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Ask an Expert Forum Looking for way to switch 8 pins at once, either mechanically or low-powered electronics
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Looking for way to switch 8 pins at once, either mechanically or low-powered electronics

Former Member
Former Member over 9 years ago

Hi!

 

I'm building a mouse/joystick switch for use with old Atari/Amiga 16-bit computers. On these computers, joystick port 0 double as a mouse port, so if you want to play two-player games you have to swap the mouse for a joystick, which is a hassle (especially so on the Atari ST, where the port is underneath the machine). So a little box where you'd connect both mouse and joystick and switch to choose one of them would be helpful.

 

What I need is a way to switch 8 of the pins at once, either using a DPDT-style switch or something like a couple of 4066's.

 

However, the 4066's need power (of which I can draw only miniscule amounts from the port's 5V pin), and I simply can't find any suitable 8-pole mechanical switchers, probably because I'm not using the right search words.

 

A latching push button would be a nice mechanical solution, but even better would be a switch where it'd be immediately obvious which device is active, like a slider or a toggle switch.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Per.

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Top Replies

  • Jan Cumps
    Jan Cumps over 9 years ago +1 suggested
    Hey, this is the first time that I can recommend the same IC in two different questions: SN74CBT16245DGGR: 16-Bit FET Bus that can switch two groups of 8 pins. Very fast. (I also recommended it for another…
  • Former Member
    Former Member over 9 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps +1
    Thanks for the reply! That little guy (well, IC...) looks great, but I'm honestly not sure my soldering skills are up to it. But no, I didn't mention my beginner status, so how could you have known? But…
  • Robert Peter Oakes
    Robert Peter Oakes over 9 years ago in reply to jw0752 +1
    Wow, I would never have expected that, but I would not be so sure about the eBay specials
  • dougw
    0 dougw over 9 years ago

    I came across this 8-pole double-throw (8PDT) push-button switch in one of my parts cabinets - so they do exist.

    image

    They are also available in rotary styles.

    I think e14 carries a Grayhill 57M22-03-8-02N

    Another device that might work is a serial port switch or DB9 switch.

    By the way, 4066 chips don't need much current to work.

    Doug

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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago in reply to dougw

    That rotary one looks nice, but 180 dollars... A bit past my budget, I'm afraid... I'm sort of thinking USD20 tops for the whole project.

     

    "8pdt" as a search word shows the right kind of switches on eBay, but they're still around 25 dollars, sadly. But I'll keep looking around, thanks!

     

    You wouldn't happen to know of any 8-pole 4066 equivalents? A single chip would make the project a bit more managable...

     

     

    Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

     

    Per.

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  • Jan Cumps
    0 Jan Cumps over 9 years ago

    Hey, this is the first time that I can recommend the same IC in two different questions:

    SN74CBT16245DGGR: 16-Bit FET Bus that can switch two groups of 8 pins. Very fast.

     

    (I also recommended it for another purpose in this discussion: TTL to CMOS protection / recommendation).


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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago in reply to Jan Cumps

    Thanks for the reply!

     

    That little guy (well, IC...) looks great, but I'm honestly not sure my soldering skills are up to it. But no, I didn't mention my beginner status, so how could you have known?

     

    But I might order one anyway and mount that scary hook-like tip on my Hakko just for fun! :-)

     

    Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

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  • Robert Peter Oakes
    0 Robert Peter Oakes over 9 years ago in reply to Former Member

    you can get break out boards for chips like that too, this way you can plug it into a bread board for prototyping

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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    Oooh, I didn't even consider that. I'll look for those too, thanks!

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  • Jan Cumps
    0 Jan Cumps over 9 years ago in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    ... and it is solderable. One of the first SMD exercises I did was this IC (the first was an OPA2170 - SOIC-8. The SN74CBT16245DGGR is TSSOP-48).

    With paste and hot air it works rather well. SMD isn't that hard for these types of packages).

     

    Result:

    , image

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  • jw0752
    0 jw0752 over 9 years ago

    Hi Per,

    Here is a switch that can switch 25 lines to position A or B. I used to use switches like this for multiple printers on one computer. You will not need 25 lines but it would be relatively easy to tap into 8 of them.

     

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/2way-DB25-pin-wire-AB-Manual-Data-Switch-Box-Parallel-Printer-LPT-Device-SHdis-T-/121694397454?hash=item1c558d240e

     

    John

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  • Robert Peter Oakes
    0 Robert Peter Oakes over 9 years ago in reply to jw0752

    It may not be switching all 25 lines so beware, Centronics printers have alot of grounds so many may be common to both sides and only the 8 data and a few handshake will be switched, but even this is enough to meet the askers requirements

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  • jw0752
    0 jw0752 over 9 years ago in reply to Robert Peter Oakes

    Hi Peter,

    I have a couple of DB 25 4 throw switches and I cracked one open to see if there was a problem with grounds not being switched. At least in the case of this one all 25 lines are switched. Obviously a 2 throw switch would not be as much of a rats nest as my 4 throw.

     

    image

     

    image

     

    John

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