What is this symbol

[garry1p]

Once I knew I was looking for a diode I found them on the control board in between and around the relays, but they're hard to see without a good flash

Those are relays not diodes. on edit I do see the diodes.

I think all the Z lines go off page probably to a computer test plug.

Line 10 is signal ground -VC 0V and may or may not be connected to chassis ground and line 4 is +VC 12V

My guess Z is not a electrical component.

 

[WranglerX]

Maybe its not a "Z".... Maybe its half of a (flyback) diode symbol....

Look up "flyback" diodes and you will see how they are wired across relay coils...

 

[ning]

Maybe its not a "Z".... Maybe its half of a (flyback) diode symbol....

Look up "flyback" diodes and you will see how they are wired across relay coils...

View attachment 3201475

Googling "half of diode symbol on schematic" I see quite a few hits, such as

 

[caver]

It's a symbol for the elusive flux capacitor.....

 

[S854]

It's a symbol for the elusive flux capacitor.....

I can’t believe I read a whole “electrics” thread… this is the only part I understood…

 

[mkruger21]

Foreign drawing so all bets are off...as others have posted earlier it can either be a zener or other specialty diode, or an MOV. Bottom line it has to have high impedance under normal voltage conditions, and break down to a low impedance if voltage spikes high. In this circuit you could substitute an ordinary diode, like a 1N4001, with the cathode (banded end) facing the 12V power supply (up) if you felt you needed to replace it.

 

[dbritt]

In all my years as an electronics technician, and plenty of time troubleshooting automotive, farm and industrial equipment electronics, I have never once seen that symbol used as a symbol for a diode on a diagram. However, from their placement on the diagram, those are obviously ordinary diodes used to suppress the generated voltage when a relay switches from on to off, or what some are referring to as "flyback". It's a very common practice in design of electronics with relays and solenoids. I'm guessing that drawing was made by someone not very knowledgeable about electronics drawings.

 

[Rustyiron]

Heck I thought it was a sideways N

 

[redman135]

The OP appears to be in the US. They also state the device is designed by a British company. I would suggest they look at British electronic termanology to sort out what they are looking at.

There are differences in termanology betweeen countries. The US market is large enough to have americanised manuals. My country is not, so we run into the OP's problem freqently.

 

[renegade99]

I think its a diode symbol by way its wired across relay coils....

it's a "metric" diode