Configurable Switch Components - Illumination Source
Configurable switches are electromechanical switch systems that are modular in design and enable users to put together a switch to meet their own requirements. They are ideally suited for usage in a variety of industrial or machine control applications. Lamps and lamp holders that have been modified for use with such items, either as replacement parts or components for original assembly, are considered "Illumination Source" components for such devices.
What is an illuminated switch?
When the switch is in the ON position, a pilot light switch flashes to let you know that a light that is out of sight at the switch—like an outdoor, cellar, or closet light—is on. lighted sunglasses Some toggle switches feature illuminated handles, whereas others merely have illumination around the edge of the toggle.
How does the illuminated switch work?
A tiny neon bulb or LED is included in illuminated switches, making it simple for the user to find the switch in the dark. Single-pole lighted switches use the current flowing through the bulb(s) they are controlling to energize their built-in illumination source, which is often a "neon" lamp. Because the minimal current needed for the switch's illuminating source is too small to create any visible light from the devices controlled by the lighted switch, these switches function adequately with incandescent lights, halogen illumination, and non-electronic fluorescent fixtures.
The internal input capacitor in the electronic ballast of the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) or LED, on the other hand, is slowly charged by a small amount of current. A brief discharge through the CFL is all that is needed to energize the lighting source within the switch if it only controls CFLs and/or LED lamps, and this process continues until the voltage across the internal input capacitor rises to the point where it causes a brief discharge through the CFL.
