reptronics

Switch Solutions for the Handheld and Wearables Markets: Navigation and Detector Switches

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 17:13:00 GMT

The handheld and wearables markets are booming. Wearable devices can be worn all over the body and each location has a unique set of functions. Whether you’re enjoying virtual reality video games or improving your fitness with tracking apps, handheld and wearable technology can filter your phone calls, provide personal safety assistance, alert you to your baby’s vital signs, monitor your home security, release stimuli to manage chronic pain, and even track the family dog’s whereabouts and activity level.

Wearable applications have many forms: anklet, armband/wristband, belt, bra, bracelet, contact lenses, chest-mounted, earring, earpiece, glasses, glove, headphone, head-mounted, necklace, ring, shoe, and watch.

Wearable technology extends the capabilities of the wearer in a wide range of situations. The wearer wants the wearable or handheld device to be discrete and accessible as though an extension of one’s own body. Miniature and micro-miniature switches lend themselves to the compact design of the devices, which contributes to a seamless and positive user experience.

E-Switch Handheld Devices and Wearables Brochure

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Many of these handheld and wearable devices require navigation and detector switches to perform those functions. E-Switch offers many miniature navigation and detector switches suitable for wearable technology and handheld devices. JS1300 and JS1400 are miniature navigation switches that provide five-position navigation with a center pushbutton, surface mount design, and very low profiles.

The JS1300 and JS1400 switches are particularly functional in handheld applications where user interface is needed, such as screen joysticks for smart devices, portable light bar with multiple light configuration, and consumer electronics.

E-Switch also offers two micro-miniature detector switches: the TD4700 and TD1146 . Both switches offer low profile, surface mount design, and over travel. Applications include consumer electronics, telecommunications, and networking devices.

Visit the links above to download data sheets, 3D models, or request a sample switch here . Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of the series “Switch Solutions for the Wearable and Handheld Devices Market” for more switch solutions like these. E-Switch offers one of the largest selections of electromechanical switches in the industry. Our products can be purchased through our authorized distributors. Thank you for getting to know E-Switch.

The post Switch Solutions for the Handheld and Wearables Markets: Navigation and Detector Switches appeared first on E-Switch, Inc. .

PUI Audio Welcomes First European Sales Representative Firm

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 15:32:00 GMT

Dayton, OH, USA – PUI Audio is pleased to announce the addition of Reptronics to their growing list of sales representatives. Reptronics is a manufacturer’s representative company operating within the United Kingdom and Ireland, and currently work with several global manufacturers of high-quality electrical components.

PUI Audio selected Reptronics to join their global sales network and have utilized this sales model successfully in Canada and the United States. The sales representatives act as an extension of the PUI Audio team, and work with direct customers to source the best audio and haptic components for their application.

Brian Coleman, Vice President of Sales, believes that the addition of Reptronics to the organization is a key element for growth in 2023. “Our goal will forever be to provide our customers access to the knowledge that supports their design efforts, wherever they may be located.” he said. “We are making a concentrated effort to continue to innovate ways to connect with our customers globally and give them the peace of mind they need to get their products right, the first time. We are looking forward to working with Reptronics and reach design engineers in the UK and Ireland.”

PUI Audio is the first audio and haptic components supplier to be represented by Reptronics.

Jeremy Biggs, MD at Reptronics Ltd says “we are very honored to have been selected to help PUI Audio develop further their market in the UK and Ireland. We are very excited to be working with them to support their existing clients as well as having the opportunity to introduce their innovative product solutions to other potential users.”

Further information as well as contact details can be found on the websites for both companies.

PUI Audio, Inc. is a Dayton-based audio and haptic component manufacturer. Founded in 1972, the company has built a strong reputation for its creative solutions and engineering expertise, helping clients in medical, industrial, security and consumer markets to, “Be heard!” no matter what the need.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Erin Ruef

Vice President of Marketing

ruef@puiaudio.com

937-475-4799

Switches for Moving Snow and Ice

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:03:00 GMT

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to break out the machines with switches for moving snow and ice. Folks in Buffalo have gotten the rudest early arrival of winter this year, with up to 80 inches of snow falling over a couple of days . Snowplows have been moving the snow and ice, but with so few places to put it all, it took a long time to clear the snow in Buffalo. In storms like these, owning a plow might be the only way to get out of your driveway and onto the street.

Snowplows

Snowplows come in various shapes and sizes. They can be straight, angled, or V-shaped and meant for mounting on a truck or ATV. Regardless, once mounted, a switch often controls the angle and height of the plow using hydraulics. Chains can also be used, but these controllers offer immense ease and precision of use and often utilize momentary rocker or toggle switches.

For hydraulic lift motors, the ST Series toggle switches are a good fit. The ST1 , ST2 , and ST3 Series all offer momentary functionality and 2 HP electrical ratings. The ST4 Series is protected against dust and moisture at an IP68 rating and operates in temperatures ranging from -10 to 55°C. It’s rated for 1.5 HP and offers two or three positions.

And if rockers are preferred, the R5 Series high current rocker switch is perfect. Not only is it rated for up to 1 HP and offers momentary functionality but marking option “H” features arrows for either “up” and “down” or “right” and “left.”

Snowblowers

Snowblowers are essential in our neck of the woods. Since we reside in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” we get what we call “lake-effect snow.” Because of all the humidity created by the lakes, snowstorms tend to intensify in Minnesota. Over the last decade, Minneapolis has averaged almost 55 inches of snow per year , but the real problem isn’t the total snowfall, which would rank 54 ^th amongst U.S. cities behind Billings, MT. The problem is how it all seems to fall at once. Shoveling is inevitable, but the less you must shovel the better your back will feel. Work smarter, not harder. Get a snowblower.

Most snowblowers require a keylock switch to start, and the KO Series from E-Switch is a perfect option. Of the many options available with the KO Series, the KO117 and KO118 might be best. They both feature zinc alloy die cast housings that are chrome-plated and five-disk tumbler mechanisms with dust shutters to keep dust and snow out of the switch. You can check out all of the KO Series options by viewing this datasheet .

Ice Resurfacing Machines (Zambonis)

Winter is also pond hockey season in the State of Hockey, where we have more than 70 outdoor ice rinks . Moving snow off an outdoor rink can be done with a snowplow mounted on an ATV, but if the snow isn’t too deep, an ice resurfacing machine, or Zamboni, will do.

Like Band-aid, Zamboni is a brand name that has been adopted to describe ice resurfacing machines regardless of manufacturer. Frank J. Zamboni invented the ice resurfacer to maintain the ice at a rink in Southern California that he and his brothers owned. Now his name is one of the most famous in ice sports history, right up there with Gretzky and Boitano.

Ice resurfacers feature a myriad of switches, including a momentary pushbutton like for the horn, which is used more often than you’d think. Most of the switches, however, are illuminated rockers like the R1966 Series . These switches operate things like the headlights, board brush, and wash water pump.

The R1966 Series rocker switches operate in temperatures ranging from -30 to 65°C, so resurfacing an outdoor rink on the coldest day of the year won’t be an issue. While the R1966 Series isn’t sealed, the switches are located far enough away from the area where the water tanks are filled that they’re rarely subjected to moisture. I can attest to this as a former ice maintenance technician. Even when the hose got away from me, the switches on the dashboard seldom got wet.

If water is a worry, though, the RBW2 Series rocker switch is sealed at an IP66 rating and operates in temperatures ranging from -20 to 85°C. These switches also provide a life expectancy of 50,000 cycles and full illumination options with neon or incandescent lamps. This way you always know if you’ve left the wash water pump on, which will damage the pump.

When snow falls, don’t get mad. Be glad you have the switches for moving snow and ice this winter.

The post Switches for Moving Snow and Ice appeared first on E-Switch, Inc. .

Switches in Sports: A Switch for Every Soccer Pitch

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:49:00 GMT

This is part of a series of stories investigating the use and potential use of switches in sports .

At least 1.5 billion people will tune into the 2022 World Cup to watch the best soccer players in the world represent their countries on the pitches of Qatar. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world by far, and much of that is due to accessibility. All you need is a ball to play, but soccer’s popularity is also due to the history of the game. Relative to American football (and just about anything else), soccer is ancient. While the sport was formalized in England in the 19 ^th Century, the Greeks, Egyptians, and Chinese all appear to have played games involving feet and a ball in the third century B.C.

It’s no surprise then that soccer led the way in using switch technology in sports, with sports like basketball and hockey soon following suit. Tracking solutions like the Catapult Vector have become the go-to technology in soccer for monitoring player fitness and movements and the intensity of those movements. You’ll likely see players wearing these devices while watching the World Cup, as the Vector is ETPS certified for use in FIFA competition .

