Cable

A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single
assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or
conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry electric currents. An
optical cable contains one or more optical fibers in a protective jacket that supports the fibers.

Electric cables discussed here are mainly meant for installation in buildings and industrial sites. For power
transmission at distances greater than a few kilometres see high voltage cable, power cables and HVDC.

History

Ropes made of multiple strands of natural fibers such as hemp, sisal, manila, and cotton have been used for
millennia for hoisting and hauling. By the 19th century, deepening of mines and construction of large ships
increased demand for stronger cables. Invention of improved steelmaking techniques made high quality
steel available at lower cost, and so wire ropes became common in mining and other industrial applications.
By the middle of the 19th century, manufacture of large submarine telegraph cables was done using
machines similar to that used for manufacture of mechanical cables.

In the 19th century and early 20th century, electrical cable was often insulated using cloth, rubber and paper.
Plastic materials are generally used today, except for high reliability power cables

Electrical cables

Electrical cables may be made more flexible by stranding the wires. In this process, smaller individual wires
are twisted or braided together to produce larger wires that are more flexible than solid wires of similar size.
Bunching small wires before concentric stranding adds the most flexibility. Copper wires in a cable may be
bare, or they may be plated with a thin layer of another metal, most often tin but sometimes gold, silver or
some other material. Tin, gold, and silver are much less prone to oxidation than copper, which may lengthen
wire life, and makes soldering easier. Tinning is also used to provide lubrication between strands. Tinning
was used to help removal of rubber insulation. Tight lays during stranding makes the cable extensible (CBA
- as in telephone handset cords).

Cables can be securely fastened and organized, such as by using trunking, cable trays, cable ties or cable
lacing. Continuous-flex or flexible cables used in moving applications within cable carriers can be secured
using strain relief devices or cable ties.

At high frequencies, current tends to run along the surface of the conductor. This is known as the skin effect.
Cables and electromagnetic fields

Coaxial cable.

Twisted pair.

Any current-carrying conductor, including a cable, radiates an electromagnetic field. Likewise, any
conductor or cable will pick up energy from any existing electromagnetic field around it. These effects are
often undesirable, in the first case amounting to unwanted transmission of energy which may adversely
affect nearby equipment or other parts of the same piece of equipment; and in the second case, unwanted
pickup of noise which may mask the desired signal being carried by the cable, or, if the cable is carrying
power supply or control voltages, pollute them to such an extent as to cause equipment malfunction.

The first solution to these problems is to keep cable lengths in buildings short, since pick up and
transmission are essentially proportional to the length of the cable. The second solution is to route cables
away from trouble. Beyond this, there are particular cable designs that minimize electromagnetic pickup and
transmission. Three of the principal design techniques are shielding, coaxial geometry, and twisted-pair
geometry.

Shielding makes use of the electrical principle of the Faraday cage. The cable is encased for its entire length
in foil or wire mesh. All wires running inside this shielding layer will be to a large extent decoupled from
external electric fields, particularly if the shield is connected to a point of constant voltage, such as earth.
Simple shielding of this type is not greatly effective against low-frequency magnetic fields, however - such
as magnetic "hum" from a nearby power transformer. A grounded shield on cables operating at 2 kV or
more gathers leakage current and capacitive current, protecting people from electric shock and equalizing
stress on the cable insulation.

Coaxial design helps to further reduce low-frequency magnetic transmission and pickup. In this design the
foil or mesh shield is perfectly tubular - i.e. with a circular cross section - and the inner conductor (there can
only be one) is situated exactly at its center. This causes the voltages induced by a magnetic field between
the shield and the core conductor to consist of two nearly equal magnitudes which cancel each other.

The twisted pair is a simple expedient where two wires of a cable, rather than running parallel to each other,
are twisted around each other, forming a pair of intertwined helices. This can be achieved by putting one
end of the pair in a hand drill and turning while maintaining moderate tension on the line. Field cancellation
between successive twists of the pair considerably reduces electromagnetic pickup and transmission.
Power-supply cables feeding sensitive electronic devices are sometimes fitted with a series-wired inductor
called a choke which blocks high frequencies that may have been picked up by the cable, preventing them
from passing into the device.

Fire protection

In building construction, electrical cable jacket material is a potential source of fuel for fires. To limit the
spread of fire along cable jacketing, one may use cable coating materials or one may use cables with
jacketing that is inherently fire retardant. The plastic covering on some metal clad cables may be stripped
off at installation to reduce the fuel source for accidental fires. In Europe in particular, it is often customary
to place inorganic wraps and boxes around cables in order to safeguard the adjacent areas from the potential
fire threat associated with unprotected cable jacketing. However, this fire protection also traps heat
generated from conductor losses, so the protection must be thin.

There are two methods of providing fire protection to a cable:

1. Insulation material is deliberately added up with fire retardant materials

2. The copper conductor itself is covered with mineral insulation (MICC cables)

Electrical cable types

Basic cable types are as follows:

Shape

• Ribbon cable

A ribbon cable (also known as multi-wire planar cable) is a cable with many conducting wires running
parallel to each other on the same flat plane. As a result the cable is wide and flat. Its name comes from the
resemblance of the cable to a piece of ribbon.

Ribbon cables are usually seen for internal peripherals in computers, such as hard drives, CD drives and
floppy drives. On some older computer systems (such as the BBC Micro and Apple II series) they were used
for external connections as well. Unfortunately the ribbon-like shape interferes with computer cooling by
disrupting airflow within the case and also makes the cables awkward to handle, especially when there are a
lot of them; round cables have almost entirely replaced ribbon cables for external connections and are
increasingly being used internally as well.

Construction

Based on construction and cable properties it can be sorted into the following:

• Coaxial cable
• Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable
 • Twinax cable
• Flexible cables
• Non-metallic sheathed cable (or nonmetallic building wire, NM, NM-B)[1]
• Metallic sheathed cable (or armored cable, AC, or BX)[1]
• Multicore cable (consist of more than one wire and is covered by cable jacket)
• Shielded cable
• Single cable (from time to time this name is used for wire)
• Twisted pair
• Twisting cable

Coaxial cable, or coax, is an electrical cable with an inner conductor surrounded by a flexible, tubular
insulating layer, surrounded by a tubular conducting shield. The term coaxial comes from the inner
conductor and the outer shield sharing the same geometric axis. Coaxial cable was invented by English
engineer and mathematician Oliver Heaviside, who first patented the design in 1880.[1]

Coaxial cable is used as a transmission line for radio frequency signals, in applications such as connecting
radio transmitters and receivers with their antennas, computer network (Internet) connections, and
distributing cable television signals. One advantage of coax over other types of radio transmission line is
that in an ideal coaxial cable the electromagnetic field carrying the signal exists only in the space between
the inner and outer conductors. This allows coaxial cable runs to be installed next to metal objects such as
gutters without the power losses that occur in other types of transmission lines, and provides protection of
the signal from external electromagnetic interference.

Coaxial cable differs from other shielded cable used for carrying lower frequency signals such as audio
signals, in that the dimensions of the cable are controlled to give a precise, constant conductor spacing,
which is needed for it to function efficiently as a radio frequency transmission line.

Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable

Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable is a variety of electrical cable made from copper conductors inside a
copper sheath, insulated by inorganic magnesium oxide powder. The name is often abbreviated to MICC or
MI cable, and colloquially known as pyro (because the original manufacturer and vendor for this product in
the UK is a company called Pyrotenax). A similar product sheathed with metals other than copper is called
mineral insulated metal sheathed (MIMS) cable.

MI cable is made by placing copper rods inside a circular copper tube and filling the intervening spaces with
dry magnesium oxide powder. The overall assembly is then pressed between rollers to reduce its diameter
(and increase its length). Up to seven conductors are often found in an MI cable, with up to 19 available
from some manufacturers.

Since MI cables use no organic material as insulation (except at the ends), they are more resistant to fires
than plastic-insulated cables. MI cables are used in critical fire protection applications such as alarm
circuits, fire pumps, and smoke control systems. In process industries handling flammable fluids MI cable is
used where small fires would otherwise cause damage to control or power cables. MI cable is also highly
resistant to ionising radiation and so finds applications in instrumentation for nuclear reactors and nuclear
physics apparatus.

The metal tube surrounding the conductors effectively shields circuits in MI cable from electromagnetic
interference. The metal sheath provides protection against accidental contact with energised circuit
conductors.

MI cables may be covered with a plastic sheath, coloured for identification purposes. The plastic sheath also
provides additional corrosion protection for the copper sheath.

Twinaxial cabling

Twinaxial cabling, or "Twinax", is a type of cable similar to coax, but with two inner conductors instead
of one. Due to cost efficiency it is becoming common in modern very-short-range high-speed differential
signaling applications
Multicore cable
A multicore cable is a generic term for an electrical cable that has multiple cores. The term is normally
only used in relation to a cable that has more cores than commonly encountered. For example, a four core
mains cable is never referred to as multicore, but a cable comprising four coaxial cables in a single sheath
would be considered a multicore.

The term multicore cable is frequently used in the professional audio industry to refer to an audio multicore
cable.

Shielded cable

Four-conductor shielded cable with metal foil shield and drain wire.

A shielded or screened cable is an electrical cable of one or more insulated conductors enclosed by a
common conductive layer. The shield may be composed of braided strands of copper (or other metal), a
non-braided spiral winding of copper tape, or a layer of conducting polymer. Usually, this shield is covered
with a jacket. The shield acts as a Faraday cage to reduce electrical noise from affecting the signals, and to
reduce electromagnetic radiation that may interfere with other devices. The shield minimizes capacitively
coupled noise from other electrical sources. The shield must be applied across cable splices.

In shielded signal cables the shield may act as the return path for the signal, or may act as screening only.

High voltage power cables with solid insulation are shielded to protect the cable insulation
and also people and equipment .
Twisted pair

Twisted pair cabling is a type of wiring in which two conductors (the forward and return conductors of a
single circuit) are twisted together for the purposes of canceling out electromagnetic interference (EMI)
from external sources; for instance, electromagnetic radiation from unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables,
and crosstalk between neighboring pairs. It was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

Special

• Arresting cable
• Bowden cable
• Heliax cable
• Direct-buried cable
• Heavy-lift cable
• Elevator cable
A Bowden cable

A Bowden cable (pronounced /ˈboʊdən/ BOH-dən[1]) is a type of flexible cable used to transmit mechanical
force or energy by the movement of an inner cable (most commonly of steel or stainless steel) relative to a
hollow outer cable housing. The housing is generally of composite construction, consisting of a helical steel
wire, often lined with plastic, and with a plastic outer sheath.

The linear movement of the inner cable is generally used to transmit a pulling force, although for very light
applications over shorter distances (such as the remote shutter release cables on mechanical film cameras) a
push may also be used. Usually provision is made for adjusting the cable tension using an inline hollow bolt
(often called a "barrel adjuster"), which lengthens or shortens the cable housing relative to a fixed anchor
point. Lengthening the housing (turning the barrel adjuster out) tightens the cable; shortening the housing
(turning the barrel adjuster in) loosens the cable.

Direct-buried cable
Direct-buried cable (DBC) is a kind of communications or transmissions
cable which is especially designed to be buried under the ground
without any kind of extra covering, sheathing, or piping to protect it

Elevator
An elevator (or lift in British English) is a vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or
goods between floors (levels, decks) of a building, vessel or other structure. Elevators are generally powered
by electric motors that either drive traction cables or counterweight systems like a hoist, or pump hydraulic
fluid to raise a cylindrical piston like a jack.

Languages other than English may have loanwords based on either elevator (e.g., Korean & Japanese) or lift
(e.g., Russian & Cantonese).

Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a legal requirement in new multi-storey buildings,
especially where wheelchair ramps would be impractical.

A set of lifts in the lower level of a London Underground station in the United Kingdom. The arrows
indicate each lift's position and direction of travel.

Application

A 250V, 16A electrical cable on a reel.

 • Audiovisual cable
• Bicycle cable
• Communications cable
• Computer cable
• Mechanical cable
• Sensing cable[2]
• Submersible cable
• Wire rope (wire cable)

Wire rope
Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid (or 'twisted') into a helix.
Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes.

