Introduction to Microcontroller Programming
About PICmicro Chips
Clocking Your PICmicro Devices E-Blocks Flowcode Step By Step
PICmicro Projects
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Switch BounceSwitches contain two metal contacts, made of brass. When switched off, these contacts are held apart, separated by an insulator - air. To switch on, these contacts are slapped together by some lever mechanism, aided by a strong spring. Now, metals are springy. When the contacts hit each other, they bounce apart, hit each other again and may continue to do this a number of times before coming to rest in contact with each other. All of this happens very quickly. We normally do not notice it, and it causes no problem. ![]() When the switch is part of a switch unit, this bouncing causes a series of changes in output, as shown in the diagram. We can show these changes on a voltage/time graph: ![]() |