A switch probe is a spring contact that is used to verify the presence of components or contacts within a connector assembly. The current path for test is from the probe tail to the receptacle which is normally open (“No” or “closers”). As the plunger is compressed to a defined switch travel, the circuit is closed. The most common application is in the cable harness testing industry. They are used to verify the correct location of a terminal contact in a connector while also checking the retention force. They also verify the physical presence of non-conductive components or devices on a circuit board.
Switch probes are used for wire harness contact sensing and component sensing. For applications, such as automotive component test where zero defects are allowed, they must typically function without error for tens of thousands of cycles. The company’s switch probes easily meet this standard for reliability.
