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Circuit which stops other switches to work asa one switch is pressed

  1. Jan 17, 2008 #1
    I have to make a circuit which works like this : I'll have some buzzers (just bulbs which glow when switch is pressed); as soon as one buzzer is pressed, others stop working till the first switch is released. I don't have an experience of making circuits, except the easiest ones made in school. So, please help.
  2. jcsd
  3. Jan 17, 2008 #2


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    You should try to reword your question a bit. You're calling lamps buzzers and then saying that when you press the buzzer (the lamp) the others (what others?) stop working till the first switch is released.

  4. Jan 17, 2008 #3
    Maybe look into what enable signals on different logic circuits do. Lots of digital circuits use an enable signal, and it is worth understanding. It sounds like you need an enable signal for each of your secondary switches, and this signal is generated from your primary switch.
  5. Jan 17, 2008 #4
    How to understand enable signal. I tried Wikipedia, but couldn't understand:cry:
  6. Jan 17, 2008 #5


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    Why don't you describe your system a little better? There could be a number of solutions ranging in complexity. There could be even quite simple mechanical solutions rather than digital logic-type solutions.
  7. Jan 17, 2008 #6
    Ok, I'll try again. For e.g. I have 4 lamps, 4 people having it. As soon as one person presses the switch, his lamp glows and other circuits break(or something like that), so that other lamps don't glow, even if the other persons press the switch.
    I'm doing this so that there is no confusion about who pressed the switch(i.e whose response was) first.
  8. Jan 17, 2008 #7
    so like jeopardy the game show? You might want to have the light stay on until a reset (timed or manual reset)
  9. Jan 17, 2008 #8
    Ya, That will work.
  10. Jan 17, 2008 #9
    why don't you create a logic table first.
    # of buttons and output value when input is 1 or 0 with a master controlling all

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