Tim Hoffman wrote:
>
> I'd like to get a prototype custom membrane keypad made for a PIC
> project that I'm working on. I've looked all over the net today and
> found very few resources for this kind of thing. Does anybody have
> experience in getting these things made up? What should I expect the
> cost to be?
>
> Thanks!
> Tim
> Please Note New Address:
> thoffman@flash.net

You might want to check out The Hall Company.  Their web page is at
http://www.4you.net/~hallco/index.html.  They specialize in custom
manufacture of membrane keypads.  I just got a quote from them for a
custom keypad (qty. of 250), and it was much more reasonable than I
expected.  They do prototypes in quantity of 1 to 5.

If you just need to rig up a membrane keypad to test your project, I
have built many a keypad with 1/2" copper foil tape.  (You can get rolls
from DigiKey)  Assuming you need a matrix encoded keypad, just lay down
strips of copper tape on a substrate (I use scraps of plexiglass)for
your rows.  Then take a piece of file folder or similar and cut out
holes where your keys will be. Center it over the copper tape rows, then
lay down strips of copper tape on a piece of overhead projector
transparancy for your columns, being careful to line them up over the
holes.  You can then directly solder your row/column wires to the copper
strips, and then tape up your "sandwich" with clear tape.  Total cost is
about one buck and 15 minutes of your time.  Ain't pretty, but it works
great--some of mine are five years old and I've never had a problem with
them.  Good luck!!

Chuck Frame,
Frame Technologies
cframe@netnet.net