Historically wire rope evolved from steel chains which had a record of mechanical failure. While flaws in
chain links or solid steel bars can lead to catastrophic failure, flaws in the wires making up a steel cable are
less critical as the other wires easily take up the load. Friction between the individual wires and strands, as a
consequence of their twist, further compensates for any flaws. This method of minimising the effect of flaws
may also be seen in Damascus steel, employing multiple folding or laminations

Cable management
Cable management refers to an important step during the installation of building services (i.e. electrical
services) and the subsequent installation of equipment providing means to tidily secure electrical, data, and
other cables. The term is often used interchangeably to refer to products used for the purpose of managing
cables or to the workmanship carried out to cables whilst being installed. Cable management is important in
many fields, such as IT, communications, power distribution, facility wiring, local area networks, etc.

The purpose of cable management is twofold: to support the cables whilst being routed through the building
from Point A to B (often called containment), and to make subsequent management of the cables through
the lifetime of the installation easier.

Typically, products such as cable trays, cable ladders, and cable baskets are used to support a cable through
cabling routes. The IT industry has special needs because, unlike heavy power cables, data cables often need
to be added, moved, or removed many times during the life of the installation. It is usual practice to install
"fixed cables" between cabling closets or cabinets. These cables are contained in cable trays etc, and are
terminated at each end onto patch panels in the communications cabinet or outlets at the desktop. The
circuits are then interconnected to the final destination using patch cords. The difficulty is that these patch
leads are installed, removed and reinstalled many times during the life of the installation.

Cables can easily become tangled, making them difficult to work with, sometimes resulting in devices
accidentally becoming unplugged as one attempts to move a cable. Such cases are known as "cable
spaghetti".

Steel Wire Armoured (SWA) Cable

Steel Wire Armoured Cable, commonly abbreviated as SWA, is a hard-wearing power cable designed for
the supply of mains electricity. It is one of a number of armoured electrical cables - which include 11kV
Cable and 33kV Cable - and is found in underground systems, power networks and cable ducting.
The typical construction of an SWA Cable can be broken down as follows:

• Conductor: consists of plain stranded copper (cables are classified to indicate the degree of
flexibility. Class 2 refers to rigid stranded copper conductors as stipulated by British Standard BS
EN 60228:2005)
• Insulation: Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) is used in a number of power cables because it has
good water resistance and excellent electrical properties. Insulation in cables ensures that conductors
and other metal substances do not come into contact with each other.[
• Bedding: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bedding is used to provide a protective boundary between inner
and outer layers of the cable.
• Armour: Steel wire armour provides mechanical protection, which means the cable can withstand
higher stresses, be buried directly and used in external or underground projects. The armouring is
normally connected to earth and can also be used as the circuit protective conductor ("earth wire")
for the equipment supplied by cable.
• Sheath: a black PVC sheath holds all components of the cable together and provides additional
protection from external stresses.

The PVC version of SWA Cable, described above, meets the requirements of both British Standard BS5467
and International Electrotechnical Commission standard IEC 60502. It is known as SWA BS5467 Cable and
it has a voltage rating of 600/1000V

SWA Cable can be referred to more generally as Mains Cable, Armoured Cable, Power Cable and Booklet
Armoured Cable. The name Power Cable, however, applies to a wide range of cables including 6381Y,
NYCY, NYY-J and 6491X Cable.

Aluminium Wire Armoured Cable

Steel Wire Armour is only used on multicore versions of the cable. A multicore cable, as the name suggests,
is one where there are a number of different cores. When SWA Cable has only one core, aluminium wire
armour (AWA) is used instead of steel wire. This is because the aluminium is non-magnetic. A magnetic
field is produced by the current in a single core cable. This would induce an electric current in the steel wire,
which could cause overheating

Submarine communications cable

A cross section of a submarine communications cable.

1 - Polyethylene
2 - Mylar tape
3 - Stranded steel wires
4 - Aluminium water barrier
5 - Polycarbonate
6 - Copper or aluminium tube
7 - Petroleum jelly
8 - Optical fibers

Submarine cables are laid using special cable layer ships, such as the modern René Descartes, operated by
France Telecom Marine.

