Symbols of On/Off Switches
Like all symbols on electronic devices, the on/off symbol is very important. Some could argue that it is the most important. Oftentimes, we don’t think about the importance of switches since they are usually small in size. Nonetheless, they play a vital role in the devices they are connected to.
The on/off symbols also tell us plenty about what the device is all about and how it operates.
Besides the on/off power symbol, there are more symbols that are used to express different functions in the electric circuit. However, most of these are based on the on/off button’s basic principle: on – current flow & off – zero current flow.
Usually, power buttons are square-shaped or circular, and they come in handy in powering the connected device on or off. Hence, a wide range of electronic devices feature power buttons or switches. This button is normally easy to use, and most of the time you only have to press it to switch the device on, and press it once more to switch it off.
Something else relevant to power buttons and switches is that some are designed to be mechanical. This simply means that once it is pressed, it yields a click sound and remains pressed in, and when you press it again, it switches the device off and protrudes back to the original position. These types of switches are called hard switches.
On the other hand, soft power switches are more common and remain in the same position despite being turned on or off.
Types of On/Off Switches
On/off switches come in two different types:
- Automatic switches
- Manual switches
Manual Switches
These ones require you to utilize your hands to trigger them. Nonetheless, they let you control different settings on your electronics without needing to manually switch it on or off each time you need to modify something like the level of brightness or other operations like turning off the lights.
Automatic Switch
These ones work rather differently from manual switches since they automatically turn the device on and off. This is done by sensing your presence, after which this switch turns on automatically. So, for instance, when you enter a room, the lights turn on, and once you leave, they turn off.
On/Off Symbols
Power switches and buttons usually have an O and I symbol. The I stands for power on, while the O means power off. This symbolism will at times be I/O characters on top of one another as one symbol.
These symbols are a vital part of knowing how the switch operates, and they come in different shapes, while some switches feature a third position utilized to switch off the light or another gadget.
The symbols on the power button and switches are an essential part of the switch’s anatomy. One of these symbols represents the “closed” or “on”. This translates to the electricity being connected to the gadget, after which it conducts electricity efficiently. This can also be denoted by a triangle facing up ().
Also, the same switches will have a different symbol known as the “open” or “off” symbol. This means the electricity has been disconnected from the gadget and isn’t conducting electricity. This is often denoted using a triangle pointing downward ().
On/off buttons are managed using these symbols, which are frequently utilized to detect various electrical parts. For instance, an on/off switch can be exhibited with a symbol that has a circle, while a different symbol may have an arrow pointing down and a line.
The first symbol (the arrow) identifies where the power is moving to, while the second symbol (the line) is for showing where the power is sourced from.
Arrow & Line On/Off Switch
This switch is more common for kitchen and bathroom lighting. The line indicating the power flow from one point to other points to the hot wire, and it usually goes to the ground via the metal plate or grounding screw connected to it.
The line indicating the way the light shines identify the ground cable, which has to be linked to something else through the screw or metal plate.