The Vector tracking device is inserted into a sort of bra players wear under their kit during training and matches to provide managers and trainers insights into their fitness and movements. Those insights are logged in an application that can be accessed via a laptop, iPhone, or Apple Watch. Other similar devices are also compatible with Android devices.

Given the small size of the Vector tracking device, as well as the devices used to analyze the data it collects, tactile switches are essential to analyzing athletic performance of soccer players. Right angle tactile switches are often a perfect fit for these devices where buttons tend to be mounted on the outside edge of the circuit board. For these types of applications, we recommend the TL1016 Series micro-miniature, right angle tact switch.

The TL1016 Series measures just 3.5 by 3.5 millimeters and features a long life expectancy of up to 100,000 cycles. They operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to 85°C, so weather is never an issue. A ground terminal option is also available on these switches, which are delivered in tape and reel packaging with 3,500 pieces per reel for automated soldering.

Low profile switches are often needed for these tracking solutions, too, and the TL4110 Series low profile tact switch can answer that call. The TL4110 Series is even smaller than the TL1016, measuring 2.0 by 2.8 millimeters with a minimal profile, making it ideal for wearable devices like smartwatches. The TL4110 Series also operates in temperatures ranging from -40 to 85°C and features a longer life expectancy than the TL1016: 300,000 cycles.

If your GPS tracking device requires automated soldering with a water wash cycle, a process sealed, right angle switch like the TL6110 Series could be the answer. It also has the longest life expectancy of any E-Switch right-angle tact switch: one million cycles. With four different operating force options ranging from 130 grams to 500 grams, the TL6110 Series is the ideal switch series for consumer electronics devices manufactured in an automated means.

While watching the World Cup, keep an eye on the team managers. They’ll likely be reviewing data on a tablet throughout matches, but they aren’t just looking at players’ vitals and monitoring their movements. With software solutions like Rezzil’s Elite Analysis , managers can view a real-time pitch control overlay, or Voronoi diagram. This shows managers the average space each player controls on the pitch, allowing for in-game adjustments and smart substitutions to be made.

Managers also get live shot maps, touch maps, and heat maps, and accurate player heights are used to enhance their experience and identify areas to attack. Virtual tactical cameras allow managers to view the 18-yard box from the top down, behind either goal, from the corners, and more. All of this is what they’re likely reviewing on the sidelines of the pitch during match play.

While you watch the 2022 World Cup, don’t forget about the switch technology that makes “the beautiful game” so beautiful.

The post Switches in Sports: A Switch for Every Soccer Pitch appeared first on E-Switch, Inc. .

Switches in Sports: Tactile Switches Help Tennis Players and the Game Grow

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:15:00 GMT

This is part of a series of stories investigating the use and potential use of switches in sports .

Serena Williams is playing her final tennis tournament at the 2022 U.S. Open next week. Over the course of her 28-year professional career , tennis technology has evolved more than racket construction did for more than 100 years dating back to the 1860s. Tactile switches have been instrumental in driving that technological advancement.

Tennis Swing Sensor Switches

For the past few months, I’ve been using the Zepp tennis sensor and smartphone application to monitor my practices. I was first introduced to the product by a player at a tennis tournament in Miami last year . I noticed the device attached to the bottom of her racket handle and couldn’t help but ask about it. She was kind enough to show me the data the sensor collects, which has allowed me to diagnose and improve issues in my game more easily. The sensor estimates ball speed, contact location, and spin rate. It also knows what shot and spin is played, whether it’s a topspin lob, a forehand drive, or backhanded slice.

Professional tennis players don’t have much use for wearables technology like racket sensors. They are far too precise for the data to do them much good. But for amateurs like me, knowing that I’m only hitting the sweet spot on my groundstrokes 60 percent of the time tells me I need to take more steps to improve my position when playing those shots. Most mistakes on the tennis court are a result of laziness or fatigue. The more steps you’re willing to take, the better shots you tend to make. The Zepp tennis sensor has been helpful in directing my focus to the things I need to improve and offered some direction in how to improve them.

The Zepp tennis sensor and devices like it typically feature one tactile switch to turn the device on and off and to pair it with another Bluetooth device, whether that be a smartphone or smartwatch. Given the small size of the devices, the E-Switch offering most suitable for these applications is the TL3342 Series low profile tact switch .

