Note the round button. This is the contact area that slaps together making connection (it's also partly responsible for the "click" you hear when it engages). Once connected there's little difference in performance between the mechanical switch and this contact. They both rely on the contact material: rhodium, gold, silver, and exotic brews for improved conductivity and long oxidation-free life.
For the curious among you, relay's work like loudspeakers—using a magnetic field to pull them in one direction or another. The electrical pulse activates a coil of wire, similar to the voice coil of a woofer, and pulls the contacts closed or open.
So, we've covered the two types of physical switches employed to select inputs.
Tomorrow, the electronic switch.
The relay race
Note the round button. This is the contact area that slaps together making connection (it's also partly responsible for the "click" you hear when it engages). Once connected there's little difference in performance between the mechanical switch and this contact. They both rely on the contact material: rhodium, gold, silver, and exotic brews for improved conductivity and long oxidation-free life.
For the curious among you, relay's work like loudspeakers—using a magnetic field to pull them in one direction or another. The electrical pulse activates a coil of wire, similar to the voice coil of a woofer, and pulls the contacts closed or open.
So, we've covered the two types of physical switches employed to select inputs.
Tomorrow, the electronic switch.
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