Sources of toggle switches & dc/dc solid state relays

@ronbentley1

Amazon ?

@will 

Hi,

Yes, I've looked and there is so much that I could take a punt at but I really wanted to plug into member's experiences.

Ron B

Posted by: @ronbentley1

Hi,

Does anyone have a source/supplier for

1. Small 2-pole toggle switches suitable for plugging into a standard breadboard?
2. dc/dc solid state relays, ie low voltage dc switching capabilities on the outputs?

Cheers

Ron B

You mean like these. Cahnge amazon country code to your own.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07X8T9D2Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For your DC-DC I just buit my own with @wil's help. Quite trivial

Hi @ronbentley1,

  Sorry if this sounds a little pedantic, but it is very difficult to attempt to answer the dc-dc solid relays part of your question, without knowing more about the required technical specification.

   What is usually meant by the term 'DC solid state relays' is a bit of misnomer, as they don't actually have a 'relay' part (in the usual electromechanical sense with moving contacts, etc.) ... they are electronic switches whose control input side is often electrically isolated from the power switching element(s). Possible applications range from volts to Megavolts, etc. and the devices have to be scaled accordingly.

The power switching elements typically use transistors or thyristors, which have ratings of voltage, current, etc., meaning they must be matched to the load power supply and load characteristics, including transient currents and voltages.

Whilst we might all take a guess at the required characteristics of the control input side, given the number of projects based on Arduinos, etc., but a definition of this would also clarify the situation.

Perhaps a new question with more specific requirements would be rewarding?

Good luck in your search and Best wishes, Dave.

@zander 

Hi Ron,

Yes, I use these button switches but I am seeking a toggle switch for a breadboard, do they exist?

 Hence my post.

Ron B

@davee 

Thanks Dave, you can be as pedantic as you wish if it gets a better outcome!

I have an 8 x mechanical relay which offers two output presentations per relay - NC, COMMON and NO.

These do what I want and will switch both ac and dc

However, i have found that this type of relay has a high failure rate and dont seem to do too well if used for longish periods, they just seem to fail.

So I'm looking for a solid state relay to replace these. I have one already but this only works for ac and voltages >75 v.

Btw, I'm not into making one.

Hope this helps.

Ron B

@ronbentley1 

Would a slide switch do the job?

@zander 

Thanks Ron, but I'd rather be doing other things than building what should be standard components.

I like your enthusiasm though!

Ron B

@robotbuilder 

Yes, it would and there are lots of these, but they tend to be bigger than the ones I'm  seeking and not as neat as a simple two position toggle.

I'm currently using a push button switches to simulate toggle switches. This is okay for testing but not for production.

Does such a thing exist?

Cheers

Ron B

@ronbentley1 

Slider switches for breadboards exist if that is what you are asking?  They do the same thing as a toggle switch.

Hi @ronbentley1,

   Thanks for your kind reply, but I  am afraid you haven't answered the technical side of my question(s) ... although I suspect your comment about your relays failing could be an indication of the importance of my question.

Off course you might be sourcing some particularly poor relays, and occasionally even the best ones fail, but generally relays have a respectable record providing they are being used within their specification ratings. I should note that because relays have been around for a long time, the published specification tables are often rather 'minimal', relying on the system designer to 'interpret' and 'judge' the suitability of each relay, to specific conditions it will meet in service, so I can appreciate this is not always an easy task. However, relays which find themselves in a 'somewhat'  more demanding environment than they are designed for will probably 'work' for a while, but fail prematurely. Their 'solid-state' cousins are likely to be less forgiving if the wrong choice is made, in some cases failing the first time they are operated in circuit.

So I recommend that you try to clearly explain the task you are expecting them to achieve. From an electrical point of view, they are a 'device of two halves', each 'half' needing its own consideration:

1. Control side: what electrical signal is commanding them ... e.g. it might be an Arduino GPIO pin which has given voltage (e.g. 5v or 3.3V) and current drive capability (e.g. 20mA max). If you specify the Arduino model type and pin number, then these figures can be looked up on the web.
2. Load side: The voltage and current to be switched. This can be rather complex - the voltage of the power source and the 'normal' or steady state current demand are required, but also the nature of any transients of either voltage or current demand. For example, many loads demand a much higher current peak when power is first applied and some loads produce a large voltage spike when power is disconnected, both of these effects can be large enough to destroy an inadequately rated device.

I appreciate you might not be in a position to provide all of the details, but if you provide as much description as possible, including your particular application/task, and perhaps we can find a way forward.

Best wishes, Dave

@robotbuilder 

Hi,

Yes these switches are examples of toggle switches, but they are invariably 3pole, not 2.

I'm seeking a simple 2pole toggle small as possible for a breadboard.

I'm still looking!

Ron B

@davee 

Okay, but I'm not sure I can be more explicit about my requirement.

Two halves - yes. The control half and the switching half.

The control half will be controlled by an arduino or esp32.

The switching half will be dc and switch to either on or off according to the controlling half's direction.

Ron B