How can I connect a regular switch to the arduino?

Using Arduino General Electronics
1

I want to connect a switch to my arduino and the arduino will check the state of the switch and do different things in the void_loop() coding. How can I do this please explain as I'm totally a newbie (schematic of wiring + any code necessary)

What I have so far is a 3 pin switch so I connected one leg to Ground and one leg to +5V and the other leg to a digital pin. I heard you need a resistor in their somewhere (either 1k or 10k, depends on what I don't know) but I dont know where to put it. Also is my schematic correct?

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2

Simplest way is to treat your switch like a push button (i.e. use only 2 of its terminals) and use the internal pullup resistor, like this http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/InputPullupSerial.

3

Read this
http://www.thebox.myzen.co.uk/Tutorial/Inputs.html
You only need a resistor with make / break not change over.
Code is simple a digitalRead(pin ) ; will return the value of what is connected to the pin.
Pin is a variable containing the number of the arduino pin you want to read.

4

I can't use a pushbutton I need an actual switch because I'm using the switch for this:

I have an automatic system that uses motors to do something and they rely on sensors and whatnot to function automatically. Sometimes the sensors mess up so I want to put the system into manual override and then use some other buttons and switches to do the tasks manually. So i need this switch to tell the arduino to keep in automatic mode or manual mode so it can't be push button unless you can use a pushbutton in this situation...

5

tiestobob:
I can't use a pushbutton I need an actual switch because I'm using the switch for this:

I suggested that you treat your switch like a push button, not that you use a push button.

6

Oh ok I see thanks !