Electrical Symbols — Switches and Relays
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The mechanism of a switch may be operated directly by a human operator to control a circuit (for example, a light switch or a keyboard button), may be operated by a moving object such as a door-operated switch, or may be operated by some sensing element for pressure, temperature or flow. A relay is a switch that is operated by electricity. Switches are made to handle a wide range of voltages and currents; very large switches may be used to isolate high-voltage circuits in electrical substations.
Pic. 1. Switches and Relays Library
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a powerful software for creating professional looking electrical diagram quick and easy. For this purpose you can use the Electrical Engineering solution from the "Industrial Engineering" area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Electrical Engineering Solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM provides the stencils libraries of ready-to-use predesigned 926 vector symbols, templates and samples that make your electrical drawing quick, easy and effective.
26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Pic. 2. Electrical Engineering symbols
Electrical diagram software will assist you in drawing your electrical diagrams with minimal effort and makes it very easy for beginners. Electrical symbols and smart connectors help present your electrical drawings, electrical schematic, wiring diagrams and blue prints.
Pic. 3. Electrical Symbols — Switches and Relays
Most of the electrical symbols can be changed in their appearance, styles and colors according to users' requirements. Electrical symbols are used to represent various electrical and electronic devices in a schematic diagram of an electrical or electronic circuit.
The following table lists some switches and relays electrical symbols in our electrical diagram software.
| Symbol | Meaning | |
| Electrical Symbols — Switches and Relays | ||
 | SPST | |
 | SPDT | |
 | DPST | |
 | DPDT | |
 | Make contact | |
 | Break contact | |
 | Two way contact | |
 | Passing make-contact | |
 | Spring return | |
 | Stay put | |
 | Limit switch | |
 | Circuit breaker | |
 | Spring return 2 | |
 | Spring return 3 | |
 | Limit switch n/o | |
 | Limit switch n/c | |
 | 2 position switch | |
 | 3 position switch | |
 | 4 position switch | |
 | Manual switch | |
 | Pushbutton make | |
 | Pushbutton break | |
 | Pushbutton 2-circuit | |
 | Selector switch | |
 | Shorting selector | |
 | Proximity limit switch | |
 | Time delay make | |
 | Time delay break | |
 | Time delay make 2 | |
 | Time delay break 2 | |
 | Safety interlock | |
 | Flow actuated | |
 | Liquid level actuated | |
 | Liquid level actuated 2 | |
 | Gas flow actuated | |
 | Pressure actuated | |
 | Temperature actuated | |
 | Thermostat | |
 | Temperature switch | |
 | Inertia switch | |
 | Mercury switch | |
 | Mercury switch 2 | |
 | Fuse | |
 | Switch disconnector | |
 | Isolator | |
 | Change-over contact | |
 | Relay, alternating-current | |
 | Relay, magnetically polarized | |
 | Relay, slow-operate | |
 | Relay, slow-release | |
 | Relay | |
 | Relay, high speed | |
 | Relay, mechanically latched | |
 | Relay, permanent | |
 | Relay coil | |
 | Relay contacts | |
 | Pilot light | |
 | Pilot light, push-to-test | |
A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to mechanically operate a switch, but other operating principles are also used, such as solid-state relays. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a separate low-power signal, or where several circuits must be controlled by one signal.
How to Create an Electrical Diagram Using Switches and Relays Library
- Open ConceptDraw DIAGRAM new document page.
- Select libraries from Electrical Engineering section.
- Switches and relays library contains objects, identified by a blue tile in the library pane. Such objects can be edited by using the Action button menu. To open the menu select an object and click the
button in the upper right corner of the object.
- Select the Smart Connector tool
. To connect elements using this tool, drag the connector from one connect dot to another.You can use Layers to place connections on different layers.
- Result: Circuit Diagram.
TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
Flowchart Maker →
A flowchart maker is a software showing the interaction, sequence or organization. It also known as flowchart maker or ConceptDraw DIAGRAM standard supplied with different types of symbol collections: standard symbols, branded set and authored. It used strictly for enhancing scientific or business documents with abstract explanatory pictures. Business graphic applications show a special knowledge representations and include many features for creating schematic pictures. These graphic tools are known as flowchart maker or flowchart maker software.
Picture: Flowchart Maker
Related Solution:
How To use House Electrical Plan Software →
Electrical plan is a document that is developed during the first stage of the building design. This scheme is composed of conventional images or symbols of components that operate by means of electric energy. To simplify the creation of these schemes you can use house electrical plan software, which will not require a long additional training to understand how to use it. You only need to install the necessary software ant it’s libraries and you’ll have one less problem during the building projection. Any building contains a number of electrical systems, including switches, fixtures, outlets and other lightening equipment. All these should be depicted in a building electrical plans and included to general building documentation. This home electrical plan displays electrical and telecommunication devices placed to a home floor plan. On the plan, each electrical device is referenced with the proper symbol. Electrical symbols are used for universal recognition of the building plan by different persons who will be working on the construction. Not all possible electric symbols used on a certain plan, so the symbols used in the current home plan are included to a legend. The electrical home plan may be added as a separate document to a complete set of building plans.
