Potential relays are commonly found on many smaller, single-phase, capacitor-start, capacitor-run motors in the HVACR industry. Their function is to assist in starting the electric motor. Potential ...

Over the years, control relays of various types have been used by the hundreds — even thousands — to control nearly every function in commercial and industrial processes. Today, many of those ...

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and computer-based controllers are great for handling logic and data-collection tasks for industrial controls. But when it comes to driving motors, heaters, ...

This chapter covers representative general-purpose relays used in the control circuits of most industrial, commercial, and consumer products. Relay names and terminology are in accordance with ...

Even the best relays can fail at some point, but what causes them to fail? Conventional wisdom lays the blame on worn-out contacts. And there is some truth to that view. Every electromechanical relay ...

Have you ever needed to power a 12-volt relay in a circuit but only had 6 or 9 volts available? This simple circuit will solve that problem. It allows 12-volt relays to be operated from 6 or 9 volts, ...

My July 3 column covered the theory and operation of potential relays. This article covers potential relay ratings and specifications along with systematic troubleshooting. Here is an example of a ...

Relays are clunky, switch slowly, have contact bounce, and make noise, both acoustically and electromagnetically, so why are they still used? Relays are clunky, switch slowly, have contact bounce, and ...

Last column, I wrote about various applications where fire alarm relays could be used to integrate a commercial fire alarm system with other electrical systems at a customer’s site to provide them ...

Electromechanical relays can be manufactured with high-frequency RF characteristics that allow them to pass and switch signals in the 7-GHz range and beyond with the proper packaging. Two key RF ...

An RC circuit in series with the coil allows full-current turn-on for reliable relay operation, then reduces the current to save power. Fellow engineer Sanjay R. Chendvankar of Mumbai, India, recently ...