Unknown element

• Unknown element
  Posted by iceman on 29 Mar, 2018 21:06
• Hello. This is my first post, so I hope I'm doing everything right My daughter has inline skates with LEDs that flash when she moves. There is a circuit in each one of the skates. On one skate LEDs work as expected, on another one - no light. I've inspected the circuits and found that an "element" is connected to PCB using one leg and one very thin wire. On the non-working circuit this wire is broken. There are absolutely no marks on the element nor on the PCB. I'd like to replace this element, but I have no clue what that is. Hence the question, does anyone know what that element is? It is a black cylinder, which looks like capacitor. I've attached the pictures of the working PCB and market the broken wire (broken on another PCB) with the red circle.

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• #1 Reply
  Posted by ataradov on 29 Mar, 2018 21:34
• That may be a vibration/orientation switch. I guess the thin wire is to make the sensor have only one rigid support.
• #2 Reply
  Posted by iceman on 29 Mar, 2018 21:45
• This is an interesting idea. This element is fixed with the hot glue on the other side though. I thought that vibrations are detected using gyro on the other side of the PCB. Of course, I'm not sure that this is gyro, there are no marks on it.

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• #3 Reply
  Posted by ataradov on 29 Mar, 2018 21:49
• Try to measure continuity of that element while rotating the board in space (on a working unit). Whatever it is, I assume it just has a dry contact.
• #4 Reply
  Posted by doktor pyta on 29 Mar, 2018 22:16
• a tilt switch?
  
  https://www.funduinoshop.com/Tilt-switch-SW-520D
• #5 Reply
  Posted by ataradov on 29 Mar, 2018 22:18
• Quote from: doktor pyta on 29 Mar, 2018 22:16

  a tilt switch?
  

  That's what I was thinking. But why would it have one pin made of what seems to be an enameled wire? That just seems strange.
  
  Although this one has asymmetric legs as well: https://www.adafruit.com/product/173 This looks like a replacement part.
• #6 Reply
  Posted by Andy Watson on 29 Mar, 2018 22:27
• Prise-off the broken device and look for a part number. If you cannot find a part number try searching for SW 18010 on ebay - it should return something that looks very similar.
  
• #7 Reply
  Posted by iceman on 30 Mar, 2018 16:14
• I cannot find the part number on the outside of that element, but indeed, when I search for SW 18010 - I get very similar parts. I'll order some of those and give them a try. Thanks!
  And thanks everyone for help! As I mentioned, this was the first time I write on this forum, and I'm impressed on how fast I got help.
• #8 Reply
  Posted by PA0PBZ on 30 Mar, 2018 17:50
• This is why there is one very thin wire: