Potentiometer why 3 pins

To use the potentiometer as a voltage divider, all the three pins are connected. One of the outer pins is connected to the GND, the other to Vcc and the middle pin is the voltage output. When the potentiometer is used as a voltage divider, the wiper position determines the output voltage. When you have the potentiometer connected this way, you have the following circuit:. One main concept associated with potentiometers is the taper. The taper is the relationship between the position and the resistance of the potentiometer.

The most common types are linear and logarithmic tapers. The most common form is the simple linear taper. In a linear taper, the relationship between the resistance and the potentiometer position is linear. This means that if the knob of the potentiometer is at the medium position, the output voltage is half of the voltage through the potentiometer.

See the figure below:. I build a lot of audio devices - amplifiers, effects processors etc. I've been doing it for about a year and learned a lot of principles. However one thing I still don't understand is wiring pots 1 and or 2 and 3 of a potentiometer together. How is it different from using only pins 1 and or 2 and 3?

I'm talking about this sort of thing from here :. Rather than this from here :. It stops the resistance from going to infinity if there is dirt on the potentiometer track. As well as the reason in the accepted answer, It also stops the unused part of the pot acting as an antenna and picking up RF noise. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. This example uses all three pins of the potentiometer to create a simple way of adjusting the volume of an amplifier.

The more you turn the shaft, the more you decrease the volume. Go back to read about all the basic electronic components. What Is A Potentiometer? It has three pins and the schematic symbol looks like this: Between the two side pins of the potentiometer there is a strip of resistive material.

Move the wiper to the right, and the opposite happens. Potentiometer Wiring Wiring a pot can be confusing at times. Wiring Example 1: Variable Resistor If you need a simple resistor that you can change the resistance of, you only need two pins: the middle pin and one of the side pins. And how does that affect the resistance?

If the signal reading on the voltmeter goes up and down when you turn the knob, your potentiometer works. Adjust the signal on your device by turning the shaft.

Turn your electronic device on and feed a signal to the pot by playing some music, hitting a guitar note, or turning a light on. Twist the shaft to the left to turn the audio or light down. Twist the shaft to the right to raise the volume or level of light. Twist the shaft all the way to the left to turn the output off. Add a knob by sliding it over the potentiometer if you want.

You can install a potentiometer with the shaft bare and exposed if you want. But if you want to upgrade the aesthetic of your potentiometer, you can always get a knob. There are tons of knobs on the market designed to slide over the shaft of a pot and make them look better. Did you know you can get premium answers for this article? Unlock premium answers by supporting wikiHow. Ricardo Mitchell. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Yes No. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1.

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Look at the letter in front of your voltage to determine the taper.

Different pots taper, or modify, signals differently. The 2 most common kinds of pot are linear and logarithmic or log. Linear pots, which have a letter A or LIN in front of the voltage, move a signal up or down in a straight line. Logarithmic pots, which have the letter B or LOG in front of the voltage, change signal with at an angle, with the highs and lows being very sensitive to changes in the shaft.

Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. When you build an audio amplifier, the potentiometer can be used to protect against voltage surges, when connecting something to that amplifier. This can be done by connecting the middle terminal to the amplifier input, terminal 1 or 3 to the ground, and the remaining terminal to the signal source. This way, the pot will always keep the amplifier input somewhat connected to ground - no voltage surges will occur, and no separate bleeding resistor needed.

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