Otis clone or just a very common button style?

Having looked at an official Otis Elevators illuminated button, I got a couple of similar ones from AliExpress to compare the construction.
These are visually nice buttons and have a solid feel due to the stainless steel actuator, albeit that it's pressing a fairly standard tactile switch. The 24V LED circuit restricts their use in lower voltage circuits. (Elevators and other industrial equipment tend to use 24V DC control circuit power.)
The connector and pinout is different to the Otis one, and bizarrely the three wire version versus the four wire one just has two pins shorted with a blob of solder as a common +24V.
The other oddity is the plastic retainer being a snap fit onto the stainless steel button. I wonder if those plastic parts crack much.
Here's the link I got the buttons from. Note that there are many other sellers of similar buttons.
www.aliexpress...
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- www.bigclive.c...
This also keeps the channel independent of KZbin's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
#ElectronicsCreators

[@RonNona]

Big Clive, pushing al the right buttons since 1965

[@aznative_]

Except that 1 time 🎉😂

[@Weather76]

Previously, the buttons had a reed switch and a magnet. Such buttons are still working today for more than 50 years. And now everything is disposable plastic.

[@rickseiden1]

You should try putting the steel button in the freezer for a few hours. Then you can soak the plastic bit that's supposed to go around it in some hot water for a few minutes. Take the steel out of the freezer, the plastic out of the water, dry off the plastic, and see if you can get it back on the button.

[@markiangooley]

Some polymers shrink when heated. (For all I know I’m wrong and it’s only natural rubber that actually does that.)

[@rickseiden1]

@@markiangooley that is true. I hadn't considered that. Maybe just the freezer will be enough.

[@Netties8266]

Na. I tried that a while ago. I ended up eating all the icecream

[@ciano5475]

@@markiangooley But even if it shrinks a little if it gets softer enough you can push through.

[@CanizaM]

I remember when PC cases with gigantic illuminated power buttons were really popular, and that's what this reminds me of. If you manage to get your hands on a "pop out" type button which has a hold-in solenoid, I think that would be very interesting to the viewers here.

[@MARKE911]

There is a Molex Manufacturer plant near by. I got a tour of their factory and the amount of gold they use is insane. Really cool plant, I enjoyed the tour.

[@ConorNoakes]

It is a Molex KK 2.54 pattern connector, the part numbers you quoted are also Molex… So whilst they’re definitely not made by Molex you’re not totally wrong calling it a Molex connector (unlike people that call the old 4-pin IDE power connector a Molex when it was originally an AMP product)

[@tin2001]

Or the people calling it the old IDE connector when it was originally (in computer usage anyway) used on floppy drives with zero integrated electronics.

[@johndododoe1411]

​@@tin2001Floppy drives originally used PC edge connectors like the ones for expansion cards . Pin count is different than PATA/IDE .

[@ConorNoakes]

@@tin2001 except that it is, also, the old IDE power connector prior to the SATA power connector which was also phased in on the last gasp of IDE drives

[@SammyInnit]

Im currently working on a hospital that is not yet open but will be this year. All of the elevators are supplied and installed by OTIS. They break down at least twice a week currently; when I say break down, they will stall between floors with people trapped inside until an OTIS engineer comes to site and fixes it. My only thought is, what happens when it's patients getting trapped in lifts for hours at a time. Embarrassing.

[@tin2001]

I suspect that, like many major brand name companies, quality may have declined due to feeling like "who else will they get their elevator from?"

[@johndododoe1411]

​@@tin2001 Or maybe the local OTIS people are just not good at their job . Really need someone else cleaning up their work to get the failure rate down to safe levels for urgent patient transport . Get someone to convert the failure rate to lives lost per year at planned hospital capacity and frequency of patient movements that can survive being stuck in an elevator for 1, 2, 3, 4 hours . It's all a numbers game, just like the probability of the nurse call buttons at bedsides failing or the probability that a random unconscious trauma patient is allergic to the standard anesthetic drug .