The TL3342 Series has a 1.54 mm profile and positive tactile response, so you know when the switch is engaged or not. E-Switch offers this switch with multiple operating force options, both of which come with a long-life expectancy of 100,000 cycles. This tiny, surface mountable switch is perfect for applications involving small sensors and lacking available space.

Smartphone and Smartwatch Switches

Of course, sensors monitoring your tennis strokes are useless without a means to view the data. That’s when tact switches like the TL3315 Series come into play. The TL3315’s ultra-low profile and surface mount design is meant for slim applications like smartphones and smartwatches that allow you to monitor your tennis practice or match. You can review data as you play without missing a beat if you have the app associated with your sensor device downloaded to your smartwatch. You can even keep score on your watch. The version of the TL3315 Series switch requiring the least operating force to actuate (100gf) has an electrical life expectancy of a million cycles, allowing your smart devices a long life even after you’ve replaced them with newer, better technology. Speaking of better technology…

Hawk-Eye Camera Switches

Due to the advancement in racket technology and the increased athleticism of today’s tennis players, the human eye is often not capable of determining whether a ball is in or out, as indicated by this frame-by-frame breakdown . That’s why professional tennis players have much better technology upon which to rely.

Hawk-Eye is to sports technology what Serena Williams has been to women’s tennis: the greatest of all time. No other sport features a more sophisticated, accurate, or informative means of officiating and broadcasting the game. While other sports use cameras to tell you what happened, Hawk-Eye uses cameras to calculate what’s going to happen. And if it didn’t, we’d often get it wrong.

Not only does Hawk-Eye make line judges unnecessary , it also monitors the movements of the players to such a degree that the rate at which they change direction can be quantified. IBM collects the positional data from the Hawk-Eye player tracking system to provide players and coaches with a new metric called “redirect steps” or “red steps.” The information can be used to improve tactics and training, but it’s expected to grow to include workout data from wearables like force plate orthotics the USTA offers players. This sneaker insole sensor combined with the Hawk-Eye player tracking data not only measures the rate at which players redirect their momentum, but the force required to do so. This can help players adjust their “red steps” to be more efficient and even avoid injury.

Hawk-Eye cameras feature tactile switches like the ones the NBA and WNBA use in their arenas to track players’ movements in three dimensions. The TL1105 Series tactile switch has found itself inside a digital camera because it has reliable dome contact technology and strong tactile feedback. This through-hole tact switch also has a life expectancy of 100,000 cycles, a right-angle mounting option, and an earth-ground version. Many actuator lengths and multiple operating force options are also available.

As you watch Serena in the U.S. Open for the last time, think of all the switches that have come along over the course of her career and helped grow the game of tennis just like she has.

The post Switches in Sports: Tactile Switches Help Tennis Players and the Game Grow appeared first on E-Switch, Inc. .

Switches in Filmmaking: Celebrating the Return to Movie Theaters

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 19:00:00 GMT

Before the pandemic, I had planned for my friends and I to make a pilgrimage to The Fallon Theatre , the “old-timey theatre (if it’s still there) nearest to what is now the Top Gun Naval Base in Western Nevada ” for the release of Top Gun: Maverick on Dec. 3, 2020. That’s how much my friends and I love Top Gun . It’s the single greatest piece of recruiting propaganda ever produced in the United States.

Navy enrollment in 2021 was just 33,559 despite all-time high enlistment bonuses of $50,000. In the four years following Top Gun ‘s release, the number of Navy recruits increased more than eight percent to more than 95,000. The sequel is expected to have a similar effect , but might not have if not for Tom Cruise, who fought for delaying the film’s debut until it could safely be seen in theaters as he intended.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered our viewing habits for years, and it was believed by many that the change would be permanent. We in the switch industry are thrilled with the increasing quality, availability, and affordability of home theater and audio equipment. That equipment requires a lot of switches to produce, and we love that more audio/visual content being available more immediately has resulted in increased demand for those home theater products. More on the movie-making switches later, but going to the movie theater seemed silly to a lot of people for a long time. That sentiment was shared by stock traders who sold off cinema stockholdings during the pandemic.

Cinemark stock lost more than 60 percent of its value between Feb. 21 and March 20 of 2020. It has struggled to rebound since. Warner Bros. cancelled the release of Batgirl to claim a $95-million loss on its taxes, but AMC Entertainment has rebounded from the pandemic thanks to box office revenue. If the advertising budget for Bullet Train is any indication, the film industry is doing just fine. By the time I saw the new Brad Pitt film in a theater, for six months I had seen the trailer or versions of it, either on television, online, or in theaters, more than I’d seen any other movie trailer ever. The box office indicates that 2022 will be remembered for the return of the masses to movie theaters everywhere.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) got the box office ball rolling with a $32.6-million weekend to open the year – its fourth consecutive weekend atop the box office. The Batman then opened with over $134 million in ticket sales on March 6, topping the box office for a total of three weeks. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness pulled in $187.4 million two months later and stayed atop the box office for a total of three weeks. Then Tom Cruise made a mint by waiting out the pandemic to debut Maverick in theaters – the way it ought to be.

After grossing over $126 million in its first weekend, Maverick had the best second weekend of any film debuting with over $100 million in its first ($90 million). It’s now made more at the box office than Titanic , making it the seventh-highest grossing film of all time with more than $673.7 million in box office revenue domestically.

With the holiday blockbusters still to come, six films have grossed more than $300 million in the United States this year, including Minions: The Rise of Gru and Thor: Love and Thunder . In 2021 there was one such movie. In 2020, no film made more than $300 million. In 2019, 10 films did. To celebrate the success of Maverick and these other movies of 2022, let’s celebrate the switches in filmmaking that make these movies possible.

Lights

Before there was color in cinema there was only light, and light is still the most important aspect of shooting a movie. Take it from someone who’s graduated from film school. You can rerecord audio and dub it without reshooting scenes, but if you screw up the lighting, you might as well schedule another shooting day.

Most lights used in filmmaking run high currents and require high power ratings as well as high operating temperature ranges. These lights get very hot, which is why so many of the switches on them are high-power rockers. E-Switch offers a wide array of rocker switches suitable for film and stage lights. The R6 Series slim power rocker switch has an electrical rating of up to 10 amps and is perfect for portable lighting applications. Its 6.65 mm by 19.2 mm profile is ideal for compact light designs, and its operating temperature range of -20 to 65°C is plenty large enough to handle most shooting locations and shooting day lengths.

For outdoor shoots, the RB2 Series high-current power rocker switch features an electrical rating of up to 20 amps with cURus certification. Its operating temperature range of -20 to 65 °C and IP54 rating for protection from dust and moisture allow it to operate in the elements.

Perhaps the most suitable rocker switch for film and theater lighting that E-Switch offers is the WB2 Series . It has an internal seal protecting from dust and moisture at an IP55 rating. It has an electrical rating for up to 20 amps with cURus certification, and it’ll operate in temperatures ranging from -20 to 65°C at minimum.

Camera (and Audio)

The technology required to record high-quality video and audio for a movie worthy of the silver screen is basically as small as the technology featured in the smartphone in your pocket. As a result, the switches included on the camera and audio recording devices for managing video and audio settings have gotten smaller.

The record button is still one that tends to stand out, with its red actuator, and the TL3300 Series surface mountable tactile switch features that red actuator. The 160-gram operating force option also features a 200,000-cycle life expectancy. Its 12 mm by 12 mm size might be suitable for professional cameras, while the TL3301 Series is half the size and still features a life expectancy of up to 100,000 cycles. Multiple operating forces and actuator lengths are also available, as are multiple caps.

For camera designs requiring switches mountable at a right angle, the TL6155 Series is a good choice. Not only are these switches small, with a 6.4 mm by 6.55 mm footprint, but they’re rated IP67 for dust and moisture protection. These switches will work in the harshest environments, either in the desert or underwater, and operating in temperatures ranging from -40 to 85°C.

Action

Nothing makes a movie more worthy of a theater audience than action. Even the animated movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru is an action movie. But live-action films require more switches for making movie magic. Pyrotechnics, for example, are usually activated via a set of remote toggle switches like the ST2 and ST3 Series high current toggle switches from E-Switch. The ST2 Series handles up to 20 amps, and the ST3 handles up to 24 amps, with both featuring cURus certifications.

For harsh environments running lower electrical currents, the ST4 Series sealed toggle switch provides dust and moisture protection at an IP68 rating, which makes it ideal for jungle and seaside settings. And when the heat is overwhelming, the ST5 Series high temperature toggle switch operates in temperatures ranging from -10 to 125°C.

