Electronic Troubleshooting

Chapter 13
Power Control Devices

Power Control Devices

Characteristics
Bipolar and MOSFETs can be used to control large loads
and motors
However they only can control DC Loads and Motors

Most large Loads and Motors are AC

Types of devices used to control them are:
SCRs (Silicon Controlled Rectifiers)
TRIACs (TRIODE for AC - ??))
DIACs (Diode for AC - ??)

Ancillary Devices
Reed Switches
Opto-coupliers

Power Control Devices

Topics covered
SCRs
TRIACs
Ancillary Devices
Reed Switches
Opto-coupliers

Phase Control
Problems with TRIAC and SCR circuits

SCRs
Characteristics
Used to control current for AC Loads
Sometimes for DC loads

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Characteristics
Type of Thyristos
Acts like a switch not as a variable resistance
Key ratings
Maximum Voltage rating regardless of polarity
30 to 3000V ratings are normal
Maximum voltage without damage or false activation
Maximum Current
3000A

Construction
Uses alternating layers of P and N semiconductor materials like in
bipolar transistors

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Characteristics
Construction
Uses 4 layers and three connections
Gate (G); ANODE (A); Cathode (K)

Functions as two transistors in the circuit shown

Typical packages

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Characteristics
Construction
Uses 4 layers and three connections
Gate (G); ANODE (A); Cathode (K)

Functions as two transistors in the circuit shown

Typical packages

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Basic DC operation
A simple SCR DC circuit is shown top right
and the equivalent transistor circuit that
will be analyzed bottom right
With E applied and Vin = 0V
IG1 = 0V and Q1 is off
With Q1 off Q2 lacks base current and is off
With both transistors off the SCR appear like
a reverse biased diode
Almost no current between
A and K or to the load

With E applied and Vin > 0V

IG1 > 0V and Q1 starts to turn on

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Basic DC operation
With E applied and Vin > 0V
IC1 starts to flow and Q2 starts to conduct
IC2 starts to flow into the base of Q1 and Q1
turns on harder
More IC1 flows, and Q2 turns on harder
The snowballing continues until both
transistor are in saturation
Once the turn-on process starts the input
voltage that started the process can be
removed
The SCR will stay on until the
cathode voltage = anode voltage

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Basic DC operation
Sample Circuit: an Intrusion Alarm
With light (probably IR) striking the photoresistor it has a low value
The voltage divider formed by it and R1 yields a gate voltage too
low to activate the SCR
Too low to make the sonic alarm output sound
When an intruder breaks the light
beam the photoresistor has a much
higher resistance and the
SCR turns on
The alarm will stay on
until S1 is opened
regardless s of the light beam

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Basic AC operation
Two modes of operation
Zero Voltage Switching
SCR is turned on when the AC voltage crosses a little above zero
volts (instantaneous voltage not rms)
Phase Control Covered after TRIACs)
The timing of the trigger that turns on the SCR is delayed from
the zero crossing of the AC voltage

Characteristics
Current only flows during of the AC voltage cycle

Sample circuit operation

See figure 13-5 on page 378 or on the next slide

Power Control Devices

SCRs
Basic AC operation
Sample circuit operation
With S1 open
All the line voltage drops
across the SCR
Lamp is off
With S1 open
All the line voltage drops
across the SCR only on the
negative part of the cycle
During the positive part of
the cycle the SCR is an and
almost all the voltage is
dropped across the lamp

Power Control Devices

SCRs
More Efficient AC
operation
Provides more power to
the device under control
Use a rectifier between the
AC source and the SCR
Will feed the SCR the full-wave rectified AC signal and the motor
all the available AC power from the line not

TRIACs
Conducts AC in both directions
Acts like two SCRs in parallel, but facing in opposite
directions

Power Control Devices

TRIACs
The symbol reflects the parallel SCR
description
Still has gate connection along with T1 and
T2 connections (some time MK1 and MK2)
The gate triggers operation when
With T2 positive with respect to T1 a positive gate with respect
to T1 triggers operation
With T2 negative with respect to T1 a negative gate with
respect to T1 triggers operation

