A relay is an electrically operated switch.

Current flowing through the coil of the relay creates a magnetic field which attracts a lever and changes the switch contacts. The coil current can be on or off so relays have two switch positions .Relays allow one circuit to switch a second circuit which can be completely sep arate from the first. For example a low voltage battery circuit can use a relay to switch a 230V AC mains circuit. There is no electrical connection inside the relay between the two circuits, the link is magnetic and mechanical. The coil of a relay passes a relatively large current, typically 30mA for a 12V relay, but it can be as much as 100mA for relays designed to operate from lower voltages. Advantages of relays: Relays can switch AC and DC, transistors can only switch DC. Relays can switch higher voltages than standard transistors. Relays are often a better choice for switching large current s (> 5A). Relays disadvantages of relays: Relays ents. Relays rs can switch Relays ir coil. Contactors When a relay is used to switch a large amount of electrical power through its co ntacts, it is designated by a special name: contactor. Contactors typically have multiple contacts, and those contacts are usually (but not always) normally-ope n, so that power to the load is shut off when the coil is de-energized. Perhaps the most common industrial use for contactors is the control of electric motors. The top three contacts switch the respective phases of the incoming 3-phase AC p ower, typically at least 480 Volts for motors 1 horsepower or greater. The lowes t contact is an "auxiliary" contact which has a current rating much lower than t hat of the large motor power contacts, but is actuated by the same armature as t he power contacts. The auxiliary contact is often used in a relay logic circuit, or for some other part of the motor control scheme, typically switching 120 Vol t AC power instead of the motor voltage. One contactor may have several auxiliar y contacts, either normally-open or normally-closed, if required. can switch many contacts at once. are bulkier than transistors for switching small curr cannot switch rapidly (except reed relays), transisto use more power due to the current flowing through the

What is a Diode? A Diode is the simplest two-terminal unilateral semiconductor device. It allows current to flow only in one direction and blocks the current that flows in the opposite direction. The two terminals of the diode are called as anode and catho de. The symbol of diode is as shown in the figure below. What is Transistor? A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic sig nals and electrical power. It is composed of semiconductor material with at leas t three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current ap plied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current through anot

her pair of terminals. Transistors are commonly used as electronic switches, both for high-power applic ations such as switched-mode power supplies and for low-power applications such as logic gates.