Learning Center

How Potentiometers Works    A potentiometer is a variable resistor. A fixed resistor always holds one value, but a potentiometer changes that value as it moves. Inside, there’s a resistive track and a moving contact called a wiper. As the wiper travels along the track, it changes how much resistance sits between each end of the ...

When Does a Foot Switch Become “Special”?    A switch becomes special the moment it deviates from our standard catalog offering.  That could mean:  This might seem like small asks, but each one changes how we build and track that part. If it’s no longer the off-the-shelf version we usually ship, it’s flagged and handled as ...

Not All Customization Is Created Equal    Not every request falls into the same bucket. That is where confusion usually starts.  A standard product is something we already build, test, and stock. these move through production quickly because everything has already been designed, validated, and approved. On the medical side, however, none of our foot switches ...

What We Test In House   Not every test needs to happen in a third party lab. We handle quite a bit of durability and electrical validation right here, including:  We have even developed specific in-house methods, like submersion testing in saline water, to help validate water protection. And we have built custom setups for real ...

What is a Single-Stage Switch? A single-stage switch does one job. Press the pedal, and one function activates. Inside the treadle, there’s just one switch, usually a microswitch or a Hall sensor. If it’s a microswitch, you’ll hear and feel a click when it actuates. The actuation point is typically set around halfway through the ...

What Do “Poles” and “Throws” Actually Mean?  A pole refers to the number of separate inputs on a switch controlled by a single actuator. A throw refers to how many different outputs each input can connect to.  For example:  As you move from single to double pole, the number of circuits a switch can control ...

Stage 1: Discovery & Scoping Together we can work to understand your functional requirements such as ON and OFF, linear, or momentary. Also determined is whether it needs to be wired or wireless and whether it is a brand-new build or something that can be adapted from an existing design. What is helpful at this ...

What Happens if You Push Power Through the Switch Running high voltage or amperage straight through a foot switch can cause serious problems. When a switch is forced to handle more than it was designed for, the contacts inside can arc. Arcing happens when electricity jumps between the contacts as they open or close. This ...

Start With Where It Is Going Before getting into strength, weight, or appearance, the best place to start is the environment. Is this switch going in a lab? A factory? Under a surgical table? Where the switch is placed usually tells you a lot about what it needs to handle.  So, when it comes time ...

What Is an OEM?  OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer.  That’s the company that originally designed and built the full piece of equipment your footswitch is a part of. Linemaster makes the footswitch component, but the OEM decides how it needs to perform mechanically, electrically, and even visually.   So, when it comes time to replace ...