switch

A switch is a device that enables a change in an electrical circuit or signal path by making or breaking a connection. It is actuated by mechanical, electrical, or electronic means and is used to control devices, manage power distribution, or route signals in a wide range of systems.

Common mechanical switches include toggle, rocker, push-button, slide, and rotary types. Some switches are momentary, returning to their original state when released, while others are latching and stay in a set position. Switches are designed with different contact configurations, such as SPST, SPDT, DPDT, and more, to meet various control requirements and current ratings.

In electrical installations, switches must be selected for the appropriate voltage and current, and may incorporate arc suppression, insulating enclosures, and safety standards. They are found in households, industrial machinery, automotive systems, and consumer electronics, serving roles from light control to toggling power to complex equipment.

In computing networks, a network switch is a device that connects multiple devices to form a local area network and forwards data frames based on MAC addresses. Layer 2 switches operate primarily at the data link layer, while some provide Layer 3 routing functionality. Switches can be unmanaged or managed, offer features such as quality of service, PoE, and stacking, and are central to network topology and performance.

Nintendo Switch refers to Nintendo’s hybrid video game console released in 2017, which supports handheld play and television docking. It has detachable controllers and has spawned variants including the Switch Lite (portable-only, released 2019) and the Switch OLED model (2021), offering improved display and form factor.

The term switch also appears as a general linguistic and technical term for exchanging or redirecting, and is used in programming (switch statements) and various control contexts.