Editing DIP switch (section)

==Applications==
DIP switches were used extensively in [[Industry Standard Architecture|ISA]] architecture of PC [[expansion card]]s to select [[interrupt request|IRQ]]s and [[memory address]]es. Before the advent of cheaper, battery-backed RAM, DIP switches were also often used on [[arcade game]]s in the 1980s and early 1990s to enter game settings such as difficulty or the number of credits per coin. DIP switches were very commonly used to set security codes on [[garage door opener]]s as well as on some early [[cordless phone]]s. This design, which used up to 12 switches in a group, was used to avoid [[RF interference]] from other nearby door opener remotes or other devices. Current garage door openers use [[rolling code]] systems for better security.

These types of switches were used on early [[video card]]s for early computers to facilitate compatibility with other video standards. For example, [[Color Graphics Adapter|CGA]] cards allowed for [[IBM Monochrome Display Adapter|MDA]] compatibility.

After the late 1990s, DIP switches became less common in [[consumer electronics]]. Reasons include the trend toward smaller products, the demand for easier configuration through [[software]] [[menu (computing)|menu]]s or [[plug and play]], and the falling price of [[non-volatile memory]]. However, DIP switches are still widely used in industrial equipment because they are inexpensive and easy to incorporate into circuit designs, and because they allow settings to be checked at a glance without powering the system on.

DIP switches are still used in some [[remote control]]s to prevent interference; for example, to control a [[ceiling fan]] (and its [[light fixture]]) that was [[retrofit]]ted to a single-[[Electrical network|circuit]] [[junction box]]. The DIP switches set a different [[radio frequency]] or address for each [[transmitter]]/[[receiver (radio)|receiver]] pair, so that multiple units can be installed without unintentionally controlling each other.