Ultra long life tact switches can complete five million cycles

Four new KSC ULL tact switch series from C&K offer ultra-extended product lifetimes for demanding applications and are now available from TTI Europe. Their new KSC201, KSC401, KSC701 and KSC1001 series are surface-mount switches, sealed to IP-67, with a compact footprint. Designed to withstand very intensive use of up to five million cycles, the switches are suitable for elevators, joysticks, game controllers, automotive controls, medical and aircraft applications. These ultra-long life switches can be customized by varying the hardness of the silicon actuator to change the switch actuation force and pre- and post-travel parameters can also be adjusted for different requirements according to application. The switches have a SPST contact arrangement and deliver excellent tactile feedback. They are compact, measuring only 6.2mm x 6.2mm, with four heights (3.5mm, 4.3mm, 4.9mm and 5.2mm) from the PCB according to the series selected. A choice of either G or J terminations saves further PCB real estate. Travel is 0.3mm with soft actuator to absorb mounting tolerances. Shared features of all the series ultra long life SMT tact switches include: dielectric strength =250Vrms, contact resistance <0.1ohm, insulation resistance >10Mohm, and bounce time <1ms. The switches are rated for 32VDC maximum voltage, 50mA maximum current for silver contacts (-40C and 85C), and 10mA maximum current for gold contacts (-40C and 125C).