What is this switch type? It’s driving me crazy!

[DanFraser]

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking your time to read this and I hope you can help!

I have a sim racing wheel, specifically a Logitech Driving Force GT and one of the controls on it is a red wheel that clicks left or right that shows as a button press momentarily on each click in the windows control panel for the device just like any other button on the device. My Ford Mondeo (Taurus in the US) has the same style of operation for the radio volume if that helps.

What is this button/switch/wheel called!? I’m fairly sure it’s not a rotary encoder (my switch is too simple for it to be this), potentiometer (it’s not analogue) or any other combination of momentary/rotation words I’m trying in google.

Once again, I hope you can help me!

 

[AnalogKid]

In the audio world, stepped attenuators are considered much more accurate, professional, and classy than a standard smooth-action volume control. But they relatively expensive, so, or course, there is a way around that. The pot has a detent wheel just like some rotary encoders do, giving the feel of a 24- (or whatever-) position rotary switch when it actually is an audio-taper pot. Alps is a common source for this type of component.

ak

 

[kpatz]

It's likely a rotary encoder. It is implemented as 2 switches that close momentarily out of phase with each other. The direction of rotation is detected by which switch closes/opens first.

Does the knob turn continuously (endless) or does it stop at the extremes? If it stops at the extremes, it could be a detented potentiometer as well.