Tactile feedback is a common feature with many membrane switches. All membrane switches, of course, consist of multiple layers. They are circuit-controlling components with one or more flexible substrates. The use of a flexible substrate is what distinguishes membrane switches from other types of switches. When shopping for membrane switches, you may discover that many of them feature tactile feedback.
Tactile Feedback Explained
Tactile feedback is the physical sensation that you experience when pressing a button on an interface. Interfaces, such as those on the top layer of a membrane switch or keypad, may produce tactile feedback. It’s the “click” or “snap” that you feel when pressing a button.
How Tactile Feedback Works
In membrane switches, tactile feedback is typically achieved by the use of a dome-shaped contact built into the switch. When you press a button, the dome collapses. Releasing your finger from the button, conversely, allows the dome to spring back up to its original position.
The dome-shaped contact allows for tactile feedback in membrane switches. It acts like a spring. Pressing the dome-shaped contact will force it to collapse around the electrical contact, thereby completing the circuit. Releasing your finger from the dome-shaped contact will result in changing back to its original shape. You’ll feel, as well as hear, this reversion happening. It’s a feature known as tactile feedback.
Why Membrane Switches Feature Tactile Feedback
What’s the purpose of tactile feedback exactly, and why do so many membrane switches feature it? Tactile feedback enhances the user experience by providing a sense of confirmation that the switch has been activated. This sense of confirmation is particularly important in applications where accuracy is critical, such as in medical devices or industrial equipment.
Tactile feedback allows for faster and more accurate input. With tactile feedback, you’ll be able to feel when a key has been pressed without having to look at the screen. Therefore, tactile feedback can help you perform commands more quickly when using a membrane switch.
Non-Tactile Feedback Membrane Switches
While some membrane switches feature tactile feedback, others do not. There are non-tactile feedback membrane switches that lack this otherwise common feature.
Also known as linear membrane switches, they provide a smooth, uninterrupted feel when the button is pressed. Linear switches are often used in applications like data entry. They contain electrical contacts just like membrane switches, but they don’t have the same dome-shaped contacts, nor do they feature tactile feedback.