Switches

thumb|upright=1.4|Electrical switches. Top, left to right: circuit breaker, mercury switch, wafer switch, [[DIP switch, surface mount switch, reed switch. Bottom, left to right: wall switch (U.S. style), miniature toggle switch, in‑line switch, push-button switch, rocker switch, microswitch.]]

thumb|A digital thermostat thumb|right|Honeywell's "The Round" model T87 thermostat, one of which is in the collection of the [[Smithsonian.]] thumb|right|A touch screen thermostat thumb|right|An electronic thermostat in a retail store

A push-button (also spelled pushbutton) or simply button is a simple switch mechanism to control some aspect of a machine or a process. Buttons are typically made out of hard material, usually plastic or metal. The surface is usually flat or shaped to accommodate the human finger or hand, so as to be easily depressed or pushed. Buttons are most often biased switches, although many un-biased buttons (due to their physical nature) still require a spring to return to their un-pushed state.

electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field

device used to operate electric lights, permanently connected equipment, or electrical outlets

type of electrical switch

number of electric switches in a dual in-line package

type of electrical switch

Level sensor

electrical device

electromechanical line selector for automatic telephone exchanges

simplified conventional pictorial representation of an electrical circuit

type of mechanical device

timer-controlled electric switch

electric switch that is actuated with little force through a tipping-point mechanism

A softswitch (software switch) is a call-switching node in a telecommunications network, based not on the specialized switching hardware of the traditional telephone exchange, but implemented in software running on a general-purpose computing platform. Like its traditional counterparts it connects telephone calls between subscribers or other switching systems across a telecommunication network. Often a softswitch is implemented to switch calls using voice over IP (VoIP) technologies, but hybrid systems exist.

A humidistat or hygrostat is an electronic device analogous to a thermostat but which responds to relative humidity, not temperature. A typical humidistat is usually included with portable humidifiers or dehumidifiers. It can also be included with combined air cleaner or humidifier units to control a home's humidity level or any other indoor space.

piece of equipment that distributes electric power

electric switch that uses the centrifugal force of a rotating shaft

thumb|A cryotron (1959)

electromechanical multi-pole switch controled by a chain of pulses

Timed electrical lighting switch

key-operated switch

Type of electronic contact

push-button or other control which has apparent functionality but has no physical effect when pressed

switch that maintains its state after being activated

electrical device that divides direct current (DC) into multiple branches and only allows current in one direction in each branch