Editing Telephone switchboard (section)

==Operation==
[[File:Offutt Air Force Base operator.jpg|thumb|[[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] operator works a switchboard in the underground command post at [[Strategic Air Command]] headquarters, [[Offutt Air Force Base]], [[Nebraska]] in 1967.]]

The switchboard is usually designed to accommodate the operator, who sits facing it. It has a high back panel, which consists of rows of female jacks, each jack designated and wired as a local extension of the switchboard (which serves an individual [[subscriber]]) or as an incoming or outgoing trunk line. The jack is also associated with a lamp.

On the table or desk area in front of the operator are columns of 3-position toggle switches termed "keys", lamps, and cords. Each column consists of a front key and a rear key, a front lamp and a rear lamp, followed by a front cord and a rear cord, making up together a [[cord circuit]]. The front key is the "talk" key allowing the operator to speak with that particular cord pair. The rear key on older "manual" boards and PBXs is used to ring a telephone physically. On newer boards, the back key is used to collect (retrieve) money from [[Payphone|coin telephones]]. Each of the keys has three positions: back, normal and forward. When a key is in the normal position an electrical talk path connects the front and rear cords. A key in the forward position (front key) connects the operator to the cord pair, and a key in the back position sends a ring signal out on the cord (on older manual exchanges). Each cord has a three-wire [[Phone connector (audio)|TRS phone connector]]: [[tip and ring]] for testing, ringing and voice; and a sleeve wire for [[busy signal]]s.

When a call is received, a jack lamp lights on the back panel and the operator responds by placing the rear cord into the corresponding jack and throwing the front key forward. The operator then converses with the caller, who informs the operator to whom he or she would like to speak. If it is another extension, the operator places the front cord in the associated jack and pulls the front key backwards to ring the called party. After connecting, the operator leaves both cords "up" with the keys in the normal position so the parties can converse. The supervision lamps light to alert the operator when the parties finish their conversation and go on-hook. Either party could "flash" the operator's supervision lamps by depressing their switch hook for a second and releasing it, in case they needed assistance with a problem.  When the operator pulls down a cord, a pulley weight behind the switchboard pulls it down to prevent it from tangling.

On a trunk, [[on-hook]] and [[off-hook]] signals must pass in both directions. In a one-way trunk, the originating or A board sends a short for off-hook, and an open for on-hook, while the terminating or B board sends normal polarity or reverse polarity. This "reverse battery" signaling was carried over to later automatic exchanges.

Some areas used specialized switchboards to handle calls from [[payphone]]s. In [[North America]], these "coin boards" were gradually phased out after the introduction of the Automated Coin Toll System that was provided by the [[Traffic Service Position System]]. Dedicated coin boards were primarily used in large, densely populated areas such as [[New York City]] where the large [[local call]]ing area required special billing arrangements to allow the rate for a local call to vary based on the distance called. In less densely populated regions, calls from payphones were handled by normal assistance operators without the use of dedicated coin boards.