a characteristic curve having a piecewise-linear shape and corresponding to the conversion by a device (or system) of a continuous input variable x into discrete values yn of an output variable y, where η is the number of possible values or levels of the output variable; usually n is equal to 2 or 3. Thus, the curve characterizes the operation of a relay.
Figure 1,a and b shows the characteristics for ideal two-step (n = 2) and three-step (n = 3) relay elements. Figure 1,c and d
shows the characteristics for actual relay elements. Such characteristics of actual relays have a hysteresis loop (zone of ambiguity): when x varies within the region x, ≤ x < x2 (Figure 1,c) or the regions x1 ≤ x ≤ x2 and x3 ≤ x ≤ x4 (Figure 1,d), the behavior of the function y(x) depends not only on the value of x but on the direction of the change in x. A value of x for which y jumps from one value to another is called an operation threshold. Figure 1,c illustrates the characteristic of, for example, simple two-step electromagnetic relays. The characteristic in Figure 1,d is exhibited by three-step polarized relays. Devices that have relay characteristics are widely used in amplitude quantizers and in relay automatic control systems.
REFERENCES
See references under relay element.A. V. KOCHEROV
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