A method of configuring a surgical instrument having a surgical tissue-compressing device including a pair of opposing compression surfaces with a tissue compression-measuring device. The method comprises providing a mechanical binary-output electrical switch having switching states changed by mechanical movements, mechanically coupling the switch with an adjustable biasing device retaining the switch in one of the switching states until a force at least as great as the force imposed by the biasing device is imparted to the switch, and disposing the switch such that a proportional amount of force that is placed upon compression tissue disposed between the opposing compression surfaces is placed upon the switch.
