Thursday, March 28, 2024

Smart Foot Switch

Jayan A.R.

Such jobs as jewel cutting and polishing require the workers to switch on/off two electrical appliances one after another repeatedly for two different services. Here’s a smart foot switch based on dual negative-edge triggered master slave JK flip-flop IC 74LS76 (IC1)

Smart foot switch circuit

J1 and J2 inputs are conneted to 5V through resistors R2 and R5 (each 10k), respectively. K1 and K2 inputs are grounded. Preset pins 2 and 7 are shorted and connected to 5V via resistor R7 (10k). Push-to-on switch S3 connected to the preset inputs is also grounded. Clock and clear inputs of the two flip-flops are cross-connected, i.e. CLK1 (pin 1) is conneted to CLR2 (pin 8) and CLR1 (pin 3) is connected to CLK2 ( pin 6). Clock input pins 1 and 6 are pulled up high through resistors R1 and R4 (each 4.7k), respectively.

smart foot switch circuit
Smart foot switch circuit

Circuit operation

Initially when the power supply is switched on, Q1 and Q2 outputs of the JK flip-flops are at low level (logic 0). When switch S1 is pressed for the first time, the high level (logic 1) present at J1 input is transferred to Q1 output on the trailing edge of clock (CLK1). The high level (logic 1) at Q1 activates relay RL1 through pin 16 of IC ULN2003 (IC2), turning on device 1 via its normally-opened (N/O) contacts. Clock CLK1 of flip-flop IC1(A) is also connected to clear input CLR2 of flip-flop IC1(B) so as to clear it asynchronously. Switch debounces don’t affect the circuit as the same J1 state is being transferred to Q1 output on succeeding trailing edges. At the same time, device 2 is switched off.

When switch S2 is pressed, flip-flop IC1(A) gets cleared via CLR1 and the high state of J2 input of flip-flop IC1(B) is transferred to its Q2 output on the trailing edge of clock (CLK2). This high level (logic1) activates relay RL2 through pin 15 of IC2, turning on device 2 via its N/O contacts. At the same time, device 1 is switched off.

Now if you want to turn on both the devices simultaniously, press switch S3 momentarily. Switch S3 provides ground to preset inputs PRE1 and PRE2 of flip flops IC1(A) and IC1(B), making their Q1 and Q2 outputs high, which energises both the relays turning on the two devices. LEDs glow to indicate that both the devices are ‘on.’

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Construction & testing

Place all the three switches (S1 through S3) where you can easily press them by foot when required. The LEDs can also be mounted at a convenient location to know whether the devices are turned on.


The article was first published in March 2004 and has recently been updated.

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