Your 5V system can wield great power with this big, beefy relay board. How does 10A on the NC contacts and 20A on the NO contacts at 220VAC sound? The SparkFun Beefcake Relay Control Kit contains all the parts you need to get your high-power load under control. Only minimal assembly is required!

The heart of the board is a sealed, SPDT 20A/10A Relay. The relay is controlled by 5V logic through a transistor, and an LED tells you when the relay is closed. This is a kit, so it comes as through-hole parts with assembly required, which makes for some nice soldering practice. Screw terminal connectors on either side of the board make it easy to incorporate into your project.

There are some pretty beefy traces connecting the relay to the load pins, but the 3-pin terminals are only rated for 15A max! If you plan on connecting a larger load, you’ll need to solder directly to the board. As always with high current and voltage, play it safe and use your judgment when deciding how much of a load you want to put on a board – in open airflow the PCB can handle the full 20A for a few minutes at a time, but in an enclosed area heat can build up.

Note: Please keep in mind that this board is really meant for someone with experience and good knowledge of electricity. If you’re uncomfortable soldering or dealing with high voltage, please check out the PowerSwitch Tail II. The PowerSwitch Tail II is fully enclosed, making it a lot safer.

Get Started With the Beefcake Hookup & Assembly Guide

Features

Voltage Rating: 220VAC/28VDC

VCC requirements: 4-6V, 150mA capable

SPDT pins exposed (Form C)

14 AWG screw terminals for relay connections.

10 AWG solder lugs for relay connections.

Flyback diode included

Zener recovery diode included (decreases turn-off time)

Heavy 2 oz. copper on PCB

This single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) momentary switch can be used as a general-purpose micro switch, but the long lever arm makes it especially useful as a tactile bump sensor for your robot (e.g whiskers or antennae). The switch body dimension is 20.0 x 6.4 x 10.2 mm, and the lever arm is 50 mm long.

This single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) momentary switch can be used as a general-purpose micro switch, but the 2"-long lever arm makes it especially useful as a simple tactile obstacle-detector for your robot. The switch body dimension is 20.0 x 6.4 x 10.2 mm (0.79" x 0.25" x 0.40"), and the lever arm is 50 mm (2") long. This three-pin switch can also be used as a two-pin single-pole, single-throw (SPST) switch that is open or closed by default, depending on which two pins are used.

Dimensions (in mm) of snap-action switch with 50mm lever: 3-pin, SPDT, 5A.

For a more sophisticated tactile sensor, see our force-sensing resistors.

People often buy this product together with:

This single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) momentary switch can be used as a general-purpose micro switch or tactile bump sensor for your robot. The switch body dimension is 20.0 x 6.4 x 10.2 mm, and the 16.3mm lever arm is has a roller at the tip.

This single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) momentary switch can be used as a general-purpose micro switch or tactile obstacle-detector for your robot. The switch body dimension is 20.0 x 6.4 x 10.2 mm (0.79" x 0.25" x 0.40"), and the 16.3mm (0.64") lever arm has a roller at the tip. This three-pin switch can also be used as a two-pin single-pole, single-throw (SPST) switch that is open or closed by default, depending on which two pins are used.

Dimensions (in mm) of snap-action switch with 16.3mm roller lever: 3-pin, SPDT, 5A.

For a more sophisticated tactile sensor, see our force-sensing resistors.

People often buy this product together with:

Electronics and water don't usually mix - which is why liquid level sensing projects can be a little challenging. You can DIY a sensor but keeping it clean and un-oxidized can be a pain. The Optomax Digital liquid level switches are a clever solution for when you need a small sensor to detect liquid/water: super easy to use and very durable too!

Inside the plastic sensor casing is an infrared (IR) LED and matching photo transistor. When in the open air, the IR light bounces back to the sensor so you know its nice and dry. When the sensing tip is immersed in liquid, the IR light escapes, and the transistor turns off. The sensor can detect the presence or absence of almost any liquid type; oil or water based. It is insensitive to ambient light and is not affected by foam when in air or by small bubbles when in liquid.

The microcontroller-friendly logic level output is push-pull type, and can sink and source up to 100mA at a supply voltage range of 4.5 to 15.4VDC - so you can even use it to directly control a transistor or perhaps even a small relay.

Simply connect the Blue/Black wire to ground, the Red wire to 4.5-15.4VDC and look at the output with your multimeter or microcontroller. When dry the output is the same as the red wire. When wet, the output is 0V. Note they're pretty sensitive, any liquid on the sensor (e.g. droplets on the surface) can trigger it.

Comes in a chemically resistant Polysulfone housing material – the standard choice for most applications – for external sensor mounting and for use in standard operating temperature ranges (-25 to 80°C).

Features:

Reverse polarity, ESD and transient over-voltage protected

Wide supply voltage range

Push-pull output, capable of sinking or sourcing up to 100mA, can directly drive small loads

Solid state, fully enclosed, so no moving parts to cause unreliability

Small in size so they can be installed in applications where space is limited

Can detect tiny amounts of liquid when positioned correctly, ideal for leak detection

Fast response time

Repeatable switching point

Built-in output delays available on request for applications where sloshing causes intermittent switching

Very robust permitting use in a wide range of fluids and chemicals

See datasheet in Technical Details for more specs and info! 

These are massive single pole - double throw (SPDT) sealed relays. This means that when current is applied to the coil it throws a simple changeover switch, terminating the connection from the NC contact to ground and closing the NO contact. Use them to switch high voltage/high current devices.

Features

SPDT Relay

Contacts Rated up to 220VAC @ 20A

Coil Voltage: 5V

Fully Sealed