What is Rocker Switch? Wiring and Connection Diagram

The Rocker Switch is a kind of on/off switch that is used for the main power supply on/off purpose in electronic devices. There are various types of switches are used in electronic circuits, the rocker switch is one of them and a very well-known and commonly used switch. The name 'rocker switch' is used it created a rocking motion when the button of the switch is pressed. You will see, it is designed with a button that is to be pressed on either side. Sometimes it is also called a seesaw switch because it looks like a seesaw.

An SPST  three-prong Rocker switch provides the same function as a three-prong SPST toggle switch provides. But there are some constructional differences between the toggle switch and the rocker switch. Generally, the major part of the toggle switch is made of metal whereas the major part of the rocker switch is made of plastic material. Also, the toggle switch creates more sound than the rocker when it is operating. Also, some rocker switch comes with inbuilt light that will glow when the switch is in on condition. It is helpful to identify is the switch is in on condition or off condition. In the case of the toggle switches, there is no inbuilt light.

Rocker switches are availably available in both Single Pole and Double versions. The difference between single-pole and double-pole rocker switches is that the single-pole rocker switch can control only one circuit whereas the double-pole rocker switch can control two circuits simultaneously. In this article, we are going to see the wiring of an SPST(Single Pole Single Throw) Rocker Switch.

Rocker Switch Terminals

Before going to do the wiring you must know about the terminals of rocker switch and their function.

You can see the SPST rocker switch has three terminals, which are named as

1. Power
2. Accessories
3. Ground

Power Terminal

It is the left-side terminal of the switch. It receives electrical power from the power source. Generally, the positive terminal of the power source is to be connected to this power terminal.

Accessories Terminal

It is the middle terminal. It delivers power to the accessories or load connected to it. Generally, the positive terminal of the load is to be connected to the accessories terminal.

Ground

It is the right-side terminal. The negative terminal of both power source and load is to be connected to this ground terminal. Also, this pin should be grounded.

Rocker Switch Wiring and Connection Diagram

Here, you can see the wiring of rocker switch(SPST).

For example, here we have connected a light with a battery. The battery is the power source and the light is the load. So you can connect any source or load according to this connection diagram. Also, remember that the rocker switch always comes with a particular current rating. It will be damaged if overcurrent flows through it. So most of the time a fuse is connected with the rocker to protect from overcurrent.

Connection Procedure

1. Connect the positive terminal of the power source or battery to the power terminal of the rocker switch by connecting a fuse in series.

2. Connect the positive terminal of the load or lamp to the accessories terminal of the rocker switch.

3. Connect the negative terminals of both battery and lamp to the ground terminal of the rocker switch.

4. Connect the ground terminal to the ground.

5 Pin Rocker Switch Wiring and Connection Diagram

Here, you can see the wiring diagram and connection of a 5-pin rocker switch. This connection is used in various applications such as it can be used to control the lighting in certain applications. For example, it can be used to switch between different lighting modes, such as high intensity, low intensity, or off.

Terminals 7 and 8 are to be connected together and then it is to be connected to the ground and negative terminal of the both power source and load. Terminals 2 and 6 are to be connected together and then it is to be connected to the positive terminal of the battery. Terminal 3 is to be connected to the positive terminal of the load.

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