buttoncomputerspulsetoggle switch
Basically I want to use a toggle switch to turn on my computer. I need some sort of circuit so that the toggle switch will act like a push button. IE, I turn on the toggle switch but it only sends a pulse rather than keep the circuit open.
Thanks in advanced.
I'm not sure of the distinction you are trying to describe. The 6mm x 6mm tact switch you show and the microswitch both have an audible click when released, and in both cases it will likely be a bit later (some milliseconds) than the N.O. contacts opening.
In the first case it's caused by the internal metal dome contact oilcanning back to the rest position and in the second case it's probably caused by the N.C. contacts slamming together. Here is what the contact inside the tact switch looks like (from this website) - the mark in the middle is where the button presses on it to oilcan it downward and make contact:
The "tact" in the tact switch name is from the tactile feedback it gives you, unlike a membrane switch sans dome which provides no feedback. Many modern membrane switches incorporate a metal or plastic dome that gives you feedback, and in that sense they are much like the tact switch.
One generic term is "snap action". But maybe @SteveG is right and you are conflating the relatively loud door latch snap action with that of the interlock switch.
If so, its not a characteristic you will find in a common inexpensive component, it's a separate mechanical contrivance and just happens to carry the switch operation along for the ride.
You could use a schmitt trigger EXOR gate like this: -
Every time the input waveform changes state you get a positive pulse at the output and the duration of that pulse is determined by the RC time constant.
Best Answer
The simplest hardware-wise is:
Just one small chip with its bypass cap.
The internal pullup on GP0 is enabled, so GP0 will be low when the switch is closed and high when open. The rest is firmware. At its simplest, the firmware can just produce a fixed size pulse on GP1 whenever it sees a transition on GP0. However, unlike dedicated analog solutions, you can apply different policies that might be useful. For example, when a pulse turns off the system, this could enforce a minimum time to let the system fully shut down before attempting to start it up again.