[@claysweetser4106]

Any idea what specifically is breaking? Sensors perhaps? If so, the fault might lie with either whoever installed it, or with the specific batch the component was sourced from.

[@assassinlexx1993]

The only winner is the lawyer. When people are trapped in a known problem elevator.

[@petersage5157]

Disappointing, but having witnessed the decline and fall of many once respected brands over the decades, not surprising. I hope, for your patients' sake, that the technicians get everything ironed out before lives are literally hanging in the balance.

[@Meepcity534]

I like how you show circuit boards!

[@peterc3228]

Congratulations on 1M subs Great channel, keep up the good work 👍

[@phonotical]

For something you'd imagine will see a lot of use in its intended lifetime, the plastic doesn't look anywhere near strong enough, one good bash and it's finished

[@matty0l215]

Funnily enough, they don't. They crack around the clear plastic easily and if they are cleaned with anything strong they go even more brittle over time

[@patomahony9747]

Modern product designed to fail and make money for the supplier on repair call outs etc

[@wiseoldfool]

Warranty void if paper tear.

[@ConorNoakes]

Well the Chinese do like the “if it ain’t broke… copy it” approach 😂

[@kaitlyn__L]

Fun fact, it was regarded as a legitimate part of invention and iteration for millennia within the Chinese Empire. Basically open source by default The modern government were really confused, upon joining the WTO and so on, why they were being asked to sign these agreements about intellectual property. It just had never really come up before. (Of course, one could argue they should care more about enforcement now they have signed it. But I do think some element of generational inertia is completely understandable.)

[@danw1089]

@@kaitlyn__Lit only hampered innovation In china .

[@camifnisil2684]

Copy and cost reduce to the point that sneezing in the general direction breaks it.

[@j.f.christ8421]

@@kaitlyn__L Pretty much. Copying is ok so long as you make it better. "Better" can be anything from cheaper, gold-plated, bigger, smaller or adding on a random feature like a FM radio.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@6:49 - I officially got my first Dupont connector set and accompanying tool. By the third connector, I could reliably make pins. It's superb for $20 US.

[@kriskehrer6410]

3:51 "Jig and A Press" was the name of my Flogging Molly cover band. ...I'll get my coat...

[@ncot_tech]

Oh good, just the button. I had concerns Alibaba had cloned elevators. 😬

[@j.f.christ8421]

Excellent for going down, up not so much.

[@ncot_tech]

@@j.f.christ8421 express elevator, goes down quickly. Only once. Might get stuck part way. You'll find it by searching for "AHYRCHE OTIS elevator lift person lifter stairs escalator man woman automatic person carry (2024)" 😏

[@_..-.._..-.._]

They have actually. No joke.

[@markiangooley]

I used to work in a building with an old and slow Otis elevator, and someone clumsily modified OTIS on the panel inside to read OTIOSE, which I thought clever.

[@_..-.._..-.._]

Don’t get it. And how did they cram extra letters in?

[@patomahony9747]

@@_..-.._..-.._nigh not be a real Otis but a cheap Chinese clone. That the style they use to use a similar name to a brand name

[@unknownhours]

I like the antivandal style buttons. They have a metal bezel on the outside and look sturdier. Those are quite a bit cheaper on Ali than Digikey.

[@wisher21uk]

The blue looks fab thanks Clive 😊

[@nomusicrc]

I like how you buttoned up this video

[@general0ne]

Being from the Pittsburgh area in the US, I'm more familiar with Westinghouse style elevator buttons. These were just translucent plastic buttons, usually protruding from the panel, with their designation printed on the face of the button (up, down, floor number, etc) . Upon pressing the button, you would be rewarded with a nonconformal *smush*, and the button would glow a soft orange, indicating selection. Presumably these were either hall effect switches, or simply the button pressing some open sprung contacts together (unlikely, but possibly), and the light seemed to be provided by a neon lamp.