Pushbutton switches are also popular for remote detonating pyrotechnics, and illuminated versions allow for working in the dark. The LA Series , fittingly named, is rated IP65 for dust and moisture protection and is cURus certified for direct and alternating currents. It features signal light illumination via LED, neon, or incandescent lamps in multiple colors and offers momentary, maintained, and pilot functionality.

The next time you’re in a movie theater watching the trailers for the upcoming attractions, think of all the switches that make those movies possible. If you design and produce filmmaking equipment, please don’t hesitate to ask our sales and service team about switches suitable for your designs. You can always configure your own switch on our website as well.

The post Switches in Filmmaking: Celebrating the Return to Movie Theaters appeared first on E-Switch, Inc. .

How to Choose the Right IEC 60601-1-8 Speaker

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:48:00 GMT

With the increased use of medical electronics in medicine today, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) developed the IEC 60601-1-8 standard to regulate alarm signals to prevent confusion, when several instruments are sounding at the same time in the same room.

Wide-Band MEMS Microphones Application Guide

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:43:00 GMT

When designing a PUI Audio MEMS microphone into your product, careful PCB placement and sound hole position need to be considered to minimize noise. The microphone should be placed to avoid antennae, amplifiers, motors, power supplies, or any other devices that may create noise interference.

High Temperature Parts

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:05:00 GMT

PUI Audio Doubles Square Footage in Fairborn Office Location

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:20:00 GMT

A local manufacturer, PUI Audio, recently selected a new office location at 1202 East Dayton Yellow Springs Road in Fairborn, moving from Vandalia.

Congress Switches Economy ‘ON,’ Inflation ‘OFF’ with Energy, CHIPS+ Legislation

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 17:19:00 GMT

This week Congress agreed to pass two bills that will shape the future of the United States’ economy for decades to come. The CHIPS for America Act will attempt to address the massive semiconductor shortage that has slowed production of everything from cars to computers. Senate Democrats also agreed to pass sweeping legislation to address energy, health care, and taxes.

The impact on the stock market was immediate. You might have noticed solar and renewable energy stock prices skyrocket on Thursday. Hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer Plug Power saw its stock price increase 25 percent. Residential solar energy service provider Sunnova Energy enjoyed a 27-percent jump. Another residential solar energy system provider, Sunrun, saw its stock price increase by 30 percent . Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 were pushed higher on Thursday as a result.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the global inflation that resulted made it painfully clear that America’s reliance on Asia for many of its technological products could not continue. Currently, U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity is 12 percent of global capacity , whereas in 1990, the U.S. held a majority of the semiconductor market share at 37 percent. COVID-19 broke more than bodies; it broke supply chains. These bills are meant to, in part, unchain America from those supply chains.

President Joe Biden gave a boost to the residential and commercial solar industry with executive orders back in June, but executive orders can only do so much. In this case, the executive orders only authorized the Defense Production Act to boost production of solar and renewable energy hardware domestically and suspended tariffs on such hardware for two years. This should help address the lack of EV charging stations in rural America, but that’s not the only thing holding back EV production and adoption. The lack of semiconductor supply has also stalled EV production despite increased demand resulting from high fuel prices.

With the CHIPS for America Act, $52 billion in federal funding will be provided for domestic production of semiconductors, mostly through tax credits for companies who meet certain criteria. The agreement on energy, health care, and taxes would invest $369 billion into energy and climate change programs , with a goal of reducing carbon emissions 40 percent by 2030. Tax credits for the purchase of both new and used electric vehicles will continue at their current levels: up to $4,000 for a used EV and up to $7,500 for a new EV. However, the income threshold for people who can use the tax credits will be lower, a key demand of Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who previously opposed the legislation.

What does this all mean for the switch industry? Well, with domestic vehicle manufacturers already increasing production of EVs, this legislation paired with the previous executive orders should supercharge the speed at which EVs are produced and adopted. And electric vehicles feature a massive number of electromechanical switches, from the dashboard to, now, the door handle .

Virtually anything with a semiconductor also has a switch or two associated with it, so all of this is great news for the switch industry. While it may be years before the semiconductor legislation has an actual impact on domestic production, the passage of the climate change legislation will spur production of EVs immediately by making it less expensive for EV manufacturers to borrow funds despite increasing interest rates . The immediate impact on stock prices has already increased these companies’ valuations, which allows for borrowing more money to invest in research, development, and production.

The post Congress Switches Economy ‘ON,’ Inflation ‘OFF’ with Energy, CHIPS+ Legislation appeared first on E-Switch, Inc. .

