold per unit | Amount of switches per set |
3 pin analog connector | Yes | No set |
Flat ribbon cable 16 wires 8 digital inputs | No | 8 |
Flat ribbon cable 10 wires MiniWi |
No | 5 |
Flat ribbon cable 10 wires ZIP | No | 4 |
No connector | Yes | No set |
Switches with 3 point connectors or « no connections » are sold per single unit.
Switches with 10 or 16 wire ribbon cables are supplied by 4, 5 or 8.
For each switch or button, its connections can be a 3 point connector, or a flat ribbon cable with a 8 or 5 way ISP header.
The connections depend on where/what one wishes to plug the switches in :
With the « no connections » option one can also make ones own custom button set. Interface-Z supplies various flat ribbon cables (attached to ISP headers that are compatible with our boards) one is free to solder to any button or switch one would like. For example, the buyer can create a set for an 8 analog interface board with 2 tiny buttons, 2 reed switches, 2 medium white buttons and 2 sensitive floor mats.
This connector let's one use the analog sensor inputs on our analog interface boards such as :« analog to midi interface » boards, our « analog to OSC » boards, our « MemoriZ » board, and our « Interactive lighting » board. On these analog inputs one must not randomly connect 2 button wires, it may cause a short circuit. Choosing the “3 way analog connector” option means we supply the button or switch with a little card that adapts the connection correctly, and has a male 3 way connector that one can plug to our standard 3 way extension cords.
3 way connector.
The button is sometimes separated from the connector and attached to a wire. Separating the connector and the button can sometimes help integrate the button in a comlicated structure, interface or costume.
The 3 way connector plugs onto 3 way extensioncord that must be bought separately.
Ana/Digi to Midi, or Open Sound Control boards all have digitial inputs for button sets. The “64 switch board” (a variation of our Carpet Tile board adapted for buttons and switches) uses the same type of connector. 16 wires are soldered 2 by 2 to 8 switches.
The default ribbon cable length is 2 meters. From this page one can order the switches and the basic 2 meter ribbon cable with the right connector. To buy longer cables, one can simply go to our “4/8/12 ribbon cable” page (or our “64 switch cable” page) and choose the option “16 extra wires”, the quantity is then calculated per meter.
Our « MiniWi » module has 5 digital all or nothing inputs. The connection uses 10 wires : 2 per switch/button.The buttons/switches use 2 cables side by side. Please take care not to confuse this connection with the one for our peripheral floor mat cards, where the 10 wires are used for 8 switches.
The ZIP2 board has 4 digital all or nothing inputs. The connection uses 10 wires : 2 per switch/button and 2 unused. The buttons/switches use 2 cables side by side. Caution ; this is not the same connection as the other 10 wire cables.
Switches or buttons sold as-is, without cables nor sheathing.
Buttons or switches are the only sensor we can sell as kits, since soldering them being generally quite simple.
A guide for these kits is available : « Kit-boutons.pdf. ». Unfortunately it is not yet translated. The documentation refers to an older version of our 8 analog to midi interface board. For our current boards one needs a 16 wire cable with the appropriate female ISP header.
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