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timed_switches:

This is a config file reference. Click for instructions.

This page is reference material which explains every setting and option for this section of an MPF yaml config file. See the instructions for config files for formatting and other details. See our guide to config file examples for more examples of real configs in action.

Valid in
machine config files YES ✅
mode config files YES ✅

Specifies timed switches which are used to post events when a switch is active for a continuous amount of time.

Here's an example. This example is actually built-in to MPF via the MPF default config file, so if you want to use these flipper cradle events, you don't have to enter them yourself as they're already there.

timed_switches:
  flipper_cradle:
    switch_tags: left_flipper, right_flipper
    time: 3s
    events_when_active: flipper_cradle
    events_when_released: flipper_cradle_release

Like other devices in MPF, the format is:

timed_switches:
   name_of_your_timed_switch:
      <settings>
   some_other_timed_switch:
      <settings>

Required settings

The following sections are required in the timed_switches: section of your config:

time:

Single value, type: time string (ms) (Instructions for entering time strings). Defaults to empty.

How long a switch must be continuously active before the events_when_active are posted.

Optional settings

The following sections are optional in the timed_switches: section of your config. (If you don't include them, the default will be used).

events_when_active:

List of one (or more) events. Those will be posted by the device. Defaults to empty.

If you don't enter any events here, an event will automatically be posted in the format (name_of_this_timed_switch)_active. In other words, in the example at the top of this page, the timed switch entry is called "flipper_cradle", so the automatically-created event would be called flipper_cradle_active, but since that config has an events_when_active: flipper_cradle entry, then the event will just be flipper_cradle.

events_when_released:

List of one (or more) events. Those will be posted by the device. Defaults to empty.

If you've defined multiple switches and two switches go active, the release event will not be posted until all the switches are released.

state:

Single value, type: one of the following options: active, inactive. Default: active

Controls whether the events_when_active: are posted when the switch is active for the time: amount, or whether it's flipped and the events are posted when the switch is inactive for the time amount.

switch_tags:

List of one (or more) values, each is a type: string. Defaults to empty.

A list of switch tags (or a single tag) that will be used to set which switches are used with these timed switch settings. Each switch with these tags will be added.

switches:

List of one (or more) values, each is a type: string name of a switches: device. Defaults to empty.

A list of switches (or a single switch) that will be used for these timed switch settings. Note that you can use switch_tags: instead of switches:.

console_log:

Single value, type: one of the following options: none, basic, full. Default: basic

Log level for the console log for this device.

debug:

Single value, type: boolean (true/false). Default: false

Set this to true to see additional debug output. This might impact the performance of MPF.

file_log:

Single value, type: one of the following options: none, basic, full. Default: basic

Log level for the file log for this device.

label:

Single value, type: string. Default: %

Name of this device in service mode.

tags:

List of one (or more) values, each is a type: string. Defaults to empty.

Not used.

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