FOG LAMP SENSOR CIRCUIT

For several years now, a rear fog lamp  has been mandatory for trailers and  caravans in order to improve visibility under foggy conditions.When this fog lamp is switched on, the fog lamp of the pulling vehicle must be switched off to avoid irritating reflections.

For this purpose, a mechanical switch is now built into the 13-way female connector in order to switch off the fog lamp of the pulling vehicle and switch on the fog lamp of the trailer or caravan.Here a type P521 optocoupler detects whether the fog lamp of the caravan or trailer is connected.

If the fog lamp is switched on in the car, a current LED in the optocoupler to light up,with the result that the phototransis tor conducts and energises the via transistor T1. The relay switches off the fog lamp of the car. For anyone who’s not all thumbs, this small circuit can easily be built on a small piece of perforated circuit board and then fitted somewhere close to the rear lamp fitting of the pulling vehicle.