Voltage and Current ranges available

Usually significantly less than for SCR
Reasonable values
50-600V and 0.8-25 A

Power Control Devices

TRIACs
Ancillary Devices used to control the zero crossing
mode with DC signals
Types covered: Reed Switches; Opto-coupliers
Reed Switches
Range of packaging
As shown
In a DIP for insertion on a PCB
Operation
When a current flows through the wire
The spring tensioned ferrous contacts are activated
completing a circuit

Power Control Devices

TRIACs
Ancillary Devices used to control the
zero crossing mode with DC signals
Opto-coupliers
Use either Light Activated SCRs (LASCR)
or OptoTRIACs and a LED
Gates are either not shown
or shown not connected on circuits

Ancillary Device packaging

Can be obtained as discrete components
and assembled
Or both types come as part of a Solid
State Relay package

Power Control Devices

TRIACs
Sample Circuit Operation
Vin could be coming from:
logic circuit
microcontroller
microprocessor, etc

With Vin =0V

The TRIAC is off and all the

voltage is dropped across it

With Vin = a logic one or

higher voltage
The micro switch is
activated
When the instantaneous AC
voltage is high enough the
TRIAC is activated

Power Control Devices

TRIACs
Sample Circuit Operation
With Vin = a logic one --------

The TRIAC will continue to

be activated on each
positive and negative
transition while the micro
switch is activated

Sample w/Optocoupler
See Figure 13-11 on page 382
and on the next slide
The Q-NOT flip flop output
goes low and the LED inside
the optocoupler turns on
Activates internal Opto TRIAC

Power Control Devices

TRIACs
Sample w/Optocoupler
That activates the Power TRIAC
This repeats every 1/2cycle while the digital input is a Logic 0
For low current applications the internal TRIAC may be
sufficient

Power Control Devices

Phase Control
Characteristics
Provides smooth control of amount of power delivered to a
load instead of switching the power on and off using SCRs or
TRIACs
Commonly used in lamp dimmers and motor speed controls

Ancillary Device A DIAC

Characteristics
Two terminal device that act like two diodes in parallel facing
opposite directions
Or a TRIAC without a gate

Acts like a reversed polarity diode until a breakdown voltage is

reached
Then it has a very small resistance
Not dependent on polarity

Power Control Devices

Phase Control
Ancillary Device A DIAC
Acts like a reversed polarity diode - continued
Breakdown voltage of 30 V is common but others such as 8 volts
are available

Used to provide a triggering spike to the TRIAC to turn it on

Without the DIAC a slowly rising voltage would slowly turn the
TRIAC on

Sample Circuit Operation

As the switch closes the
TRIAC is off and for simplicity
the AC is at zero crossing
The voltage on C1 slowly rises
due to the time constant; from
R1, R2 and C1

Power Control Devices

Phase Control
Sample Circuit Operation
Switch closed - continued
After the breakdown voltage
of the DIAC is reached on C1
the DIAC fires
The TRIAC conducts for the
remainder of the cycle

By adjusting the POT you can

vary the delay before the DIAC
fires
Thus effecting the power
delivered to a motor or lamp
Varies the motor speed
Varies the lamp intensity

Problems with TRIAC and SCR circuits

Slow Turn-On
SCRs and DIACs need a rapid rise in gate voltages
A slow rise in gate voltages result in slow activations of the
SCR or TRIAC
DIACs provide a voltage spike for SCRs and TRIACs
After the voltage on the Cap reaches its breakdown voltage the
DIAC provides a low impedance path for the Cap to discharge
into the SCR/TRIAC gate

Inductive Loads
Sometimes SCRs and TRIACs
remain on past the point
when VAK or VT1-T2 =0V
CEMF is the prime cause

Problems with TRIAC and SCR circuits

Inductive Loads
When a switch in series with an
inductive load is opened
A CEMF instantaneously develops
across the load to cause the current to
continue flowing
For physical switches arcing can occur
and sometimes damage switches
Some protection is needed - RC
discharge path

Large rapid voltage swings across SCRs

and TRIACs can cause them to turn on
Discharge path as shown
Resistor helps prevent a Tank circuit
from consisting of the inductor and
Cap