Push Button

A momentary switch that closes only while physically pressed.

How it works

A push button is a simple mechanical switch that is momentary in action — it only closes the electrical circuit while it is being actively pressed down by a finger. As soon as the pressure is removed, a small internal spring pushes the contact back up, opening the circuit.

Push buttons (often called tactile switches) are widely used for user inputs on microcontrollers, reset buttons, and simple momentary triggers. Standard 4-pin tactile buttons actually consist of two pairs of internally connected pins, which can sometimes cause confusion during wiring.

Because they rely on metal contacts snapping together, they suffer from mechanical "bounce," just like any switch. A single press might register to a fast microcontroller as multiple rapid presses unless the signal is "debounced" using a small capacitor or software delays.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to use a pull-up or pull-down resistor. When the button is unpressed, the logic pin must be tied to a known voltage state (like 5V or GND) rather than left floating in the air.

Standard Component

This component does not have distinct values or part numbers. The standard version is available in the simulator.