New resource centre equips engineers with in-depth high voltage relay switching expertise

Pickering Electronics has launched its new High Voltage Reed Relay Resource Centre, an online reference library of technical information for engineers building HV switching systems or looking to develop their knowledge. Building on its 55+ years of industry expertise, leadership and innovation in high voltage reed relay technology, this digital reference library brings together a wealth of deep technical knowledge and valuable video, application guide and case study resources, authored by subject matter experts from the company's Centre of Excellence for high voltage switching.

The company has been an innovator in high voltage reed relays for more than half a century, introducing its first HV reed relays in 1970. Since then, the company has developed a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance reed relays designed for a diverse range of high-voltage switching applications, including mixed-signal semiconductor testers, high-end cable testers, backplane testers, medical electronics, electric vehicles, solar energy systems, in-circuit test equipment, and high-voltage instrumentation.

Keith Moore, CEO of Pickering Group, said: "In 2025, Pickering is celebrating 55 years of innovation and leadership in high voltage switching and reed relays. Having established our Centre of Excellence for high voltage switching – a cross-functional team to consolidate, leverage, share, and expand the knowledge and subject matter expertise we have accumulated across design, manufacturing, and test – we tasked it with creating a comprehensive digital reference library for the benefit of engineers looking to build HV switching systems or develop their knowledge."

The High Voltage Reed Relay Resource Centre contains everything engineers need to know about high voltage reed relays, including how they work, what to look for when selecting a device, and how to employ them to ensure the best performance in an HV switching application.

Topics include:

• The construction of a high-voltage reed relay, including the switch blades and gap, and magnetic screening

• Failure modes, including vacuum failure, plating material damage, and breakdown & arcing

• AC and DC considerations

• Hot and cold switching

• Loads and in-rush current

• Test methods

• Why reed relays may be a better option for HV applications than competing technologies, such as EMRs and SSRs

"The number and range of high voltage switching applications have increased significantly over the last decade, all with demanding requirements. For instance, the relays require large clearances between component parts (including the reed switch contacts) to minimise the likelihood of arcing, as well as contact materials that can resist the erosion that occurs when switching the signals," notes Rob King, product manager of Reed Relays at Pickering Electronics. "Pickering's 55-year heritage in designing and manufacturing HV reed relays means we can match the diversity of application requirements with our broad portfolio of high-performance, high-quality HV relays, and our new High Voltage Reed Relay Resource Centre provides the ideal reference library for engineers looking to develop their knowledge and build HV switching systems."

The company's reputation for reed relay innovation is founded on decades of manufacturing excellence. All relays use instrumentation-grade reed switches for stable, long-life operation, up to billions of cycles, along with formerless coil construction and the company's patented SoftCenter technology, which improves mechanical robustness. Internal or external mu-metal screening enables high packing densities with minimal magnetic interference, and every relay is 100% tested, including dynamic contact wave-shape analysis, to provide consistent quality.