Picture: How To use House Electrical Plan Software
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols, Electrical Diagram Symbols →
Electrical Engineering Solution used together with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM drawing facilities makes short a work of drawing various electrical and electronic circuit schemes. A library of vector objects composed from symbols of Analog and Digital Logic elements of electric circuit includes 40 symbolic images of logic gates, bistable switches of bi-stable electric current, circuit controllers, amplifiers, regulators, generators, etc. All of them can be applied in electronic circuit schemes for showing both analog and digital elements of the circuit. Electrical Engineering Solution used together with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM drawing facilities makes short a work of drawing various electrical and electronic circuit schemes. A library of vector objects composed from symbols of Analog and Digital Logic elements of electric circuit includes 40 symbolic images of logic gates, bistable switches of bi-stable electric current, circuit controllers, amplifiers, regulators, generators, etc. All of them can be applied in electronic circuit schemes for showing both analog and digital elements of the circuit.
Picture: Electrical Symbols, Electrical Diagram Symbols
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols — Terminals and Connectors →
An electrical connector, is an electro-mechanical device used to join electrical terminations and create an electrical circuit. Electrical connectors consist of plugs (male-ended) and jacks (female-ended). The connection may be temporary, as for portable equipment, require a tool for assembly and removal, or serve as a permanent electrical joint between two wires or devices. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Picture: Electrical Symbols — Terminals and Connectors
Related Solution:
Basic Flowchart Symbols and Meaning →
While creating flowcharts and process flow diagrams, you should use special objects to define different statements, so anyone aware of flowcharts can get your scheme right. There is a short and an extended list of basic flowchart symbols and their meaning. Basic flowchart symbols include terminator objects, rectangles for describing steps of a process, diamonds representing appearing conditions and questions and parallelograms to show incoming data. This diagram gives a general review of the standard symbols that are used when creating flowcharts and process flow diagrams. The practice of using a set of standard flowchart symbols was admitted in order to make flowcharts and other process flow diagrams created by any person properly understandable by other people. The flowchart symbols depict different kinds of actions and phases in a process. The sequence of the actions, and the relationships between them are shown by special lines and arrows. There are a large number of flowchart symbols. Which of them can be used in the particular diagram depends on its type. For instance, some symbols used in data flow diagrams usually are not used in the process flowcharts. Business process system use exactly these flowchart symbols.
Picture: Basic Flowchart Symbols and Meaning
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols — Power Sources →
A voltage source is a two terminal device which can maintain a fixed voltage. An ideal voltage source can maintain the fixed voltage independent of the load resistance or the output current. However, a real-world voltage source cannot supply unlimited current. A voltage source is the dual of a current source. Real-world sources of electrical energy, such as batteries, generators, and power systems, can be modeled for analysis purposes as a combination of an ideal voltage source and additional combinations of impedance elements. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Picture: Electrical Symbols — Power Sources
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols — Maintenance →
Electrical maintenance - troubleshooting electrical circuit. The diagrams are a big help when workers try to find out why a circuit does not work correctly. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Picture: Electrical Symbols — Maintenance
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols — Transmission Paths →
Variable delay elements are often used to manipulate the rising or falling edges of the clock or any other signal in integrated circuits. Delay elements are also used in delay locked loops and in defining a time reference for the movement of data within those systems. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Picture: Electrical Symbols — Transmission Paths
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols — VHF UHF SHF →
Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 MHz and 3 GHz, also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one decimetre. Radio waves with frequencies above the UHF band fall into the SHF (super-high frequency) or microwave frequency range. Lower frequency signals fall into the VHF (very high frequency) or lower bands. UHF radio waves propagate mainly by line of sight; they are blocked by hills and large buildings although the transmission through building walls is strong enough for indoor reception. They are used for television broadcasting, cell phones, satellite communication including GPS, personal radio services including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, walkie-talkies, cordless phones, and numerous other applications. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Picture: Electrical Symbols — VHF UHF SHF
Related Solution:
Electrical Symbols — Composite Assemblies →
Electronic components have two or more electrical terminals (or leads) aside from antennas which may only have one terminal. These leads connect to create an electronic circuit with a particular function (for example an amplifier, radio receiver, or oscillator). Basic electronic components may be packaged discretely, as arrays or networks of like components, or integrated inside of packages such as semiconductor integrated circuits, hybrid integrated circuits, or thick film devices. 26 libraries of the Electrical Engineering Solution of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM make your electrical diagramming simple, efficient, and effective. You can simply and quickly drop the ready-to-use objects from libraries into your document to create the electrical diagram.
Picture: Electrical Symbols — Composite Assemblies
Related Solution:
ConceptDraw
DIAGRAM 16