A submarine communications cable is a cable laid beneath the sea to carry telecommunications under
stretches of water.
The first submarine communications cables carried telegraphy traffic. Subsequent generations of cables
carried first telephony traffic, then data communications traffic. All modern cables use optical fiber
technology to carry digital payloads, which are then used to carry telephone traffic as well as Internet and
private data traffic. They are typically 69 millimetres (2.7 in) in diameter and weigh around 10 kilograms
per metre (7 lb/ft), although thinner and lighter cables are used for deep-water sections.[1]

As of 2010, submarine cables link all the world's continents except Antarctica.

Submarine power cable

Submarine power cables are major transmission cables for carrying electric power below the surface of the
water.[1] These are called "submarine" because they usually carry electric power beneath salt water (arms of
the ocean, seas, straits, etc.) but it is also possible to use submarine power cables beneath fresh water (large
lakes and rivers). Examples of the latter exist that connect the mainland with large islands in the St.
Lawrence River

Power cable
A power cable is an assembly of two or more electrical conductors, usually held together with an overall
sheath. The assembly is used for transmission of electrical power. Power cables may be installed as
permanent wiring within buildings, buried in the ground, run overhead, or exposed.

Flexible power cables are used for portable devices, mobile tools and machinery.

Category 5 cable
Category 5 cable (Cat 5) is a twisted pair high signal integrity cable type. This type of cable is used in
structured cabling for computer networks such as Ethernet and ATM, and is also used to carry many other
signals such as telephony and video. Most Category 5 cables are unshielded, relying on the twisted pair
design for noise rejection. Category 5 has been superseded by the Category 5e specification
Category 6 cable
Category 6 cable, commonly referred to as Cat 6, is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet and other
network Physical Layers that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable
standards. Compared with Cat 5 and Cat 5e, Cat 6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and
system noise. The cable standard provides performance of up to 250 MHz and is suitable for 10BASE-T,
100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet), 1000BASE-T/1000BASE-TX (Gigabit Ethernet) and 10GBASE-T (10-
Gigabit Ethernet).

Whereas Category 6 cable has a reduced maximum length when used for 10GBASE-T; Category 6a cable,
or Augmented Category 6, is characterized to 500 MHz and has improved alien crosstalk characteristics,
allowing 10GBASE-T to be run for the same distance as previous protocols.

Like earlier cables, Category 6 cable contains four twisted wire pairs. Although it is sometimes made with
23 AWG wire, the increase in performance with Cat 6 comes mainly from better insulation; 22 to 24 AWG
copper is allowed if the ANSI/TIA-568-B.2-1 performance specifications are met. Cat 6 patch cables are
normally terminated in 8P8C modular connectors. Attenuation, NEXT (near end crosstalk), and PSNEXT
(power sum NEXT) in Cat 6 cable and connectors are all significantly lower than Cat 5 or Cat 5e, which
also uses 24 AWG wire.

The heavier insulation in some Cat 6 cables makes them too thick to attach to 8P8C connectors without a
special modular piece, resulting in a technically out-of-compliance assembly.[citation needed]

Connectors use either T568A or T568B pin assignments; the choice is arbitrary provided both ends of a
cable are the same.

If Cat 6 rated patch cables, jacks, and connectors are not used with Cat 6 wiring, overall performance is
degraded to that of the cable or connector.
 Category 7 cable
Category 7 cable (Cat 7), (ISO/IEC 11801:2002 category 7/class F), is a cable standard for Ethernet and
other interconnect technologies that can be made to be backward compatible with traditional Cat 5 and Cat 6
Ethernet cable. Cat 7 features even more strict specifications for crosstalk and system noise than Cat 6. To
achieve this, shielding has been added for individual wire pairs and the cable as a whole. Besides the foil
shield, just the fact that the pairs are twisted, and how many turns per inch cause RF shielding and protect
from crosstalk. Category 7 is recognized for all the country organizations members of ISO.

