Types Of Switches
What are the different types of switches? Switches are what turn mechanisms on and off. You may think that these are such basic devices but there are a lot more than that. There are actually many different types of switches. They will allow you to break or connect an electrical circuit.
The toggle switches are the most common types of switches. These are the switches that will allow you to toggle them up or down to open or close the connections. These are the most common switches that one can find in the home to turn on or off lights and other mechanisms.
The pushbutton switches are the types of switches that, well, you can turn on and off by pushing buttons. They have a spring inside that allow you to operate them on and off. When these switches are on, then it means that the switches should be pressed. And when the switch is not pressed, then it means that they are off.
From the many different types of switches, the selector switch is the one that has a rotary knob or sometimes even a lever. This will allow you to turn the mechanisms on or off when you rotate them. However, these types of switches can also be used to control dimmer lights to control how dim the lights of a certain place are.
If you are looking for types of switches that are controlled by a lever, then you are talking about the joystick switch. Much like your regular joysticks, these types of switches will allow you to control mechanisms in many different ways. These are the mechanisms that you can control by different motions, and this is why joystick switches are usually used to control cranes and robots.
Not so common types of switches are the proximity switches. As the name implies, these are switches that you control when you are close to them. These switches work by the help of a magnet and every time that a part of the machine gets close to it, and then it can turn on or off. There is another type of proximity switch, the optical switch. As the name of this type implies, this is a switch that works with the help of a light source and a photocell. When the certain light beam gets interrupted, the switch can either turn on or off.
Speed switches are types of switches that rely on a rotary speed of its shaft. It can be controlled by a certain centrifugal weight mechanism or sometimes by a non-contact detection of a certain shaft motion. Like the proximity switch, the motion of these switches can be optical or magnetic too.
The pressure switches are types of switches that can be controlled by a certain pressure that is applied to it. The different pressures can either be from a diaphragm, a piston, or many others and this converts to a mechanical force.
Lastly, we have the temperature switch. As the name implies, this is a switch that is controlled by temperature. When a certain temperature is reached, the switch can either turn on or off.