Hello Everyone.

I was working through a few youtube videos showing how an optocoupler can control a triac to allow a mcu to control high voltage device. When I did the maths I needed to limit the current going through the optocoupler and the gate of the triac to 40ma. After doing all the calcs I ended up needing 5K resistance to make it happen and given the power equation it would have needed to be a few 2W resistors in series.

I took a solid state relay circuit I had from another supplier and it did just that. The only problem is that it had only 2 resistors. Which looked to be 2 W resistors one of 450 ohm and another of 550 ohm. This is far less and my calculations work out to 0.44 amps going to the triac which would probably burn it out. Not to mention that the current will cause the 2W resistors to burn.

The only problem is that the circuit works and works well. I put together a simulation of the circuit using a multimeter to represent the gate current and a switch to represent the triac conducting to provide enough current for the lighr to burn brightly.

I attached the circuit and was hoping that someone could spot the concept this works on because everything I do says it shouldn't work.

 

I attached the circuit and was hoping that someone could spot the concept

No drawing visible. Please try again.

 

Uploading circuit image again.

 

There are no MCU's or opto-couplers in those drawings. The two resistors are obviously not doing what you think they are doing, but the drawings are not leading me to what you want.

 

Cool circuit! Close the switch to blow the fuse. Very handy. Sorry, Clinton, but you have to try again.

 

Close the switch to blow the fuse.

I think, "LA1" means, "light bulb".

 

Oh, thanks. That makes a big difference.

 

First you will need to select a triac that will handle your "high voltage device" voltage and current requirements.

Next you want to find an optocoupler that can be driven by your mcu and can output the needed current for the triac, using available supply voltage.

Then you get to study datasheets in order to meet each of the components requirements.

It will involve considerable study.

 

First you will need to select a triac that will handle your "high voltage device" voltage and current requirements.

Next you want to find an optocoupler that can be driven by your mcu and can output the needed current for the triac, using available supply voltage.

Then you get to study datasheets in order to meet each of the components requirements.

It will involve considerable study.

Thanks for the reply. I found a post on experts exchange that asked something similar and it went into calculating the value for the resistor on the triacs gate and how the gate is triggered in AC and how it differs from DC.

 

Turns out I misunderstood the datasheet for the triac. The gate maximum gate current is shown as 100ma but they also state a peak gate current of a lot more. Apparently the 1K resistance they use is just that giving +-140ma through the gate and since it only has current through the resisors for a really short time when opening the gate, the power rating on the resistors aren't as high as what would be needed if it had a constant current.