[@pinkysweets]

these things are in every Breville coffee machines out there

[@UpLateGeek]

The card readers in the lifts at work have about a half second delay when you scan your card before the buttons work, so you scan your card and hit the button three or four times before it actually registers. Then it's only active for about a second, so if you're too quick and don't make sure it's registered your press, by the time you realise, it's no longer active and you need to re-scan, but most likely you'll press the button a bunch while trying to get it working. So basically every successful press requires 3 or 4 actual presses, which effectively makes the lifetime of the buttons a third or a quarter of what they're rated for. And yes, I've seen them replace many of the buttons in the lifts over the years. Some because they've just worn out, some because people have got annoyed and hit the button and broken it. You know what would fix it? If the beep of the card reader happened when the buttons were activated, not half a second beforehand. People naturally wait until the heard the beep before pressing the button, so not only would it work as expected, people wouldn't get angry about missing the press window and smash the buttons.

[@HytelGrp]

Hi Clive, Two suggestions for getting the plastic ring back on. Use your heat gun to warm the plastic ring to make it more pliable to see if it now fits. Use an ice cube under the metal button to cool it while you are heating the plastic ring, then press them together.

[@_..-.._..-.._]

Warn the plastic that if it does not comply, you will burn it! 😠

[@HytelGrp]

@@_..-.._..-.._ 😆

[@SirBoden]

Your thinking noises are epic. Mmmmmmm yes, quite. 😀

[@calicantdrive]

4:10 haven't heard you talk about lips and rims in a while 🤣🤣🤣

[@RambozoClown]

Another good search term is Berg connector. As in the power port on floppy drives. But where is the contact to attach mains to the stainless button? Isn't that a requirement in China?

[@johndododoe1411]

Connect mains to one of the switch pins and use 220V control relays like in old OTIS elevators . Big Clive made some videos years ago .

[@bigclivedotcom]

The live connection is connected to the button via a switch so you are making firm contact when it is energised.

[@briantamburelli7573]

Cool video. You take the most interesting things apart and explain even draw a schematic 😊. My building is supposed to be getting new elevators. We only have one working right now and elevator repair refused to repair our elevators anymore.

[@marcse7en]

Hey Big Clive, your videos of late are really pushing all the right buttons! Damn! ... I see another comment made a similar gag? ... They're obviously highly intelligent, like myself?

[@SodaWithoutSparkles]

If anyone was interested, the text on the PCB said __Year __ Month (_年_月), so probably a placeholder for the installation date or manufacture date.

[@CollectiveSoftware]

Could you get that plastic ring clipped back on if you heated it up a bit first, or conversely froze the metal part?

[@bigclivedotcom]

I'm thinking of warming the metal part first and seeing if the plastic will clip over as it warms up.

[@ConorNoakes]

@@bigclivedotcomthat seems counterintuitive to the normal method for fitting two things that are a bit tight?

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@ConorNoakesit’s not just about size of the metal, but also flexibility of the plastic. See also: heating up uncooperative nuts on a car - their often-nickel metal usually expands less than the often-steel of the wheel, the latter of which is also made a bit more flexible with heat.

[@ConorNoakes]

@@kaitlyn__L that is dissimilar expansion to break a corrosion bond. Also, heating a nut will make it expand causing the tolerance between the thread to increase. What Clive is suggesting here would effectively be analogous to heating the wheel stud instead of the nut which would cause it to expand and make the nut grip even tighter. It would make more sense to heat the plastic, possibly also in conjunction with putting the metal in the freezer.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@ConorNoakes fair enough!

[@NyxKemo]

There’s an insane amount of clones for those buttons, the original ones are Xizi Otis

[@TheOfficialDorianelevator]

this brung back my memories of being a elevator enthusiast, but those buttons tho... most of these styles of Otis buttons i saw had a red LEDs instead of a blue one, which is intresting.

[@snakezdewiggle6084]

Thanks Clive. Gee that Otis guy gets around..

