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Construction
 The
reed switch consists of a pair of flexible reeds made of
a magnetic material, and sealed in a glass tube filled with
inert gas. The reeds are overlapped but separated by a small
gap. The contact area of each reed is plated with a noble
metal, such as Rhodium or Ruthenium, to provide the switch
w ith
stable characteristics and long life.
Application of a magnetic field, generated by a permanent
magnet or a coil, to the reed switch causes both reeds to
be magnetized. This produces an N-pole at the contact area
of one reed, and an S-pole at that of the other reed, in
a manner shown on the drawing (left). If the magnetic attracting
force overcomes the resistive force caused by elasticity
of the reed, the reeds come in contact (Pull-In) i.e., the
circuit is closed. Once the magnetic field is removed, the
reeds are separated again by the effect of elasticity of
the reed (Drop-Out) i.e., the circuit is opened.
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 Features
Compact and Light
The reed switch can be mounted in a very limited space;
it is ideal for use in miniatured equipment.
Hermetically Sealed
The switching elements of the reed switch are hermetically
sealed in an inert gas atmosphere, so that they are never
exposed to the external environment.
Long Life
The reed switch employs no sliding parts, so there is no
fatigue related to degradation in the quality of the materials
used, ensuring a virtually unlimited mechanical life.
High Speed Operation
Every movable element has a very low mass resulting in a
high speed of operation. This enables the reed switch to
be used as an interface to a transistor or integrated circuit.
- Form "A" and "C" contacts
- Ultraminiature through large
- 3 Watt to 70 Watt loads
- Up to 15 kV breakdown voltages
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