Need 2 look alikes, one for power one for mode change

Hello! I am trying to design a PCB conference badge. I can code but the electrical engineering is a bit beyond me. It’s for a game conference, and I want to make the badge look like a gaming controller. I have picked out lights for the buttons, the processor, the battery (3.6v 2032 coin), etc… but for where the two thumbsticks would go, I would like two buttons instead – one a switch that powers on the board (on/off) and the other to change the mode (which pattern of blinkenlights should blink?). So I think that’s two different types of buttons, but I would like them to look similar or the same. I have had difficulty finding such a pair, and my knowledge of the nomenclature is not great. (They don’t need to look like thumbsticks, indeed low profile is probably good.)

So the board is roughly 6" wide at the widest, and 4" tall at most, but in the shape of a video game controller (like for an Xbox or Playstation). The buttons will indeed get pushed, so, they should be somewhat sturdy and attach to the board well. As badges, they will be worn and get bumped about a bit (jackets, maybe bag straps, the actual conference badge with the person’s name), so I was hoping for low-profile buttons.

I do have a friend who is helping, he actually designs PCBs for work, but since he has a job he is busy and it would be rude if I bombarded him with every question I have. So I’ve learned a lot, which is great (Arduino code, resistors, KiCad, item footprints…), but some things I still need help with… like these two switches/buttons! (He said I should stick with DigiKey, I am not entirely sure why but that’s how I want to go because so far so good, but also I want to follow his knowledgable advice, so I am sure he has a really good reason/reasons.)

TYIA

Greetings,

Cost is king for most such applications. My suggestion would be to hit up the tactile switch family, filter for normally-stocked items and sort by price ascending at some quantity, then start looking at the available options. If ya don’t wanna be doing mixed thru-hole/SMT assembly, that’d be a further criteria to filter on.

If you were thinking of using one to directly connect/disconnect power and the other to generate a signal, yes. The former would require a latching function, which is not generally available in the cheap tactile switches due to the inherent nature of their construction.

Typical workaround would be to use a momentary switch connected to an interrupt line on your microcontroller, controlling entry/exit from the low-power sleep state featured by nearly all such devices these days. Aesthetics aside, such a function could most likely be assigned to a single button should one choose.

Ya probably stumbled across the reason already:

Folks doing serious design work are interested in choosing the most optimal part for their specific needs that is/will be available at the time(s) needed. DigiKey meets both those needs for a great many folks.

1 Like

Thanks for the guidance! I will work on that. These are good things to know.
I have read about using a button to mimic(?) a switch, but my knowledge of all things EE and circuits isn’t there yet. (So, shout out to everyone who makes helpful blog posts, how-tos, and YouTube videos.)
I do love the DigiKey search (wow) and how the site has footprints and schematics for parts, absolutely fantastic.
I am only going to make 50 badges, so yes cost is an issue (I made a spreadsheet with the parts and costs, yeah that can grow fast!), but with only 50 it’s not too terrible. (It’s actually for a pre-conference which might have about 25-30 people, and then I need a few extra for people in the main conference.)