Hack Electronic Pushbuttons
Tap into your electronic devices and take control.
By Peter Edwards
IN THIS TUTORIAL I’LL EXPLAIN HOW
you can easily hack the controls of almost any
electronic device. Why would you want to?
Maybe you want to rewire a Nintendo joystick
to your computer so you can control Mario
via Max/MSP. Maybe you want to set up magnetic sensors to steer a remote control car
while you’re tap-dancing. Or wire the buttons
in your TV remote to big, arcade-style buttons
mounted in your coffee table. Or modify a
musical instrument (as I’ll show here). There
are countless possibilities.
This guide applies to most button-hacking
projects but there are always exceptions to
the norm and baffling anomalies. These techniques will work for many circuits but not all.
device that makes or breaks an electrical connection when activated. Hold 2 pieces of wire
in your hands. Connect the ends together,
now disconnect them. You just performed the
functions of a pushbutton.
There are many varieties of pushbuttons
but the most common (and simplest) is the
momentary SPST (single-pole, single-throw)
switch. This will often be listed as “(NO)”
which stands for “normally open.” The parentheses around NO tell you it’s a momentary
switch — the circuit stays closed only while
you keep your finger on the button.
This button has 2 connection terminals
or nodes. Activating (or pushing) the button
connects these terminals together. That’s it!
This sends a signal to the circuit telling it to
do something specific. It doesn’t matter how
the nodes are connected; all the circuit knows
What’s a Button?
A pushbutton is a simple electromechanical
Photograph by Sam Murphy
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