I just got a handful of handheld cases from Pactec, and I'm wondering what the best solution is for installing a keypad or other controls on them. Omron has little button caps for their 12mm switches, but cutting holes for square buttons is a pain and usually winds up looking like banned.
The main option I've been looking at is getting laser-cut panels from Pololu or frontpanelexpress and then installing a pcb with the switches and keycaps behind the panel, keycaps sticking through the holes. Is there a better way to do this?
Making front panels w buttons
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Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
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pstemari - Posts: 310
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- Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Making front panels w buttons
If it doesn't need to be sealed (waterproof) then you can use round buttons. Or you can get fancy and do a cap-sense solution with a PSoC...
I am thinking of these:
http://mouser.com/search/ProductDetail. ... XeVQ%3d%3d
I am thinking of these:
http://mouser.com/search/ProductDetail. ... XeVQ%3d%3d
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zener - Posts: 4483
- Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:38 am
Re: Making front panels w buttons
The round buttons are certainly an option--easy to get those lined up on a drill press and a jig or x-y table--Enco has the latter pretty cheap.
Square ones are lot more aesthetic, though.
My other thought was to liberate a 10-key usb pad from its housing and mount it in place--that gives you nice big square buttons, but you're stuck with the standard layout.
My ultimate goal is to make a general purpose control box with an Arduino for brains, an LCD, 15 keys, optionally swapping out the top row for a joystick or knobs, and room for a shield to handle I/O to whatever you want to control--robot via XBee, TTL/RS-232 to a telescope, IR for A/V equipment, etc.
Square ones are lot more aesthetic, though.
My other thought was to liberate a 10-key usb pad from its housing and mount it in place--that gives you nice big square buttons, but you're stuck with the standard layout.
My ultimate goal is to make a general purpose control box with an Arduino for brains, an LCD, 15 keys, optionally swapping out the top row for a joystick or knobs, and room for a shield to handle I/O to whatever you want to control--robot via XBee, TTL/RS-232 to a telescope, IR for A/V equipment, etc.
--Paul
A wholly owned subsidiary of:
Persephone: DL R+W+B C 7 X L W C++ I++ T+ A E H++ S+ V-- F+ Q P B PA+ PL
Aldebaran: DM Rt H 5 Y L- W+ C+ I++ T++ A+++ E H++ S+ V+ F++ Q+ P B++ PA- PL--
A wholly owned subsidiary of:
Persephone: DL R+W+B C 7 X L W C++ I++ T+ A E H++ S+ V-- F+ Q P B PA+ PL
Aldebaran: DM Rt H 5 Y L- W+ C+ I++ T++ A+++ E H++ S+ V+ F++ Q+ P B++ PA- PL--
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pstemari - Posts: 310
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 6:10 pm
- Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Making front panels w buttons
You can get square buttons that mount in round holes. I don't recall the mfg or part#, of the ones I used, but they were similar to this one: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062544
Sparkfun also has some nice looking modular illuminated keypads with square buttons & bezels.
Sparkfun also has some nice looking modular illuminated keypads with square buttons & bezels.
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adafruit_support_bill - Posts: 75263
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am
4 posts
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Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.