Basic Knowledge: Momentary vs. Maintained

Momentary vs. Maintained

All switches fall into one of two distinct categories: momentary or maintained.

Maintained switches -- like the light switches on your wall -- stay in one state until actuated into a new one, and then remain in that state until acted upon once again. These switches might also be called toggle or ON/OFF switches.

Momentary switches only remain active as long as they’re actuated. If they're not being actuated, they remain in their “off” state. You’ve probably got a momentary switch (or 50) right in front of you...keys on a keyboard!

Semantic alert!  Most of the switches we refer to as "buttons" fall in the momentary category. Activating a button usually means pressing down on it in some manner, which just feels like a momentary control. There are such things as a maintained button, but for this article when we slip and talk about "buttons", think “momentary push-down switch”.