[sdiy] alternative to rotary switches ?

[Colin Fraser]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl 
> [mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of John Speth
> Sent: 01 March 2002 7:51
> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Subject: RE: [sdiy] alternative to rotary switches ?
> 
> This question comes up in my brain often.  Seems to me that 
> it's much cheaper today to implement an electronic selector 
> circuit with a pot and an MCU with an ADC input.  You get the 
> added bonus of the smarts of an MCU.  
> If only there were pots available with a series of equally 
> spaced detents to give the feeling of a selector switch, we'd 
> have the problem solved.  Anyone know of pots with detents?

Roland used detented sliders as switches in a number of products, for
example the PG800 programmer.
They're multiplexed into an ADC, then quantized to however many
positions they need, 2, 3 or 4.
This makes for a simpler design than having to implement multiplexed CV
reading and switch scanning.
I've never seen detented sliders for sale tho'. I guess you could make
your own with a bit of ingenuity.

Colin f