(2) 3-pole switches to Reverse Polarity??? 2

[alokwww]

Hi,

I have a motor that reverses when you reverse the polarity. Basically what I ideally wanted to do was have switch A supply power to switch B, and have switch B, when in position 1, has the polarity in one direction, and when in position 2, has the polarity in the other direction. Even if I have to do something ghetto like have 1 switch on off for one way and 1 switch on off for the other thats fine. I just want to figure out how I can reverse the polarity of 2 wires using 2 switches and still be able to have them turn off. I don't really care how its done. I've been trying different things with 2 single pole and 2 3-way switches but have had no success at all. Can anyone let me know if they have any ideas I should try and if what I want to do is even possible. Thanks.
-Alok

 

[ANFPS26]

You might want to try the engineering forums:

http://www.eng-tips.com

Jim

 

[franklin97355]

Get a three position double pole switch then you can set up one way as forward one as reverse and the center as off.

 

[MarvO1]

Sure, But kind of hard to explain without a drawing.
Use 1 double pole, double throw switch.
Connect the COMMON leads to each side of the motor,
Connect your power in leads to one end of the switch, plus to one pole, minus to the other pole.
On the oppposite end of the switch, connect your power leads again, but this time, reverse the polarity.
It is best to do it with just one switch so that both poles get switched at the exact same time.
To turn on or off, feed power to this switch with just a single switch.

You didn't mention how big a motor, or how much current you will be dealing with, so I assumed it is something small????

If you went with a double pole/tripple throw switch, you could use the third position as off, with no leads connected in that position.

Wish I could draw a picture here. Would be much easier to explain.

MarvO said it

 

[MarvO1]

Wow, we must have all posted at the same time, cuz there were no replies when I started typing.

MarvO said it

 

[franklin97355]

Type faster next time same for me.

 

[alokwww]

Awesome guys! Thanks for your responses! They were actually four-pole switches, but I only used 3 of the terminals. Heres what I did (If you're looking at the back of the switch, A, B, C, D, W, X, Y, Z are the four terminals at the four corners:


Switch One:

A INPUTS B

A = out to motor (red wire)
B = not used
C = out to Switch Two, X
D = out to Switch Two, W

C OUTPUTS D

-----------------

Switch Two:

W INPUTS X

W = In from Switch One, D
X = In from Switch One, C
Y = out to motor (black wire)
Z = not used

Y OUTPUTS Z

 

[alokwww]

BTW, its 12 Volts DC.

 

[franklin97355]

Where does the power come into the switches?

 

[TouchToneTommy]

O = DPDT Switch terminals
[tt]

+12V------------------------+
|
+--------|---+
| | |
| +--O O O-------->
| | To Motor
+-|--O O O-------->
| | |
+------|---+
|
-12V------------------------+


[/tt]

 

[alokwww]

Oh, hehe, forgot about that. Positive goes to W, negative goes to X, if I remember correctly.

 

[Bobg1]

Touchtonetommy has the correct way to do this
Just make sure you have a center off switch.

PS tommy that really should not say +12 and -12 because that equals 24.....

 

[TouchToneTommy]

OK, +VDC and Gnd.