Electrical switches come in various types depending on their function and placement. Common types include single pole switches for controlling lights or outlets, two-way switches for controlling lights from two locations, and double pole switches for controlling entire circuits. Switches are also classified based on the number of poles and throws, such as single pole single throw (SPST) or double pole double throw (DPDT). Larger switches like double pole iron clad (DPIC) and triple pole iron clad (TPIC) switches are used for controlling main power supply circuits. Switches play a vital role in electronics for functions like selecting peripherals, routing signals, and enabling or disabling circuits.
Electrical switches come in various types depending on their function and placement. Common types include single pole switches for controlling lights or outlets, two-way switches for controlling lights from two locations, and double pole switches for controlling entire circuits. Switches are also classified based on the number of poles and throws, such as single pole single throw (SPST) or double pole double throw (DPDT). Larger switches like double pole iron clad (DPIC) and triple pole iron clad (TPIC) switches are used for controlling main power supply circuits. Switches play a vital role in electronics for functions like selecting peripherals, routing signals, and enabling or disabling circuits.
Electrical switches come in various types depending on their function and placement. Common types include single pole switches for controlling lights or outlets, two-way switches for controlling lights from two locations, and double pole switches for controlling entire circuits. Switches are also classified based on the number of poles and throws, such as single pole single throw (SPST) or double pole double throw (DPDT). Larger switches like double pole iron clad (DPIC) and triple pole iron clad (TPIC) switches are used for controlling main power supply circuits. Switches play a vital role in electronics for functions like selecting peripherals, routing signals, and enabling or disabling circuits.
Electrical switches come in various types depending on their function and placement. Common types include single pole switches for controlling lights or outlets, two-way switches for controlling lights from two locations, and double pole switches for controlling entire circuits. Switches are also classified based on the number of poles and throws, such as single pole single throw (SPST) or double pole double throw (DPDT). Larger switches like double pole iron clad (DPIC) and triple pole iron clad (TPIC) switches are used for controlling main power supply circuits. Switches play a vital role in electronics for functions like selecting peripherals, routing signals, and enabling or disabling circuits.
Electrical accessories: An electrical accessory is a basic part used in wiring either for protection and adjustment or for the control of the electrical circuits or for combination of these functions,
Controlling accessories: The accessories which are used to control the circuits or an electrical point like switches are called controlling accessories'. All the switches are specified in accordance with their function, place of use, type of mounting, current capacity and working voltage. For example - S.P.T. (Single pole umbler) flush-mounted switch 6 amps 240 volts.
Types of switches according to their function and place of use
1 Single pole, tumbler switch
2 Single pole, two-way switch 3 Intermediate switch 4 Bell-push or push-button switch 5 Pull or ceiling switch 6 Double pole switch (D.P. switches) 7 Double pole, iron clad (D.P.I.C.) switch. 8 Three-pole, iron clad (T.P.I.C.) switch. 9 Single pole single throw switch (SPST) 10 Single pole double throw switch (SPDT) 11 Double pole single throw switch (DPST) 12 Double pole double throw switch (DPDT) 13 Toggle switch 14 piano switch
Of the above 1,2,3,4 and 6 may be either surface mounting type or flush-mounting type.
Single pole, tumbler switch: This is a two terminal device, capable of making and breaking a single circuit only. A knob is provided to make or break the circuit. It is sed for controlling light or fan or 6 amps socket circuits. One - way switch is as shown in Fig 1. Single pole, two-way switch: This is a three terminal device capable of making or breaking two connections Irom a single position as shown in Fig 2. These switches
are used in staircase lighting where one lamp is controlled from two places. Though four terminals could be seen, two are short circuited and only three terminals are available for connection. However, both single way and two-way switches with their cover look alike as shown in Fig 2b but can be differentiated by looking at the bottom. Single way switches will have two terminal posts whereas two-way switches will have four terminal posts.
Intermediate switch: This is a four-terminal device capable of making or breaking two
connections from two positions as shown in Fig 3. This switch is used along with 2 way switches to control a lamp from three or more positions.
Bell-push or push-button switch: This is a two terminal device having a spring-loaded button. When pushed it makes the circuit temporarily and attains break' position when released.
Pull or ceiling switch (Pendent switch): This switch shown in Fig 4 is normally a two-terminal device function ing as a one-way switch to make or break a circuit.
This switch is mounted on ceilings. As the user could operate the switch from a distance through the insulated cord, this could be used safely for operating water heaters in bathrooms or fan or lights in bedrooms. Double pole switch (D.P.switch): This is a switch with two poles, the two poles being mechanically coupled together. It is operated with a knob. It is also provided with a fuse and a neutral link. These switches are used as main switches to control main or branch circuits in domestic installation.
Double pole Iron-clad main switch: This switch shown in Fig 5 is also referred to as D.P.I.C switch and is mainly used for single phase domestic installations, to control the main supply. It controls phase and neutral of the supply simultaneously. This switch consists of two fuse carriers. The one in the phase circuit is wired with the fuse and the other in neutral is linked with a brass plate or thick copper wire. These switches should be earthed properly to safeguard the user. The current rating of the switch varies from 16 amps to 200 amperes.
Specification of these switches should have:
- current rating -voltage rating -type of enclosure (sheet steel or cast iron).
Triple (three) pole Iron-clad main switch: This is shown in Fig 6 and is also referred to as TPIC switch and is used in large domestic installation and also in 3-phase power circuits, the switch consists of 3 fuse carriers, one for each phase. Neutral connection is also possible as some switches are provided with a neutral link inside the casing.
These switches need to be earthed through an earth terminal or screw provided in the outer casing. The current rating of the switch varies from 16 to 400 amps. Specification of these switches should have
-current rating -voltage rating -type of enclosure (sheet steel or cast iron) -whether with neutral link or otherwise -rewirable type fuse carriers or HRC type fuse carrien.
Switches used in electric industry
Switching is the most fundamental function in electronics, and plays a vital role in every system
Most widely used switch configurations in the industry today are:
1 Single Pole Single Throw (SPST)
2 Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) 3 Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT)
Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) is an analog switch used in many industrial instruments and consumer devices to implement test interfaces etc. It consumes very low power with maximum current in the range of 690 nA
Normally open SPST switch can isolate multiple periph erals from source and select the required one. (Fig 7) Normally closed SPST switch can connect at all times to a peripheral and when not desired the output can be totally stopped by a press of a switch. (Fig 8)
Some SPDT switches have a select pin and other will have a enable pin. The master in the design for digital control chooses the required trigger action. (Fig 9)
Schmitt trigger action at select and enable control pins results in higher reliability.
Digital bus switches are widely used multiple peripheral and host selection functions, power and clock management, sample and hold circuits, test and debug interfaces etc.
A dual SPDT switch in (Fig 10) can be used
1.to route the audio signal from either base band processor to speaker 2. to wirelessly route the audio signals between cell phone and an external hands-free device.
The dual SPDT and dual SPST switches are available either for simultaneous selection or for simultaneous enable.
Simultaneous select is to connect one of the two signal points or peripherals.
Simultaneous enable is normally open and upon control by master gets enabled remain enabled till disabled.
The symbol of dual SPST switch is shown in (Fig 11) A DPDT switch is a dual SPDT switch into a single select pin as shown in (Fig 12) A circuit using digital switch is shown in fig (13) The application of dual SPDT in the circuit are shown in Fig13 and fig 14.