[@_..-.._..-.._]

I’m here for the elevator jokes. _“The elevator business has it’s ups and downs” “I’m a rising star” “Take your career to new heights”_

[@KarldorisLambley]

again, whilst im chatting with chums, i'll mention that i had a great time today teaching my 8 year old nephew the practical difference between PNP and NPN BJTs. it took 5 mins. i wish someone had taught me in the same way. i got a meter and set it to continuity, and attached it to the emitter and collector, i got my bench supply and attached G to emitter, then i poked the NPN base with V and the meter beeped. then i got a PNP ,did the same but with V attached to emitter, poked the base with ground, the meter beeped.

[@Tims_Projects]

I find when I have a plastic piece that fits like that. A little heat makes things relax so to speak. A hot-air gun about 40C not too hot to touch. If the ambient temperature is low then plastic tends to be brittle.

[@Lawdachris]

These copies are getting good. I should have some early ones that have a random connector and a little sub loom that needed sussed out to fit, zero literature with it and the markings on the wires are just shapes. The board is also held in with 4 screws instead of lips and rims, which isn't as amusing. Sturdy though. Let me know if you want one for a swatch at 👍🏻

[@alexhajnal107]

Unusual printing on those resistors

[@joeschmo622]

Cherry or C&K or someone used to make piezo buttons with various lighting options, from a center dot to a ring around the periphery, etc. I got a few tucked away somewhere which look almost exactly like that. That was ages and ages ago. Digital output, would "blip" a quarter-second or so when touched. Actual piezo, not the usual touch-switch like you'd make from a single JFET or anything. Could get 'em O-ring sealed for mounting, too, if you wanted truly waterproof.

[@farmerdave33]

I giggle every time I step on to one of Schindler's Lifts

[@twocvbloke]

It'd be fun if the LEDs were the inverse parallel reversible type, so that when you push the button, the polarity flips and it changed colour, but I suppose that with the cheapies, the purchaser if technically minded could do that themselves, probably, if they could be bothered... :P

[@markmarkofkane8167]

Never heard of it before. Interesting!

[@phils4634]

A pair of Mole wrenches can make a useful "press substitute", as can the careful use of a lump hammer and a suitably-sized drift. 🙂

[@chuckthetekkie]

It looks like a 3.5" Floppy power connector. Yes I am that old to have used one of those.

[@GluteMaximuz]

These videos always give me a lift.

[@UnikumMitsubishi]

Good timing crazy just bought off aliexpress last week to check out myself

[@KarldorisLambley]

i always think of these as Death Star control panel buttons.

[@adagioleopard6415]

Those connectors are the molex kk range

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

That’s interesting that aliexpress can replace this design but use a big button

[@petersage5157]

Regardless of feel and size, I'd wager that the switch on the Otis button is rated for a higher number of cycles. Otis is a known brand and they have a reputation to uphold. (Then again, so is Boeing, and we've all seen how their QC shit the bed the last few years...) As to whether the Chinese ones are "clones" or it's just a very common style...I'm going to say both. I'm sure someone had a patent on the original design, but it's been around for so long that the patent must have expired. Google Patents says someone in Canada abandoned a patent application specifically for an LED illuminated elevator call button in 1994.

[@corygreenhalgh4128]

Thanks!

[@bigclivedotcom]

Thanks. Much appreciated.

[@steevek]

i have impressive experience with aliexpress buttons and other electric components. most of them can last more than 10 years at least, at the 20% to 30% of the original or oem cost. up to today i still purchase a lot of parts at aliexpress.

[@satibel]

It surprises me that they aren't in a vandal resistant style (with the switch on the side, or using a magnet+reed/hall effect)

[@patomahony9747]

Thanks Clive. Interesting. I just found out Lidl are selling tracking tags that are similar to and work on the apple app. Would be fun to see you take one apart and reverse engineer it

[@bigclivedotcom]

Interesting. I wonder if Apple actually approve of that. I'll keep an eye out for them next time I'm near a Lidl.

