General question about any plasma cutter

[beefy]

My Hypertherm PM1250 requires a DRY relay contact for the start signal, and gives a DRY relay contact for the Arc OK. Is this pretty much the same for just about any brand plasma cutter. I'm designing a circuit board that interfaces with plasma cutters and am trying to make it as universal as possible, but at the moment it's based on these dry relay contacts.

Keith.

[jimcolt]

Dry relay contact refers to a mechanical relay as opposed to a solid state type relay. Solid state relays generally have a small amount of bleed current......mechanical "dry" contacts do not.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

My Hypertherm PM1250 requires a DRY relay contact for the start signal, and gives a DRY relay contact for the Arc OK. Is this pretty much the same for just about any brand plasma cutter. I'm designing a circuit board that interfaces with plasma cutters and am trying to make it as universal as possible, but at the moment it's based on these dry relay contacts.

Keith.

[beefy]

Thanks Jim,

I know all about the mechanical vs solid state relays. I used to be an industrial electrician and I also play with electronics.

I was more wanting to know if most plasma cutters use the same system as my 1250, i.e. requiring dry (mechanical) relay contact for START and giving the same for ARC OK.

Keith.

[jimcolt]

All of the Hypertherm Powermax units do, I cannot speak for other brands.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

[beefy]

Thanks Jim,

Keith.

[rikduk]

WhEn you say dry contact, its basically like if you just shorted the two pins together, right?
I'm trying to make a feature run on mine, it requires dry contact closure or 24 vdc.
Nothing happening...

[beefy]

Yep, that's pretty much what "dry contact" means. I simple switch is pretty much the same thing. You are not connecting to any other electrical circuit.

In a mechanical relay the contacts "should" be completely isolated from the coil and associated voltage.

Keith.