Introducing switches and sensors
A switch is an electrical component that connects or disconnects a signal path in an electrical circuit. It is used to make or break an electrical circuit. A switch has two states: an ON state and an OFF state. In an electrical circuit, the current will flow when the switch is in the ON state. When in the OFF state, the current will not flow. Hence, the ON state will connect a signal path, while the OFF state will disconnect a signal path. A switch can be referred to as a device that’s used to turn equipment ON or OFF.
Switches can be categorized as follows:
- Manually operated switch
- Mechanically operated switch
Sensors are devices that detect or sense the presence or absence of objects. A sensor can be thought of as an automatic switch. They gather information from their environment and convert it into a form of signal that can be read and/or seen by an observer or equipment. In a human being, their eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and skin can be referred...