[@patomahony9747]

Have to ask well I had to were hidden away in a locked cabinet none in display

[@TerryLawrence001]

I think if you put the plastic piece in boiling water, it will click back on the button quite easily.

[@markfergerson2145]

Depends on the kind of plastic. If it’s thermosetting it will retain its shape and strength, but if it’s thermoplastic then it will take a new “set” after being pressed on to the metal and not hold it securely. Better to chill the metal bit than heat the plastic bit.

[@wiseoldfool]

I seem to remember someone made a movie about Schindler's lift. Perhaps Schindler used better buttons than Otis?

[@robegatt]

Where is the BOOM from 230V ? we were waiting/hoping for it ! 😅

[@TonyLing]

Nice one big man, I always wondered

[@MrBrianms]

I found a Berg connector that is similar.

[@stevetobias4890]

Nice buttons, every lady should come with one. 😂

[@dallasgrant]

I'm guessing the Otis uses the cheaper switch for the same reasons larger companies do similar things, their techs get paid big dollars to come out and fix stuff, I spoke to one tech, wasn't Otis, he was getting near $150 an hour for callouts, this was 2010 ish here in AU.

[@joeschmo622]

Oh, and freeze the button to shrink it before pressing it into that clip.

[@lonixlon]

I would call that a floppy drive connector

[@mduvigneaud]

Clive I love your videos you help me be smarter. :)

[@kaasmeester5903]

IIRC these round Otis buttons have a double (and extremely satisfying) click to them when pressed. Do these ones from AliExpress also have that? If so I am ordering some right away. When you press those buttons slowly, that second click is like: "Yeah I heard you the first time"

[@bigclivedotcom]

The real Otis one (featured in another video) only had a single tactile button. Maybe the centre illuminated version has two switches.

[@KarldorisLambley]

BC could i trouble you to ask what faster op amps you would recommend? i have been playing with some 8mHz crystals i found, making oscillators with 741 and 072 op amps. with poor results. ChatGPT said mpc6004, but the prices are horrific on ebay. what op amps are fast, yet cheap? thanks for your time.

[@bigclivedotcom]

I'm not an expert on high frequency analogue stuff, but the Texas Instruments NE5532P has a bandwidth of 10MHz.

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

Neat an oldClive video. Something of interest I may Never use... butt Never say never. Thx Mate!

[@AndrewJens]

Perhaps if you soak the round bit of plastic in hot water it would clip back on more easily?

[@phonotical]

Are any of the buttons dual colour, changed when pressed? I could see them making a fun robot eye

[@SodaWithoutSparkles]

I've found some that has 3 wires for RGB

[@phonotical]

@@SodaWithoutSparkles thanks, I'll have to look into this eventually!

[@markfergerson2145]

Punch the red robot eye and it turns bruise blue? Ou4 new robot overlords will not be amused.

[@phonotical]

@@markfergerson2145 haha, I mean to change emotion, say passive to angry, for comical effect, ask it the same thing a few times in a row and it'll go NO and go all red 😂it's also the classic way to tell when a robot has become evil, the lights change

[@tin2001]

If you want robot eyes, why not get some of those little round LCD displays and put any animation of an eye that you want into them? Some are touch screens so you could use them as buttons still if that was part of your idea... You could go full menu even, or a pattern unlock interface by rubbing the eyes in the right way 😂

[@voltare2amstereo]

World be nice in A PC but 12v is best can get, maybe the red will be ok

[@KeritechElectronics]

My finger is on the button... PUSH THE BUTTON!

[@Paxmax]

🔊🎶 🎶 🎵 World, the time has come to ...👉▶

[@ZacabebOTG]

🎵GALVANIZE!🎵

[@clivequinn8978]

A lot of rimming going on.

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@MajorHavoc214]

6:52 Fairly expensive? I found a good deal for it in the the USA several years ago.

[@bobclarke5913]

Put the ring in some very hot water for a bit and give it another press.

