Touch Switch Product Guide

Product Guide: Touch Switch with Cables


This guide describes the operation of the Brickstuff Touchswitch with Cables Control Pack.  The touch switch is a true "off" switch, meaning that almost no power is consumed when in the off state.  This makes it ideal for use with battery-powered setups where you want to be sure battery power is not being consumed when power is off.

INTRODUCTION

Your kit includes three parts:
  1. One Brickstuff touch switch module
  2. Two 50cm (20") connecting cables
The photos below show the front and back side of the touch switch module:
Front side of the touch switch module.
Back side of the touch switch module, with large touch pad.
The touch switch module has a red self-adhesive tape on the back side (this is the side with the large touch pad visible).  When you are ready to mount the switch, you can peel the covering off of this tape and securely attach the touch-sensitive side of the switch to the flat surface you want to use for touch sensing.

The photo below shows the tape with covering lifted.



USAGE

To use the switch, use the two connecting cables included with your kit to connect it between your power source and the lights and other electrical items you want to control with the switch, as shown in the illustration below:



For the switch to operate properly, make sure the incoming power is connected to the "IN" plug on the touch switch, and that the outgoing control for lights and other items is connected to the "OUT" plug on the touch switch.

When considering where to mount the switch, keep in mind that it has an active sensing distance of approximately 5mm, or about the thickness of one LEGO® tile.  The illustration below shows the touch switch mounted to the underside of a 2x4 LEGO® tile that is secured on either end with supporting bricks or plates.



Note the active touch area, which is centered directly above the touch switch module.  A touch in this area will trigger the switch, turning power on or off.

Mounting the switch to a surface thicker than 5mm can reduce the active touch area or eliminate it completely, preventing the switch from operating.

Before attaching the switch with the adhesive, test to make sure the switch will be able to receive touch inputs and that it operates correctly in the location you intend to mount it.

Once you have verified the switch works where you intend to mount it, you can attach it permanently and enjoy invisible control of your lights and other setups.  The switch has an onboard chip that enables it to switch large loads (up to 1A or 1000mA), so you can use it to control 100 lights or more.


THANK YOU

Thank you for purchasing this Brickstuff product!  Your support means a lot to our small, family business, and it allows us to wake up every day and continue doing the work we love: making really cool things to take your models to the next level!

If you have any questions or problems with this product, please send us an e-mail and let us know how we can help.  You can also comment directly about this guide below.

If you make something really cool with this product, please share on social media and tag us (@brickstuff on most platforms) so we can see your awesome work!