Explore topic-wise fullforms in Electrical Switch Types

A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.

Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small devices that protect low-current circuits or individual household appliance, up to large switchgear designed to protect high voltage circuits feeding an entire city. The generic function of a circuit breaker, or fuse, as an automatic means of removing power from a faulty system is often abbreviated as OCPD (Over Current Protection Device).

INFO: Full form for SPST is Single Pole Single Throw in Electrical Switch Types category
SPST also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for SPDT is Single Pole Double Throw in Electrical Switch Types category
SPDT also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for SPCO is Single Pole Changeover in Electrical Switch Types category
SPCO also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for DPST is Double Pole Single Throw in Electrical Switch Types category
DPST also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for DPDT is Double Pole Double Throw in Electrical Switch Types category
DPDT also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for MCCB is Moulded Case Circuit Breaker in Electrical Switch Types category
MCCB also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for 2P6T is Two Pole Six Throw in Electrical Switch Types category

INFO: Full form for RCCB is Residual Current Circuit Breaker in Electrical Switch Types category
RCCB also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

A residual-current device (RCD), or residual-current circuit breaker (RCCB), is a safety device that quickly breaks an electrical circuit to protect equipment and to reduce the risk of serious harm from an ongoing electric shock. Injury may still occur in some cases, for example if a human receives a brief shock before the electrical circuit is isolated, falls after receiving a shock, or if the person touches both conductors at the same time.

RCD is the name used in the United Kingdom. In the United States and Canada, the terms ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), ground fault interrupter (GFI) or appliance leakage current interrupter (ALCI) (also known as a Leakage Current Detection Interrupter (LCDI)) are used.If the RCD device has additional overcurrent protection integrated in the same device, it is referred to as RCBO.

An earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) may be a residual-current device, although an older type of voltage-operated earth leakage circuit breaker also exists.

These electrical wiring devices are designed to quickly and automatically isolate a circuit when it detects that the electric current is unbalanced between the supply and return conductors of a circuit. Any difference between the currents in these conductors indicates leakage current, which presents a shock hazard. Alternating 110 volt current above 20 mA (0.020 amperes) through the human body is potentially sufficient to cause cardiac arrest or serious harm if it persists for more than a small fraction of a second. RCDs are designed to disconnect the conducting wires ("trip") quickly enough to potentially prevent serious injury to humans, and to prevent damage to electrical devices.

RCDs are testable and resettable devices—a test button safely creates a small leakage condition, and another button resets the conductors after a fault condition has been cleared. Some RCDs disconnect both the energized and return conductors upon a fault (double pole), while a single pole RCD only disconnects the energized conductor. If the fault has left the return wire "floating" or not at its expected ground potential for any reason, then a single-pole RCD will leave this conductor still connected to the circuit when it detects the fault.

INFO: Full form for DPCO is Double Pole Changeover in Electrical Switch Types category
DPCO also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for ELCB is Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker in Electrical Switch Types category
ELCB also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for RCBO is Residual Circuit Breaker with OverLoad in Electrical Switch Types category
RCBO also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.

INFO: Full form for SPTT is Single Pole Triple Throw in Electrical Switch Types category
SPTT also has other full forms in other categories mentioned below.