Power switch

In a power switch of the type that provides power to an electronic instrument including a second transistor having a collector electrically connected to the base of a first transistor and a battery power supply having first and second terminals in which said first terminal is electrically connected to the emitter of said first transistor and in which said second terminal is electrically connectd to the emitter of said second transistor, the improvement comprising:

• one momentary contact switch having a first contact electrically connected to said first terminal of said battery power supply and a second contact electrically connected to said second terminal of said battery power supply and adapted to make contact with said first and second contacts for turning on and off said first transistor,
• a microprocessor electrically connected to the collector of said first transistor, to said second terminal of said battery power supply and to the base of said second transistor and responsive to said first terminal of the battery power supply being connected to the microprocessor by said first transistor upon first activation of said momentary contact switch, said microprocessor providing first output signals to said second transistor for turning on said second transistor and responsive to a second activation of said momentary contact switch which turns off said first transistor providing second output signals to said second transistor for turning off said second transistor,
• a capacitor electrically connected to the base of said second transistor and to the second terminal of said battery power supply and responsive to said first output signals provided by said microprocessor for charging to a threshold potential level and responsive to said second output signals for discharging below said threshold potential level, and
• a bilateral switch electrically connected to said capacitor and responsive to said threshold potential level for switching on thereby electrically connecting said second contact of said momentary contact switch to the emitter of said first transistor to provide for activation of said momentary contact to turn off said first transistor, and responsive to the discharge of said capacitor for switching off thereby electrically connecting said second contact of said momentary contact switch to the second terminal of said battery power supply to provide for activation of said momentary contact switch to turn on said first transistor.