Analog Switches & Tri-state buffers

• Someone suggested that I use a tri-state buffer... as far I can tell it is the same as an analog switch. Is there any advantage that I should consider in using a tri-state buffer?
  
  
• Does anyone know if Microchip.com has an analog switch or equivalent product? I have been unable to find it if it exists.
  
  
• What would be the cheapest source to obtain some switches? I have a fry's near by and I believe they carry NTE ic components.... would an NTE 4066 ic be an ananlog switch as well?

ChemE said:

First off I am very new and am looking to learn a few things.

I am trying to emulate pushing a button on an xbox 360 controller. So after doing a little research I found that an analog switch(MC1 4066) would be a good way to do this. The analog switch will connect or disconnect a circuit depending if a signal coming from the PIC is high or low. It seems like an analog switch, MC1 4066, would work great for what I want to do but I have a few questions:

• Someone suggested that I use a tri-state buffer... as far I can tell it is the same as an analog switch. Is there any advantage that I should consider in using a tri-state buffer?
  
  A tri-state buffer is any digital device that is capable of three different outputs, high, low and disconnected (high impedenace). These can be very useful for attaching signals to shared busses and such, but it is not an analog switch by any means and your application of simulating a switch closure is better suited with a analog switch device.
  
• Does anyone know if Microchip.com has an analog switch or equivalent product? I have been unable to find it if it exists.
  
  Pretty sure that MC would not find a business need to manufacure simple logic gates and buffers, however I'll defer to others knowlege on this.
  
• What would be the cheapest source to obtain some switches? I have a fry's near by and I believe they carry NTE ic components.... would an NTE 4066 ic be an ananlog switch as well?

There are newer versions of analog switches with better specifications but the part numbers excape me at the moment. However the 4066 is still a popular and useful device and I keep several on hand for hard to solve interfacing applications.

Please let me know if anything is unclear and I will try to explain it better detail of what I am trying to do. Thanks!

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