Minivac 601 (Version 1.0) Motorized Rotary Switch

thingiverse

This is the promised follow-up to my Minivac 601 Replica (Version 0.9) Thing. It came together faster than anticipated, and I'm pretty happy with the result. The Decimal Input-Output panel described here is a drop-in replacement for the manual version described in the Version 0.9 Thing. As the title says, it adds the motorized feature to the sixteen position rotary switch. Like the original Minivac 601, this is accomplished using a friction drive implementation. Here's a video of the Motorized Rotary Switch in action: The new design starts with a more robust rotary switch, using real bearings for a much smoother operation. One problem with the previous design was that the tolerances on the switch itself were pretty loose. As a result, the motor required too much torque to turn the switch properly. In addition, with the new solenoid-based design, the motor is only engaged when it's active. When not in use, it's detached from the switch, allowing for a great "feel" when operating the switch manually.