A couple of minutes spent on this page will help assure of satisfactory service from GEMS reed switch products. Proper operation, and long-life dependability of reed switches requires an understanding of their electrical requirements.
Most applications involve inductive loads.
Low wattage loads are often high inductive devices, making contact protection very important. When switching inductive loads such as relays, solenoids and transformers, reed switch contacts require protection in ord to insure long, dependable life. When current is interrupted, the inductance or electrical inertia of the load generates a large high frequency voltage, which appears across the switc contacts. If the voltage is large enough, it can break down the medium in the gap between them, making a conductive path. The purpose of protection circuits is to prevent arcing, by shorting this voltage through an alternate path.