What are the several types of switches?

A switch may be directly manipulated by a human as a control signal to a system, such as a computer keyboard button, or to control power flow in a circuit, such as a light switch. Automatically operated switches can be used to control the motions of machines, for example, to indicate that a garage door has reached its full open position or that a machine tool is in a position to accept another workpiece. Switches may be operated by process variables such as pressure, temperature, flow, current, voltage, and force, acting as sensors in a process and used to automatically control a system. There are many different switch designs. The most common are types of switches are:

Slide switch: A slide switch has a knob that you can slide back and forth to open or close the contacts.

Toggle switch: A toggle switch has a lever that you flip up or down to open or close the contacts. Common household light switches are examples of toggle switches.

Rotary switch: A rotary switch has a knob that you turn to open and close the contacts. The switch in the base of many tabletop lamps is an example of a rotary switch.

Rocker switch: A rocker switch has a seesaw action. You press one side of the switch down to close the contacts, and press the other side down to open the contacts.

Knife switch: A knife switch is the kind of switch Igor throws in a Frankenstein movie to reanimate the creature. In a knife switch, the contacts are exposed for everyone to see.

Pushbutton switch: A pushbutton switch is a switch that has a knob that you push to open or close the contacts. In some pushbutton switches, you push the switch once to open the contacts and then push again to close the contacts. In other words, each time you push the switch, the contacts alternate between opened and closed.

Special types of switches are:

1. Mercury tilt switch

2. Knife switch

3. Footswitch

4. Reversing switch

5. Electronic switches.