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<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading">
<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Control knob</span></span>
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<p>A <b>control knob</b> is a rotary device used to provide manual input adjustments to a <a href="Mechanical_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Mechanical system">mechanical</a>/<a href="Electrical_engineering" title="Electrical engineering">electrical system</a> when grasped and turned by a human operator, so that differing extent of knob rotation corresponds to different desired input. Control knobs are a simpler type of <a href="Input_hardware" class="mw-redirect" title="Input hardware">input hardware</a> and one of the most common components in <a href="Control_systems" class="mw-redirect" title="Control systems">control systems</a>, and are found on all sorts of devices from <a href="Tap_(valve)" title="Tap (valve)">taps</a> and <a href="Gas_stove" title="Gas stove">gas stoves</a> to <a href="Optical_microscope" title="Optical microscope">optical microscopes</a>, <a href="Potentiometer" title="Potentiometer">potentiometers</a>, <a href="Radio_tuner" class="mw-redirect" title="Radio tuner">radio tuners</a> and <a href="Digital_camera" title="Digital camera">digital cameras</a>, as well as in <a href="Cockpit" title="Cockpit">aircraft cockpits</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Operation">Operation</h2></div>
<p>A control knob works by turning a shaft which connects to the component which produces the actual input. Common control components used include <a href="Potentiometer" title="Potentiometer">potentiometers</a>, <a href="Variable_capacitor" title="Variable capacitor">variable capacitors</a>, and <a href="Rotary_switch" title="Rotary switch">rotary switches</a>. An example where the knob does not produce a variation in an electrical signal may be found in many <a href="Toaster" title="Toaster">toasters</a>, where the darkness knob moves the <a href="Thermostat" title="Thermostat">thermostat</a> in such a way as to change the temperature at which it opens and releases the cooked toast. Some similar controls produce similar inputs using different geometry; for example, the knob may be replaced by a lever which is moved through an angle. Another example is the sliding controls which frequently replace knobs as level controls in audio equipment.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Feedback">Feedback</h2></div>
<p>The use of knobs is an important aspect of the design of user interfaces in these devices. Particular attention needs to be paid to the feedback to the operator from the adjustments being made. The use of a pointer on the knob in conjunction with a scale assists in producing repeatable settings; in other cases there may be a <a href="Dial_(measurement)" title="Dial (measurement)">dial</a> or other indicator which is either mechanically linked the knob's rotation (as in many older radio <a href="Tuner_(radio)" title="Tuner (radio)">tuners</a>) or which reports the behavior being controlled.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2></div>
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<div class="gallerytext">various knobs, three of which incorporate pointers to indicate setting</div>
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<div class="gallerytext">the knob on the left turns the shaft of a potentiometer</div>
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<div class="thumb" style="width: 240px;"><span typeof="mw:File"></span></div>
<div class="gallerytext">a control panel with knobs color-coded according to function</div>
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<div class="gallerytext">digital camera lens with two control knobs</div>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.amazon.com/b?node=16412811">https://www.amazon.com/b?node=16412811</a></span>
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This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2024-02-22" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Control_knob&oldid=1209645012">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
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