Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Arcade buttons are robust, durable inputs suitable for a wide-range of electronics projects - not only videogames and arcade machines, but interactive museum and gallery exhibits, public art installations, escape room props... and many more! They are not expensive, and they're easy to obtain from online suppliers or can be reclaimed from old scrap machines.
In this "deep-dive" tutorial video I'll try to demonstrate various useful things I've learned about them:
- How to insert custom text or images to display on the button front
- How to change the bulb supplied with an illuminated button designed to run at 12V to operate from a 5V power supply instead (such as an Arduino)
- The function of NO and NC terminal contacts on the microswitch
- The overwhelming (and, frankly, frustrating!) array of subtly different varieties of bulb holders you might encounter...
Like and subscribe to this channel for more playful electronics projects, and please check out my Patreon at patreon.com/playfultech for more in-depth escape room tech tutorials!
Arcade buttons are robust, durable inputs suitable for a wide-range of electronics projects - not only videogames and arcade machines, but interactive museum and gallery exhibits, public art installations, escape room props... and many more! They are not expensive, and they're easy to obtain from online suppliers or can be reclaimed from old scrap machines.
In this "deep-dive" tutorial video I'll try to demonstrate various useful things I've learned about them:
- How to insert custom text or images to display on the button front
- How to change the bulb supplied with an illuminated button designed to run at 12V to operate from a 5V power supply instead (such as an Arduino)
- The function of NO and NC terminal contacts on the microswitch
- The overwhelming (and, frankly, frustrating!) array of subtly different varieties of bulb holders you might encounter...
Like and subscribe to this channel for more playful electronics projects, and please check out my Patreon at patreon.com/playfultech for more in-depth escape room tech tutorials!
