Single Blue Button Flexible Membrane Switch - Adhesive Keypad with 90mm Ribbon Cable

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. Is this a toggle switch or a momentary switch? This is a momentary switch. It only connects the circuit for exactly as long as your finger is physically pressing the blue button down.

2. Does it make a clicking sound? Yes, it has a built-in metal dome that provides a soft but distinct tactile "click" feeling and sound when pressed.

3. How do I mount it? The back of the square pad has a white peel-off paper. Once removed, it reveals a strong adhesive layer that sticks to metal, plastic, glass, and smooth wood.

4. What are the dimensions of the sticky pad? The rectangular pad measures 20mm tall by 23mm wide.

5. How long is the cable? The flexible ribbon cable extends 90mm (roughly 3.5 inches) from the edge of the pad to the connector.

6. Can I cut the ribbon cable to make it shorter? No. The ribbon cable contains conductive silver traces printed on the plastic. If you cut it, you will destroy the traces and ruin the switch.

7. What kind of connector is on the end? It ends in a black plastic female connector with a standard 2.54mm (0.1 inch) pitch. It perfectly slides over standard square male header pins.

8. How many wires does it use? While the black connector might look like it can hold 2 or 3 pins, the actual switch only uses two electrical connections (in and out) to close the circuit.

9. Do I need a pull-up or pull-down resistor to use this with a microcontroller? Yes, like any mechanical switch, you need a resistor to prevent a "floating" pin. However, you can simply use the built-in internal pull-up resistors on your Arduino or ESP32 via code (INPUT_PULLUP).

10. Does the button light up? No. The blue circle is just printed coloring. There are no LEDs inside this membrane.

11. Can this switch handle 110V or 220V AC wall power? Absolutely NOT. This is strictly a low-voltage logic switch. It is designed to handle a maximum of around 12V to 35V DC at extremely low currents (under 100mA). Running wall power through it will cause it to melt and catch fire instantly.

12. Is the switch waterproof? The front plastic face is water-resistant and can easily be wiped clean with a damp cloth. However, the adhesive back, the edges, and the ribbon connector are not waterproof. Do not submerge it.

13. Can I stick it to a curved surface? It can handle very gentle, sweeping curves (like a large PVC pipe). Do not attempt to fold it over a sharp 90-degree corner, or you will snap the internal conductive traces.

14. Will this work with a Raspberry Pi? Yes, it works perfectly with the 3.3V GPIO pins on any Raspberry Pi model.

15. Which wire is positive and which is negative? It does not matter. This is a simple, unpolarized mechanical switch. It just bridges the two wires together when pressed, so you can plug it in either way.

16. How do I connect it if my board only has female headers? You will need to use a male-to-male Dupont jumper wire. Plug one end into the switch's female connector, and the other end into your board.

17. Can I use this as a power button to turn my battery pack on and off? No, because it is a momentary switch (not a latching on/off toggle), and because it cannot handle high current. It can only be used as a signal input to tell a microcontroller to turn something else on.