The Cat 7 cable standard has been created to allow 10 Gigabit Ethernet over 100 m of copper cabling (also,
10 Gbit/s Ethernet now is typically run on Cat 6a). The cable contains four twisted copper wire pairs, just
like the earlier standards. Cat 7 can be terminated either with 8P8C compatible GG45 electrical connectors
which incorporate the 8P8C standard or with TERA connectors. When combined with GG45 or TERA
connectors, Cat 7 cable is rated for transmission frequencies of up to 600 MHz.

As of November 2010, all manufacturers of active equipment have chosen to support the 8P8C for their 10
Gigabit Ethernet products on copper, and not the GG45 or TERA in order to function on Cat 6a. Due to lack
of support for the 8P8C connector, Category 7 is not recognized in TIA/EIA-568.Because the conductor
sizes are generally the same, Cat 6 jacks may also be used with Cat 5e cable.

Switch
In electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the
current or diverting it from one conductor to another.[1][2] The most familiar form of switch is a manually
operated electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts. Each set of contacts can be
in one of two states: either 'closed' meaning the contacts are touching and electricity can flow between them,
or 'open', meaning the contacts are separated and nonconducting.

A switch may be directly manipulated by a human as a control signal to a system, such as a computer
keyboard button, or to control power flow in a circuit, such as a light switch. Automatically-operated
switches can be used to control the motions of machines, for example, to indicate that a garage door has
reached its full open position or that a machine tool is in a position to accept another workpiece. Switches
may be operated by process variables such as pressure, temperature, flow, current, voltage, and force, acting
as sensors in a process and used to automatically control a system. For example, a thermostat is a
temperature-operated switch used to control a heating process. A switch that is operated by another
electrical circuit is called a relay. Large switches may be remotely operated by a motor drive mechanism.
Some switches are used to isolate electric power from a system, providing a visible point of isolation that
can be pad-locked if necessary to prevent accidental operation of a machine during maintenance, or to
prevent electric shock.
Electrical switches. Top, left to right: circuit breaker, mercury switch, wafer switch, DIP switch, surface
mount switch, reed switch. Bottom, left to right: wall switch (U.S. style), miniature toggle switch, in-line
switch, push-button switch, rocker switch, microswitch.

In the simplest case, a switch has two conductive pieces, often metal, called contacts that touch to complete
(make) a circuit, and separate to open (break) the circuit. The contact material is chosen for its resistance to
corrosion, because most metals form insulating oxides that would prevent the switch from working. Contact
materials are also chosen on the basis of electrical conductivity, hardness (resistance to abrasive wear),
mechanical strength, low cost and low toxicity.

Sometimes the contacts are plated with noble metals. They may be designed to wipe against each other to
clean off any contamination. Nonmetallic conductors, such as conductive plastic, are sometimes used.

The moving part that applies the operating force to the contacts is called the actuator, and may be a toggle
or dolly, a rocker, a push-button or any type of mechanical linkage (see photo).

[edit] Biased switches

The momentary push-button switch is a type of biased switch. The most common type is a "push-to-make"
(or normally-open or NO) switch, which makes contact when the button is pressed and breaks when the
button is released. Each key of a computer keyboard, for example, is a normally-open "push-to-make"
switch. A "push-to-break" (or normally-closed or NC) switch, on the other hand, breaks contact when the
button is pressed and makes contact when it is released. An example of a push-to-break switch is a button
used to release a door held open by an electromagnet.
Large toggle switch, depicted in circuit 'open' position, electrical contacts to left; background is 1/4" square
graph paper

[edit] Toggle switch

A toggle switch is a class of electrical switches that are manually actuated by a mechanical lever, handle, or
rocking mechanism.

Toggle switches are available in many different styles and sizes, and are used in countless applications.
Many are designed to provide, e.g., the simultaneous actuation of multiple sets of electrical contacts, or the
control of large amounts of electric current or mains voltages.

The word "toggle" is a reference to a kind of mechanism or joint consisting of two arms, which are almost in
line with each other, connected with an elbow-like pivot. However, the phrase "toggle switch" is applied to
a switch with a short handle and a positive snap-action, whether it actually contains a toggle mechanism or
not. Similarly, a switch where a definitive click is heard, is called a "positive on-off switch".[7]

Bank of toggle switches on a Data General Nova minicomputer front panel

Opened float switch of a dirty water pump

Switches can be designed to respond to any type of mechanical stimulus: for example, vibration (the
trembler switch), tilt, air pressure, fluid level (the float switch), the turning of a key (key switch), linear or
rotary movement (the limit switch or microswitch), or presence of a magnetic field (the reed switch).