Switches in Music: Prince and the Switch Revolution

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:32:00 GMT

While standing in line at the record store on Record Store Day waiting to buy Prince’s “Gold Experience,” I wondered if Prince was mostly responsible for the growing use of switches in music .

Minneapolis was put on the music map by Prince, making First Avenue a famous venue. Now that venue no longer sits on First Avenue. Two weeks ago , on what would have been Prince’s 64 ^th birthday, a commemorative street sign was unveiled at the corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street. It reads “Prince Rogers Nelson Way.” This just a week after a 100-foot mural of Prince was unveiled on the southwest corner of First Avenue and Eighth Street.

Prince obviously left his mark on Minneapolis and music, or perhaps multiple marks, but one of those marks was the use of switches in music. Prince played all 27 instruments featured in his debut album “For You” and sang all vocals. But it’s unlikely that any musician before him played more instruments with switches. On “For You,” Prince played Minimoog and Polymoog synthesizers, an ARP String Ensemble synthesizer, ARP Pro Soloist synthesizer, an Oberheim four-voice synthesizer, and an electric piano, all of which feature many switches.

The 100 Series toggle switch from E-switch is often used as a power switch on electric pianos and guitar controllers. Operating at temperatures ranging from -30 to 85°C and featuring an epoxy seal at the base of the terminal, the 100 Series toggle switch can stand the heat and is splash-proof. It’s perfect for performances indoors or outdoors and dripping sweat won’t affect its ability to function.

Prince would go on to incorporate the drum machine into his music, which might be the most successful musical switch instrument ever. Prince found Roger Linn’s LM-1 Drum Computer to be fully capable of replacing drums on his albums, and many bands followed suit. Def Leppard’s “Pyromania” was entirely recorded using a Linn drum machine after drummer Rick Allen lost an arm in a car crash. Allen played cymbals on the record, but the machine (and super-producer Mutt Lange) helped the band produce its biggest and best record while Rick learned to play drums one-handed for the eventual tour, which he ended up doing better than anyone could have imagined.

The LM-1 features many pushbuttons resembling the ULP and LP11 S eries of switches from E-switch. These illuminated switches are often found on mixing boards and music mixers. The ULP Series pushbutton switch has a long life expectancy of 200,000 electrical cycles and a million mechanical cycles. It operates in temperatures ranging from -40 to 85°C.

Guitar pedals were also used liberally by Prince. His guitar rig featured 10 devices with 14 foot switches by my count. These days guitar pedals allow two- and three-piece bands to sound as big as the musicians’ hands and feet can move. I saw this firsthand when Jawbreaker, a three-piece punk band, played The Armory in Minneapolis recently. Frontman and lead guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach played guitar in an inspired fashion Prince would have appreciated. I was so inspired that I started playing guitar soon after. But it was how Schwarzenbach played the pedals, the switches, that was most responsible for that inspiring sound.

Many of those switches resemble the FS5700 Series pushbutton foot switch from E-switch. Guitar effect pedals are the most common application for the FS5700 Series. With actuation force options ranging from 1,700 to 3,000 grams, it can handle the foot stomps that tend to occur during live performances. It also has a long life expectancy of 30,000 cycles.

The question of whether Prince was mostly responsible for the growing use of switches in music is unanswerable. A valid argument can, of course, be made on behalf of Pink Floyd, whom I believe to be the single greatest band of all time. They popularized the use of guitar effects and synthesizers long before Prince, but it was Prince who showed the music world that rock band sound could be achieved by a solo artist thanks to switches.

Now, acts like Billie Eilish explode onto the scene with songs produced by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, using affordable gear and stock sound libraries included with music production software. The song that put them on the map, “Ocean Eyes,” was produced using only “Logic stock sounds” that were tweaked and layered. If that’s the case, the only instrument in the song is Eilish’s voice, unless we consider the computer to be an instrument. And why wouldn’t we? O’Connell had to learn to play the Logic Pro computer program just like he had to learn to play guitar and piano, and it took just as much practice.

Is Prince mostly responsible for this switch revolution in music? Could be. He might not have intended for the computer to become a musical instrument, but I think Prince would appreciate this ingenuity despite its minimalism. Prince played musical switches better than anyone, but now the computer is all those switches combined. As a result, more people are inspired to make music and can afford to do so. If Prince is mostly responsible for that, I think he’d take it.

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