Relays and Reed Switches

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Relays and Reed Switches

1. Relays:
A relay is a switch worked by an electromagnet. It is useful if we want
a small current in one circuit to control another circuit containing a device
such as a lamp or electric motor which requires a large current, or if we wish
several different switch contacts to be operated simultaneously.
When the controlling current flows through the coil, the soft iron core
is magnetized and attracts the L-shaped soft iron armature. This rocks on its
pivot and opens, closes or changes over, the electrical contacts in the circuit
being controlled it closes the contacts.
The current needed to operate a relay is called the pull-in current and
the dropout current in the coil when the relay just stops working. If the coil
resistance R of a relay is 185 and its operating voltage V is 12V, the pullin current I is given by:
I=V

12

= 0.065A = 65mA

185

2. Reed switches:
Relays operate comparatively slowly and for fast switching
of a signal circuit, e.g. in a telephone exchange, reed switches are used. The
reeds are thin strips of easily magnetizable and demagnetizable material.
They are sealed in a glass tube containing an inert gas such as nitrogen to
reduce corrosion of the contacts.
The switch is operated either by bringing a magnet near
or by passing a current through a coil surrounding it. In both cases reeds
become magnetized, attract each other and on touching they complete the

circuit connected to the terminals. They separate when the magnet is


removed or the current stops flowing in the coil.
When the changeover reed switch operates, the reed is
attracted from the non-magnetic contact to the magnetic one.
3. Protection of transistor-controlled relays and reed switches:
When the current in the coil of a reed switch falls to zero, a large
voltage is induced in the coil due to its inductance. This voltage could
damage any transistor used to control the current in the coil. However if a
diode is connected in reverse bias for the supply voltage it offers an easy
path to the induced voltage and stops it building up to a high value.
4. Earth-leakage (or residual current) circuit breaker:
This is sometimes present as a safety device in mains
electrical circuits. In one variety, current passes to earth through a relay-type
trip coil when for example; the metal case of the appliance becomes live
due to a fault. As a result the rod in the coil opens the switch, which can be
set to break the circuit before the case rises above say 25V.

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