[@wagyourtai1]

replace the buttons on another elevator brand to mess with Howard

[@inventorkr1]

Like

[@Alan_Stinchcombe]

I think Otis Clone is Big Clive's alter ego.

[@KevinKadow]

Could the LEDs be made to work on 5V (or 12V) by changing the resistor values?

[@bigclivedotcom]

Not easily due to there being so many in series.

[@tin2001]

Cut some tracks and wire them into 2 parallel sets of 3 in series instead. Use some enamel coated winding wire to keep the rewiring small and it should all fit back into the case nicely.

[@terje2005]

Heh, I think he should take a look at Chinese PLC clones next. Mitsubushi clones in what is clearly a Siemens case... The Mitsubushi (FX1N) clones seems to be signficant cheaper than Siemens clones... I guess some of the old production hardware got on the grey market... In my opinion they are probably okay for learning and hobby projects, but not something you would ship in a commercial project.

[@bigclivedotcom]

I have some here, but am suspicious about the software downloads.

[@lmamakos]

Too bad there's not a solid mechanical stop to take the force from pressing the buttons. It looks like those two self-tapping screws in the plastic frame are what's holding the button and PCB against the force of impatient finger jamming the button?

[@bigclivedotcom]

There is a mechanical stop, but it could be a tiny bit earlier.

[@Lawdachris]

The weak point on these is the transparent halo, that will break first

[@blackness010]

But the button gets brighter when you call elevator, how that works? It will switch on other LEDs?

[@bigclivedotcom]

Maybe pulse width modulation from the local control PCB.

[@j.f.christ8421]

I'm officially dumb. I thought the board was upside-down and was wondering why they used 2 very large (18,000,000,000 ohm) resistors.

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Low tech day today, not even a redundant led setup.

[@wdavem]

Yeah, if it's going to be used in a real elevator, I'd think you'd want the version with that extra tolerance. Kids love to smash the living daylights out of elevator buttons. And you get the delivery folding dolly's carying 800 lbs of freight with the push handle right at button level. Then even the Otis buttons go in but don't come out ever again. The kind of thing where you get cracks in the wall also.

[@mddawson1]

Freeze the steel button so it clips on easier?

[@Celestial-.-]

Clive I've been looking everywhere for that brass screwdriver you own, where can I get one?

[@bigclivedotcom]

It's a custom made one from a friend.

[@richardbrobeck2384]

your crimpling tool looks like mine it is made by Greenlee !

[@bigclivedotcom]

Unbranded.

[@T2D.SteveArcs]

😎

[@joshuabest100]

Does the 3 pin one short out the powersupply when you press the button

[@bigclivedotcom]

It could be wired to do that, but in reality it has a common positive with one connection lighting the LED and the other acting as the button press signal.

[@gabest4]

If you are pushing buttons, and who does not like pushing buttons, treat yourself with luxurious buttons.

[@Jergling]

Otis is going to levy a fine against you for pressing too many buttons. Longmont Potion Castle did a whole report on it.

[@bigclivedotcom]

If you do press too many of the floor buttons on some elevators they will cancel all the calls.

[@gertbenade3082]

"breakably tight"... 🤔

[@curtishoffmann6956]

Otis is royal? All the others are more commoners.

[@TechGorilla1987]

Whoa! There are 4 week old comments. Dude said the shrooms were good and I laughed at him. Wonder if I put his number in my phone....where IS my phone?

[@bigclivedotcom]

Released on Patreon as soon as it was made and then others jumped the queue because this video will not be popular due to being a bit "niche".

[@bgg-jp5ei]

FFS Clive you have injured your hand again

[@phischtv4497]

Get proper ThyssenKrupp ones.

[@MattyEngland]

That probably started WW3

[@gregorythomas333]

Otis buttons...generic buttons...all made in China!

[@JamesRound-mj9on]

Your a bloody tax dodger lmfao

[@bigclivedotcom]

I wish. The IOM is 1% bazillionaires and 25% people struggling to keep a roof over their heads.