TRIACs – The Dirty Details (3/3): Practical Considerations

Dabbling around with a TRIAC, a transformer and an oscilloscope …
↓↓↓ Complete description, time index and links below ↓↓↓

This is not an introductory video to TRIACS. It delves deep into the detailed information you’ll find in a TRIAC’s datasheet. This third and last part is mainly me experimenting with a TRIAC in different configurations.

I start off with how to connect a microcontroller directly to a TRIAC and calculate the heatsink for it using the datasheet. Somehow I ended up (almost) building the most basic analog TRIAC dimmer circuit.

00:00 Intro – practical considerations
00:14 DC gate driving – avoid 4th quadrant operation
09:53 Gate voltage – beware of its changes at low drive voltages
11:53 Heatsink – choose one using a diagram and a simple formula
18:53 AC gate driving – beware of the 1st and 3rd quadrant asymmetries
28:46 Phase shifting – use an RC network to trigger beyond 90° and 270°
32:25 DIAC usage – build the most basic dimmer circuit
34:44 Gate resistor – limit the peak gate current
39:21 Wrap-up – that’s all folks

TRIACs – The Dirty Details (1/3): Gating, Latching and Holding:    • TRIACs – The Dirty Details (1/3): Gat...  
TRIACs – The Dirty Details (2/3): Other Parameters, Limits and Thermal:    • TRIACs – The Dirty Details (2/3): Oth...  
Tutorials:    • Tutorials  

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