Rotary switch -- confusion over "poles"  / positions etc

Author	Message
Nimue Guru Joined: 06/08/2020 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 367	Posted: 01:32pm 19 Nov 2022       Hi -- slightly off topic - delete if not right for here... I want to incorporate a rotary switch into a project.  I want to use this to introduce one of 3 resistors into a circuit to make a rudimentary speed controller. I have two motors, each powered from the same source, but controlled independently.  The supply to each motor can be  controlled independently by varying the voltage and polarity.  This allows the speed and direction to be controlled by varying the speed of each motor independently.   All simple stuff. All the above works fine. BUT the default speed as constructed is far too fast, so I want to add inline resistance.  Again, fine if I do this for each motor independently. If I constructed this from two rotary switches, I would be fine with what I think is referred to as a 1 pole, 3 position switch to bring different resistances into the circuis for each of the motors. How do I do this for both motors using one rotary switch, so that the same resistance value is introduced to each motors circuit at the same time? Having not used anything different than the above switch - I am unsure if what I am looking for is referred to as a 2 pole, 3 position switch?   I guess I could just buy some and bust out the multimeter... Long question - hopefull simple answer....     Cheers N