Potentiometers are basic devices used to regulate potentials. In practice, the above names are more complicated than the process itself. However, one thing is certain - if you run your own workshop, love programmable electronics, automation and are a DIY fan, then you should have a potentiometer in your toolbox!
A potentiometer is a type of resistor with a sliding or rotating center tapping that creates an adjustable voltage divider. If only two pins are used - one end and the center tap, which slide over the resistive surface in the component, it acts as a variable resistor. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume control in audio equipment, rotational speed in electrical equipment. If you turn up the volume on the audio speakers at your desk, in the stereo in the living room, or in the car, you just use the knobs.
Potentiometers operated by more complex mechanisms can be used as, for example, position transducers in a joystick. Potentiometers are rarely used for direct control of significant power (more than a watt) as the power dissipated in the potentiometer would be comparable to the power in the controlled load. See our offer of potentiometers below and choose the devices that will suit you best!
