Wiring an Illuminated Toggle Switch
How to wire a 3 terminal illuminated toggle?
Our range of illuminated toggle switches are a reliable and popular series commonly used on controls panels to mimic the style of a racing car or fighter jets particularly for Sim racing. However they are of course also functional switches used for a variety of industrial applications.
The toggles have an illuminated tip and are available currently in Red, White, Blue, Green and Yellow/Orange. They have 6.3mm quick connect terminals which enable fast wiring and require a panel cut out size of 12mm.
There are two methods to wire up the toggle switch. Method 1 will only illuminate when the switch is in the ‘On’ position. Method 2 will leave the illumination on regardless of whether the switch is in the ‘On’ or ‘Off’ position.
The switch has 3 terminals. A ground, ACC (Accessory) and Power (+). The switch opens and closes the connection between the Power and ACC. The Ground is required for the illumination to work correctly.
Method 1:
Method 1 will ensure that the LED switches On when the switch is On. When the switch is turned Off the LED will also turn Off.
- The power to the accessory terminal on the switch connects to the + terminal of the accessory.
- The Power In terminal (+) connects to the + terminal of the battery/power source.
- The Negative terminal – of the battery/power source connects to the ground.
- The Negative terminal – of the accessory connects to the ground.
Method 2:
Method 2 will ensure that the LED stays on regardless of whether the switch is On or Off.
- The Power to the Accessory terminal on the switch connects to the + terminal of the batter/power source.
- The Power In terminal (+) connects to the + terminal of accessory.
- The Negative terminal – of the battery/power source connects to the ground.
- The Negative terminal – of the accessory connects to the ground.
Good practice precautions for wiring a toggle switch
- Confirm that you are familiar with the function of each terminal and can correctly identify which is which terminal. If you’re not sure this should be tested with a multi meter or refer to the product datasheet.
- Before wiring the switch, make sure the power is off to avoid electrical shock.
- Ensure the load of the circuit does not exceed the rated current and voltage of the switch.
- When wired, check that all connections are correct and secure to avoid open circuits or shorts.
See our full range of illuminated toggle switches and coloured missile toggle covers.
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