Hi hive mind!
(Keep in mind, i consider myself a maker, although i got a renewable energy systems licenciate degree a few years back. I'm a lighting technician/designer)
Brief:
Last year i made 25 phase controlled AC dimmers so i could control christmas lights for a company. Old example. My dimmers have 16 AC outputs up to 4A/channel (only use 0.3A/channel max). Each output is connected to an external AC/DC which only rectifies the AC wave to DC (got to check exact output, but it says 230VDC). When i got 64 channels (4 dimmers) in a box, all the installation phase becomes unmanagable with so many cables.
Objective:
I want to design new dimmers with 230V DC outputs so i can discard their AC/DC and connect it directly. I would use PCA9685 or similar to PWM it (it has the possibility to phase-shift each channel)
Questions:
1. Is there any specific mosfets i should use for this? Or i can just use any that can handle that voltage, current and pwm switch speed? Would love to not use heat sinks too.
2. What kind of protection i should include? If so, by channel?
3. Do you antecipate any output problems i cannot see?
4. Where can i find a reference table for PCB component distances for this kind of voltages?
Thank you in advance!
(Keep in mind, i consider myself a maker, although i got a renewable energy systems licenciate degree a few years back. I'm a lighting technician/designer)
Brief:
Last year i made 25 phase controlled AC dimmers so i could control christmas lights for a company. Old example. My dimmers have 16 AC outputs up to 4A/channel (only use 0.3A/channel max). Each output is connected to an external AC/DC which only rectifies the AC wave to DC (got to check exact output, but it says 230VDC). When i got 64 channels (4 dimmers) in a box, all the installation phase becomes unmanagable with so many cables.
Objective:
I want to design new dimmers with 230V DC outputs so i can discard their AC/DC and connect it directly. I would use PCA9685 or similar to PWM it (it has the possibility to phase-shift each channel)
Questions:
1. Is there any specific mosfets i should use for this? Or i can just use any that can handle that voltage, current and pwm switch speed? Would love to not use heat sinks too.
2. What kind of protection i should include? If so, by channel?
3. Do you antecipate any output problems i cannot see?
4. Where can i find a reference table for PCB component distances for this kind of voltages?
Thank you in advance!