Touch switches

What are touch switches? Initially, the concept of touch switches meant switches with a contact plate, when touched, the load turned on and off. There are no mechanical moving parts in the touch switches.

With the advent of new devices, the concept of touch switches has changed a bit. Now, the concept of a touch switch includes all devices for the control of which the use of any direct physical impact is not required.

The most common touch switches include: IR sensors (motion sensors), volume sensors, acoustic sensors (responsive to sound), touch switches in the form of an ordinary switch, but without a movable key.

Structurally, all the sensors are arranged approximately the same, the difference is only in the sensors, that is, the sensors.

The sensors consist of three main parts: the sensor-sensor itself, the signal processing system-amplifier, the switching power part - relay contacts. Now consider each of these sensors in more detail.

IR sensors. IR means InfraRed. How does this device work? Many people know that all warm objects emit heat rays. The range of these rays is outside the spectrum visible to the human eye, slightly lower (on a scale) than red. From here follows the name of the sensor - infrared.

These very rays are captured by a special receiver-receiver, “PIR” - “passive infrared” - “passive infrared” rays. To increase the heat signal from warm objects, special focusing lenses are used.

Sensors of this type respond not only to the heat of the human body, but also to the heat coming from various mechanisms - cars, heating radiators, etc.

This type of sensor can be safely called one of the most common sensor sensors. Everyone probably saw touch sensors of this type. For example, touch infrared sensors used in security and fire systems, various luminaires with built-in infrared sensors.

Recently, many began to apply touch motion sensors and in everyday life, installing such sensors instead of ordinary switches. As a result, when a person enters the zone of operation of the touch switch, the light turns on, after a certain predetermined time, if there is no movement in this zone, the light turns off.

Also, sensors of this type are widely used in the military industry. An excellent example of the use of sensor sensors is an interceptor missile, where an IR sensor captures heat from aircraft engines, rockets, tanks, etc.

Volume sensors. In contrast to the infrared sensor described above, this type of touch switch has appeared on the domestic market of household electrical equipment relatively recently.

Principle of operation Volumetric touch switch can be compared with the work of the police radar. The transceiver sends and receives signals with a certain frequency. The image obtained as a result of scanning the room is stored in the device memory.

In the case of a foreign object, in this case, a person falling into the “field of view” of the touch switch, the picture changes, the device works, connecting the load. The job description is, of course, crude, but understandable.

Acoustic sensors. As the name implies, this type of touch switch responds to sound. But this is still quite “exotic” for our market type of touch switches. Most often, this type of sensor is used in fire alarm systems.The sensor is tuned to a specific frequency, in particular, in a burglar alarm, acoustic sensors are triggered by the sound that broken glass emits.

Sapphire Touch Switch

Next, consider a beginner gaining popularity in our market proximity touch switches. In appearance, these touch switches resemble ordinary switches with a key. But this is only outwardly. In fact, everything is a little more complicated.

There is no movable mechanism in these touch switches. Touch switches of this type consist of three main parts: Sensor antenna, signal amplifier and switching, power part. Simply put your hand 3-4 cm to the touch switch to turn on the light. Almost mysticism.

The principle of operation of this touch switch is approximately as follows. There is a small touch contact antenna that creates a small magnetic field around itself. When approaching this same field, you violate its static nature, thereby causing the device to trip.

It is advisable to use this type of switch in rooms where direct contact is undesirable, for example, in rooms with high humidity.

Sergey Seromashenko