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Toggle switch recommendation for add-on diode clipping options

Started by Aentons, September 01, 2023, 01:41:23 PM

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Aentons

Looking for something low profile that doesn't touch the underside of the PCB. On-off-on

mauman

If you're mounting pots to the PCB, and the pots have standard length legs, most toggle switches will be slightly taller than that and won't fit under the PCB.  Here are some approaches I've used:
1. Mount the toggle to the east, west, north or south of the PCB (see photo with one to the west.) 
2. If your enclosure is deep enough, use pots with extra-long legs which will allow the toggle lugs to clear the solder side of the PCB.  Or use solder-lug pots and wire them to the PCB holes, which will give you more clearance under the PCB for a toggle.  You can use flexible wire, or just add three long straight legs made from clipped resistor legs. 
3. If your enclosure is not deep enough for (2), try a deeper enclosure.  Example: 1590BBS is 9mm deeper than 1590BB, with all other dimensions the same. 1590T is even deeper, although slightly narrower.
4. Mount the toggle on one side of the enclosure, as seen in many JHS mods, there's always room if the toggle sits in the battery space and your use external 9V power.
5. There are low-profile push on/push off switches that take a round hole and protrude less from the side of the enclosure than a toggle, the one in the pic is 4PDT and has an LED indicator.  Search the part number at Mouser, Digikey, Newark, etc.
6. Make a PCB with holes for the toggle wherever you want it, the body heights of toggles and pots are similar enough to accommodate.

Aentons

Thanks for the quick reply!

It's a premade PCB and it needs to be under the board so I think the only one of those options that might work is the round push/push. I hadn't thought of that one. However, with that option I'd lose the 3rd position that a on-off-on provides.

jwin615

Sub mini 101 Taiway switches at LMS are 12.7mm from bottom of shaft to end of pin
The standard 16mm pots are 15.9 to the end of the pins. 10.9 to the highest solderable point.(the tapered portion of the pin)
If you place a nut on before boxing it, that gains 2mm more.
So 12.9-15.9 mm
You can solder those switches to perf oars if you file the legs down, but take your time as they get brittle. Lightly drilling out the perf/strip board can help.
So, if you solder the pot at the very end use a nut to space it lower in the enclosure, and solder the switch flush to perf board. you may be able to squeeze it in-between. Would need to insulate between them and mind how tall your solder points are.
I'd try it on some scrap material before drilling a box.

Another option, if your pcb is small enough, is to use straight leg pots and solder lug and stand your pcb up vertical in the enclosure. Mind room for jacks.

But using these pots would be easiest if able. You get ~10mm more clearance. Lay your elctros over or source low profiles.
https://lovemyswitches.com/16mm-potentiometers-1-4-smooth-shaft-long-pin-right-angle-pcb-mount/


Parts mentioned:
https://lovemyswitches.com/16mm-potentiometers-1-4-smooth-shaft-right-angle-pcb-mount/
https://lovemyswitches.com/taiway-sub-mini-dpdt-on-off-on-switch-pcb-mount-short-shaft/

Aentons

The sub mini may work. Can you bend those pins over 90 degrees without breaking?

jwin615

I don't know. Probably could but I'd order more than one.
Is the pedal already housed? If not, could maybe squeeze a sub mini it the top under the DC if you set the pcb low enough and skip a breakout board for the footswitch.

mauman

Quote from: jwin615 on September 01, 2023, 10:42:22 PM
Is the pedal already housed? If not, could maybe squeeze a sub mini it the top under the DC if you set the pcb low enough and skip a breakout board for the footswitch.
+1, here's an example of a similar approach that worked for me.