Arcade Button Clips
Arcade Button Clips Posted on: 07.01.2010 by Nelson Janick Hey, new around here but I've been following the site for a while (and drooling over the various tools you guys highlight). I love the design on the Midi-Fighter, but I'm looking at building a custom controller for myself that plays with a couple ideas I've been believeing about (mainly after being inspired by the MidiFighter and similar products).My design's going to use Sanwa buttons (because I do love the feel of them, coming from my gamer background), and I couldn't help but admire the elegant clips used on the Midi-Fighter. I know it's a long shot, but I was wondering if I could source a few of these from you guys -- not a huge number of them, probably no more than about 40 (20 buttons' worth); I'm going all-custom hardware on my design, including a custom board, and your "custom-designed" snaps are just so much more elegant than short jumpers with quick disconnects. I'd make sure to document and share the work when I was done, Open-Source/Creative Commons and much in the spirit of the community. So if this is at all possible, who would I talk to about ordering some? | |
| Nelson Janick 07.01.2010 | Hey, new around here but I've been following the site for a while (and drooling over the various tools you guys highlight). I love the design on the Midi-Fighter, but I'm looking at building a custom controller for myself that plays with a couple ideas I've been believeing about (mainly after being inspired by the MidiFighter and similar products). My design's going to use Sanwa buttons (because I do love the feel of them, coming from my gamer background), and I couldn't help but admire the elegant clips used on the Midi-Fighter. I know it's a long shot, but I was wondering if I could source a few of these from you guys -- not a huge number of them, probably no more than about 40 (20 buttons' worth); I'm going all-custom hardware on my design, including a custom board, and your "custom-designed" snaps are just so much more elegant than short jumpers with quick disconnects. I'd make sure to document and share the work when I was done, Open-Source/Creative Commons and much in the spirit of the community. So if this is at all possible, who would I talk to about ordering some? |
| Nelson Janick 07.01.2010 | Yeah -- I've done static button placements like that in the past. I actually cut out an acrylic tool using my CNC machine that would "pinch" the snaps on the sides of the buttons to release them from the case, while I used some pliers to remove the microswitch (soldered to the board) from the rest of the button. You'd end up with the switch still on the PCB, and the plunger + bezel in your hands (ready to clean). It was just a pain, it took forever to do. My new idea is to basically just cut out a small PCB to solder the leads to, and have a low-profile connector (maybe a two pin right-angle header or something) that could easily be disconnected. That way all you would have to do for cleaning is disconnect the new connector and remove the button from the panel -- the PCB would come through the hole with it. It's a long run for a short slide, but I like to keep my buttons squeaky clean (especially the white ones), so it'll be worthwhile in the end I suspect. |
| Adolf Hit 07.01.2010 | No problem, The aluminium version with the joysticks which Ean has used in his videos actually just used slots in the PCB so the arcade buttons are soldered directly to the PCB. One issue with this is access for cleaning the buttons, it is very fiddly to clean the buttons on that first design of the midifighter as you have to pop the plungers out without removing the PCB. |
| Nelson Janick 07.01.2010 | Ah, that explains a lot. Thanks a ton for the response, even if it was bad news :P. At least my curiosity has been thoroughly satiated. I'll likely make some carrier boards instead (small circles that sit on the bottom of the switches and terminate them with a more standard/usable connector); it's a design I've intended to try out for a while, anyway. That'll be better for early prototypes of my design anyway, won't have to re-etch and populate a PCB if my layout changes. I may take you up on the offer when you order another batch -- those connectors just look too nice to not play around with. Again, thanks for the responses. --underwing |
| Adolf Hit 07.01.2010 | Hey Underwing, right now we don't as I only ordered enough to complete our first run. The MOQ/SPQ on that part is 4000 pieces and because it a pretty specialized (its not intended for MQC clips, its actually for terminating enameled wire on transformers) I doubt it is available any where else. If you arent as concerned about the total height of the design you are working on you should be able find other options if you search mouser. Good luck, and if you don't get any where I'm sure we can help you out in a few months. |
| Nelson Janick 07.01.2010 | I have access to a CNC machine that I use for all the through-hole connections on my PCB's, and I can use it to mill out larger/strangely shaped holes (like the ones necessary to fit the clips) as well. I've used crimped connectors before (those are what I've always heard called QDC's, for quick disconnects), but I figured it would be worth a shot to see if I could source some of the ones like the Midi-Fighter's... those things are just plain slick. If you don't have any floating around, I'll be able to manage with other stuff, but if you could spare a few at a reasonable price, it'd be massively appreciated. --underwing |
| Nelson Janick 07.01.2010 | It's not the buttons I want, but the clips -- I actually have a bunch of spare OBSF-24's around my workshop, since I used to build arcade sticks... but the clips that are used on the PCB of the Midi-Fighter are way nicer than using normal QDC's (wire-terminators that allow you to plug in the terminals of the pushbuttons securely without soldering to them). Since I'm using a custom PCB in my own design, using connectors like the Midi-Fighter's snaps would increase the internal order of my end product -- rather than a rat's nest of wires, I could have a sleek internal look similar to that of the MF. --underwing |
| robert chanda 07.01.2010 | I have no idea where we found those clips. They do require holes cut in your PCB that, without professional help from a laser cutter, are a little hard for the casual designer to do. Here's another way of attaching wires to the arcade clips that uses crimped connectors: http://www.arcadepower.ca/tutorial05.html |
| Evangeline Abraha 07.01.2010 | Hi , You can order individual arcade buttons from DJTT shop separately without having to commit buying Midifighter. & They come in different colours too : )) Have fun with your development and let us know how you are getting on. All the Best, M |
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