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phetsims / circuit-construction-kit-common

"Circuit Construction Kit: Basics" is an educational simulation in HTML5, by PhET Interactive Simulations.
GNU General Public License v3.0
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User suggestion: two-way switch #511

Open arouinfar opened 7 years ago

arouinfar commented 7 years ago

We've had a few requests for additional switches.

Unfuddle Ticket #3532

When using the CD Construction Kit DC, it would be useful to be able to add a two-switch and even better a three-way (intermediate) switch. Any suggestions?

From phetsims/circuit-construction-kit-dc#3

I use Phet once in a while in my classroom and I was wondering if there is any way to add more components to the DC circuits. I am in automotive/Truck and Coach and would like different applications such as a fuse or circuit breaker, fans and different types of switches. Is this within the capabilities of the programmers or is this locked down to what we see is what we get? On the plus side, great simulators for showing basic circuit faults.

A two-way switch seems like a potentially useful addition, but a three-way switch could be constructed from two-way switches and wires. From Wikipedia's entry on Multiway switches:

screen shot 2017-03-06 at 4 09 52 pm
arouinfar commented 7 years ago

A two-way switch can be built from wires and knife switch, so it is not a necessary item to add.

oliver-phet commented 6 years ago

@arouinfar Do you have an example of a two-way switch built from wires and a knife switch? It might be worth adding that to the teacher tips?

arouinfar commented 6 years ago

@oliver-phet have you been receiving more requests for a two-way switch?

A classic example of a two-way switch is a house light that is controlled by two different switches. If a light is on, flipping either switch will turn it off (and vice versa). image

There are are a few ways to create a two-way switch in CCK. Unfortunately, there aren't any particularly elegant solutions.

Option 1: Wires only. The wires in the red boxes act as the switch. image

To flip the left "switch" cut the vertex on the right, and attach to the lower wire. image

Option 2: Using 4 one-way switches. With this method, the two switches in each red box need are coupled together -- if one switch is open, the other must be closed. image

Flipping the two-way switch actually requires flipping two knife switches (e.g. both switches on the left). image

arouinfar commented 6 years ago

A classic example of a two-way switch is a house light that is controlled by two different switches.

Actually, I think this would be a three-way switch constructed by two two-way switches...

A two-way switch would be just this: image

The user would need to manually cut the wire segment's right vertex and connect it to the other wire below. image

oliver-phet commented 6 years ago

Ok, so it looks like there isn't actually a way to construct a two-way switch out of the current knife switch (since you cannot force the flipping of two knife switches). I'll send the user these screenshots, but a two-way might still be a worthy sim enhancement.

arouinfar commented 5 years ago

We have another user request for this in https://github.com/phetsims/circuit-construction-kit-common/issues/462:

Please can we have SPDT (single pole double throw) switches

I would like to make this circuit. 4 switches and 2 SPDT switches https://www.physics.wisc.edu/ingersollmuseum/exhibits/EM/CircuitPuzzle1 image

it is quite complicated!

samreid commented 5 years ago

Deferring for current development because AC design doesn't call for this feature. @arouinfar correct me if this is wrong.