Andy Eden at Luso Electronics considers new technology and kitting options for reed based switches in broadcast applications.
Modern switch technology in the broadcast industry has moved on significantly over the past few decades by taking the foundations of well-established existing technologies and adapting these to fit with the requirements of today’s advancing industry.
Reed switch based technology has been employed over many years in equipment designed for use in the broadcast and audiovideo production industry. The switches’ technology offers reliability and versatility whilst also being cost effective. Among the many characteristics such as the ability to work with a wide range of power requirements, high-switching speed, long life offering tens of millions of cycles, one of the most useful is its magnetic activation rather than electromechanical, which can transfer noise into a circuit.
Companies such as US based Veetronix, who have been producing switches for the broadcast industry for some 15 or 20 years with a suite of switch technology that has been continually adapted to meet with changing industry demands. Currently the switch technology has undergone its latest evolution with the development of the company’s 01- and 03-series switches which replaces the previous generation of devices in this product line. Recently, however, the company has added further updates to its switch designs, replacing its 07 and 08 series switches.
New choices and capabilities
These new switches maintain the same high quality and feel of the old series switches, but also offer extra functionality. A key demand in the industry has been to offer illuminated switching options, including RGB based LED solutions, which also meet low power requirements. Additionally, these devices also have push-pit connectors and locating pins, which makes fitting them to the PCB a significantly simpler task in the production process; it also ensures that the switch is perfectly square on the board.
One feature that the new switches have maintained from the original design is the fact that the reed switch itself is hermetically sealed, which means that no air, dust or liquids can penetrate the essential part of the switch. Clearly, this is essential to prevent damage from hot liquids, such as a cup of coffee spilt over a panel or console.
Keycap variations and other services
Varieties of keycaps to accompany these switches are also available from the company as the majority of its customers use square keycaps, but additionally there are oblong double-space options and even round buttons if required – and all available in a rainbow of colour options.
In addition to this, one additional service that has proved to be particularly popular is the company’s custom laser marking of caps. Instead of being supplied with the caps in kit form, customers can add their required lettering to the cap by using an insert, on which the factory can permanently laser etch the design on the inside of the cap cover. This design can be any customer-requested logo or font.
This service is said to have been extremely useful for one of the company’s UK-based customer in particular that had an extremely large panel of more than 1000 switches with nearly 200 different legends to be applied to various keycaps. Clearly, it is an incredibly time-consuming task to assemble this quantity of keycaps by hand. The solution offered was to supply the keycaps assembled and where required laser marked with legends. This was incorporated into a full logistics package, including holding more than 200 different caps against customer forecast in local stock at Luso warehousing in the UK. This meant that this customer could gain access to parts within 24 hours.
Another customer the company assisted was designing a new switcher with 32 different legends required on the panel. The customer had contacted Veetronix, based upon the quality record of its products. Luso suggested that the customer used the new 08 series to gain the time and cost savings in production from the new easy-to-use push-fit system, in addition to using the custom-marking service. Based on customer requirements, the Veetronix factory in the US supplied a set of 32 different sample caps supplied as a kit and under one part number.
Luso Electronics
Andy Eden is Internal Sales Manager, Distribution Division at Luso Electronics
