Rotary Switches F1 steering wheel

[Pierre6]

Hello all!

I am looking for a company where i can buy rotary switches as used on an F1 steering wheel. Does anybody knows where i can buy them? I am from Europe.

An example of what i'm looking is here:http://www.autoevolution.com/news-image ... 154-6.html

Thanks in advance!

Pieter

[747heavy]

have a look here:

http://www.rs-components.com/index.html
or
http://www.conrad.com/MINIATURE-GRADED- ... 83_0216250

you will need to make the labels yourself, but will find 12 position rotary switches and some knobs. Depends what you would like to do with them. For a "Playstation" steering wheel, they should do, for use in a figther jet or F1 car maybe not. (not waterproof)

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/sear ... &R=7118391

[Caito]

If you want a switch that does the same, you can look them as XX position rotary switch.

If you want JUST like that one, look for mil-spec(military grade/specifications) rotary switches.

They'll be really expensive. A step below(or maybe not) would be aircraft graded swithces.

Example:
http://www.cole-switches.com/Products/M1800.html

Connectors for reference:
http://www.connecticc.com/Default.aspx? ... Connectors
http://www.peigenesis.com/en/connectors ... ctors.html


Bye!

[SpookTheHamster]

Probably the most popular rotary switches in F1 (and motorsport in general) are Grayhill type 56 switches. You can buy the standard ones from RS, but the most popular ones are high the high torque ones. I think they are special order.

To make them work with something, you can make them into a basic potentiometer. You can do this with a chain of resistors between each pole to make a potential divider, like so:

You'll then get a voltage range between 0-Vin which you can send wherever you need it.

What are you doing with them?

[Pierre6]

Hi guys! Thanks a lot for the responses!

@747heavy --> actually yeah, i am building a fighter jet

@Caito --> it's not necessary that they are the exact ones from the picture.

@SpookTheHamster --> we are building a kart with an electric drivetrain. The rotary switches will function as "mode-switches". The ones we are looking for are the ones you are describing. A precondition is that the switch only uses three cables, like in your drawing (with the potentiometer). But when i look at the specifications on RS-Components: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/sear ... &R=6906727

I see so many pins to connect. Do i have to solder resistors in there manually?

Kind regards,

Pieter

[Caito]

Basically yes, you have to solder your own resistors.

Take into account that if all your resistors are equal, you'll have equally spaced voltages. And if thats for a high impedance input, it would be better to put high values of R so as to reduce consumption of the switch.

However, if you have predetermined values of V, you arrange them in ascending order and put the necessary R to achieve what you need.


bye!

[Pierre6]

Thanks Caito for the intel!

I need equally spaced voltages between 0 and 5 volts. The reference voltage will also be 5 volts.

Bye!

[Pierre6]

Probably the most popular rotary switches in F1 (and motorsport in general) are Grayhill type 56 switches. You can buy the standard ones from RS, but the most popular ones are high the high torque ones. I think they are special order.

To make them work with something, you can make them into a basic potentiometer. You can do this with a chain of resistors between each pole to make a potential divider, like so:

You'll then get a voltage range between 0-Vin which you can send wherever you need it.

What are you doing with them?

Hi guys! Me again.

We are going to implement it as shown in the picture. The only thing i'm not sure of is the exact value of the resistance. Vin is 5V; Vout needs to be 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0V. Because i don't want to much current, i thought using five 1 kOhm resistors.

Can this work?

Thanks!

[SpookTheHamster]

As long as the resistors are all equal, you'll get equally spaced steps in voltage

[marekk]

Hi guys! Me again.

We are going to implement it as shown in the picture. The only thing i'm not sure of is the exact value of the resistance. Vin is 5V; Vout needs to be 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0V. Because i don't want to much current, i thought using five 1 kOhm resistors.

Can this work?

Thanks!

Any rotary linear potentiometer will do the job, resistance (and wattage) depends on how much current you need.
You can go for this discrete divider solution as on the picture, but if you connect something with low impedance to it, you can have sparking on switch contacts, so you have to add an capacitor between Vout and ground.

[Caito]

Probably the most popular rotary switches in F1 (and motorsport in general) are Grayhill type 56 switches. You can buy the standard ones from RS, but the most popular ones are high the high torque ones. I think they are special order.

To make them work with something, you can make them into a basic potentiometer. You can do this with a chain of resistors between each pole to make a potential divider, like so:

You'll then get a voltage range between 0-Vin which you can send wherever you need it.

What are you doing with them?

Hi guys! Me again.

We are going to implement it as shown in the picture. The only thing i'm not sure of is the exact value of the resistance. Vin is 5V; Vout needs to be 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0V. Because i don't want to much current, i thought using five 1 kOhm resistors.

Can this work?

Thanks!

Things maybe are not that easy. If you have a high input impedance connected to the pot then it will be ok. But if that to which you connect your pot draws... lets say 3mA(if not it doesnt' work) and it's connected yo the 1v pot you'll have 3ma through a 1k, which is actually 3v.


Where are you sending the switch signal?


marekk is right about the spark, though I doubt there's enough inductance as to create a spark(guessing where you going to connect the switch). Anyway a small cap could save you.

[Pierre6]

Hi guys!

Okay, the ECU i will connect them to has an input impedance of 1 MOhm. So that's okay.

Thanks for the tips & advise