A relay can be thought of as an electric lever you turn it on with a relatively small current, and it turns on another device with a much larger current. How Do Relays Work?Īt the core of a relay is an electromagnet (a wire coil that becomes a temporary magnet when electricity is passed through it). This tutorial will walk you through setting up the relay module to turn on a lamp or other device, but first, a quick primer on relays.
The only downside is that, because these are electro-mechanical devices, they are more prone to wear and tear over time. These well-contained modules are inexpensive, simple to connect, and ideal for home-brew projects that require switching modest amounts of AC or DC power. This is where relay modules come into play. However, because the Arduino runs on 5 volts, it cannot directly control these high-voltage appliances. In your upcoming project, you might want to use your Arduino to control a high-voltage device, like a lamp, fan, or other household appliance.
