STEP-BY-STEP SWITCHING OR STROWGER SYSTEM

Step by Step Switching or Strowger switching was the first automatic telephone
system introduced by Almon B. Strowger. This system uses selectors for switching.
The selectors used in Strowger exchange are mainly of two types
1. Uniselector
2. Two motion selector.
Both the selectors belong to the same types of switches called rotary switches.
UNISELECTOR
This is called uniselector because the rotary motion of this switch is in one direction,
i.e., the wiper assembly moves only in one direction. The uniselector consists of
moving contacts called wipers. These are used to make electrical connections with
any one of several contacts, called bank contacts, in an arc around it. The arc in most
cases consists of ten steps. The wiper assembly is divided into three sets of wipers so
that the switch has to turn through only one third of a full circle when operated.
These wipers are operated by an electromagnet, called driving magnet, with the help
of a ratchet and pawl mechanism. When current flows through the windings of the
driving magnet, it is energised and attracts the armature; the pawl slips over one
tooth of the ratchet wheel. The ratchet is prevented from movement in the reverse
direction by a detent. When the current stops through the windings of the driving
magnet, it is de-energised, and the armature comes back to its rest position. During
the reverse movement of the armature and hence that of the pawl, the ratchet wheel
stop ahead in the clockwise direction by one tooth and the wipers move to the next
contact. The uniselector rotates as many steps as the electromagnet is energised and
de-energised. The schematic diagram of the uniselector is shown in the figure.


TWO MOTION SELECTOR

The two-motion selector is a type of rotary switch, in which the motion of the wiper
assembly is in two directions, vertical as well as horizontal. In the vertical direction
the wipers move upward to the desired level and make no connections with the bank
contacts. While in the horizontal direction the wipers make connection with the bank
contacts. The two-motion selector has 10 levels; each having 10 contacts, thus a total
of 100 contacts are accessible.

Each contact represents the terminals of one switch of the higher stage or of one
telephone line in the case of final selector. The dialing pulses cause the wiper
assembly to step up or down to the desired level. If we take the example of a final
selector, where up to 100 lines can be connected, the vertical and horizontal stepping
of the selector are controlled by the digits dialed by the subscriber. When the first
digit is dialed, the dialing pulses energise and de-encrgises the vertical magnet. The
vertical magnet with the help of ratchet and pawl mechanism step up the wiper
assembly, corresponding to the digit dialed. This is called vertical stepping.
When the second digit is dialed the dialing pulses are now diverted to another
magnet, called horizontal magnet, with the help of a relay. These pulses energise and
de-energise the horizontal magnet, which with the help of ratchet and pawl causes
the wiper assembly to rotate to the proper contact, corresponding to the second digit
dialed. This is called horizontal stepping. Thus the wiper assembly makes connection
with the required number dialed by the subscriber. After completion of the call the
wiper assembly comes back to the home position. For this purpose the rotary magnet
is operated by the current and thus the wiper assembly moves through the remaining
contacts of the level. A spring forces the wiper assembly to drop vertically and then
to return horizontally to its normal position. Thus the two-motion selector does not
require an additional magnet for its "homing process". This switch is also called a
rectangular motion selector, because the wiper assembly moves along a rectangle:
vertical stepping rotary stepping _ dropping returning to its normal position.
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