Mercury tilt switch

The mercury switch consists of a drop of mercury inside a glass bulb with 2 or more contacts. The two
contacts pass through the glass, and are connected by the mercury when the bulb is tilted to make the
mercury roll on to them.

This type of switch performs much better than the ball tilt switch, as the liquid metal connection is
unaffected by dirt, debris and oxidation, it wets the contacts ensuring a very low resistance bounce-free
connection, and movement and vibration do not produce a poor contact. These types can be used for
precision works.

It can also be used where arcing is dangerous (such as in the presence of explosive vapour) as the entire unit
is sealed.

Knife switch

Knife switches consist of a flat metal blade, hinged at one end, with an insulating handle for operation, and a
fixed contact. When the switch is closed, current flows through the hinged pivot and blade and through the
fixed contact. Such switches are usually not enclosed. The knife and contacts are typically formed of
copper, steel, or brass, depending on the application. Fixed contacts may be backed up with a spring.
Several parallel blades can be operated at the same time by one handle. The parts may be mounted on an
insulating base with terminals for wiring, or may be directly bolted to an insulated switch board in a large
assembly. Since the electrical contacts are exposed, the switch is used only where people cannot
accidentally come in contact with the switch or where the voltage is so low as to not present a hazard.

Knife switches are made in many sizes from miniature switches to large devices used to carry thousands of
amperes. In electrical transmission and distribution, gang-operated switches are used in circuits up to the
highest voltages.

The disadvantages of the knife switch are the slow opening speed and the proximity of the operator to
exposed live parts. Metal-enclosed safety disconnect switches are used for isolation of circuits in industrial
power distribution. Sometimes spring-loaded auxiliary blades are fitted which momentarily carry the full
current during opening, then quickly part to rapidly extinguish the arc.

Footswitch

A footswitch is a ruged switch which is operated by foot pressure. An example of use is for the control of an
electric sewing machine.
Reversing switch

A DPDT switch has six connections, but since polarity reversal is a very common usage of DPDT switches,
some variations of the DPDT switch are internally wired specifically for polarity reversal. These crossover
switches only have four terminals rather than six. Two of the terminals are inputs and two are outputs. When
connected to a battery or other DC source, the 4-way switch selects from either normal or reversed polarity.
Such switches can also be used as intermediate switches in a multiway switching system for control of
lamps by more than two switches.

Light switches
Main article: Light switch

In building wiring, light switches are installed at convenient locations to control lighting and occasionally
other circuits. By use of multiple-pole switches, control of a lamp can be obtained from two or more places,
such as the ends of a corridor or stairwell.

Three pushbutton switches (Tactile Switches). Major scale is inches.

Electronic switches

A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching
mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used.

Solid-state relays control power circuits with no moving parts, instead using a semiconductor device to
perform switching—often a silicon-controlled rectifier or triac.

The analogue switch uses two MOSFET transistors in a transmission gate arrangement as a switch that
works much like a relay, with some advantages and several limitations compared to an electromechanical
relay.

The power transistor(s) in a switching voltage regulator, such as a power supply unit, are used like a switch
to alternately let power flow and block power from flowing.
Many people use metonymy to call a variety of devices "switches" that conceptually connect or disconnect
signals and communication paths between electrical devices, analogous to the way mechanical switches
connect and disconnect paths for electrons to flow between two conductors. Since the advent of digital logic
in the 1950s, the term switch has spread to a variety of digital active devices such as transistors and logic
gates whose function is to change their output state between two logic levels or connect different signal
lines, and even computers, network switches, whose function is to provide connections between different
ports in a computer network.[8] The term 'switched' is also applied to telecommunications networks, and
signifies a network that is circuit switched, providing dedicated circuits for communication between end
nodes, such as the public switched telephone network. The common feature of all these usages is they refer
to devices that control a binary state: they are either on or off, closed or open, connected or not connected.