One common electrical characteristic that is specified of Relays is the pick-up and drop out voltage. These values are defined as follows:
These values are important to engineers when certain designs are required to function within a certain voltage range. For example, imagine a 12V Relay is being used to turn on a motor. The motor will function as long as the contacts are closed. However, if for some reason the voltage input to the Relay is decreased to a certain level, the contacts will open and the motor will turn off. Therefore, it is important that pick-up and drop-out voltage values are considered when designing any type of project that may cause the input voltage of the Relay to fluctuate (i.e. battery input).
Pick up voltage and drop out voltage values are simple to measure. A power supply and a digital multimeter are the only two components needed.
Follow These Steps To Measure The Pick Up And Drop Out Voltage: