Output in ECE 322

(Electronic Circuit Analysis and Design)

LIGHT DIMMER

Submitted to: Engr. Narcisa Tuballa-Morallo

Submitted by:

David E. Teves III

Josue Araneta

Vincent Geromala
John Harvey Maypa
Neco Carlo Pal

Dimmers are devices used to lower the brightness of a light. By changing the voltage waveform
applied to the lamp, it is possible to lower the intensity of the light output. Although variablevoltage devices are used for various purposes, the term dimmer is generally reserved for those
intended to control light output from resistive incandescent, halogen, and (more
recently) compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). More specialized
equipment is needed to dim fluorescent, mercury vapor, solid state and other arc lighting.
Dimmers range in size from small units the size of a light switch used for domestic lighting to
high power units used in large theatre or architectural lighting installations. Small domestic
dimmers are generally directly controlled, although remote control systems (such as X10) are
available. Modern professional dimmers are generally controlled by a digital control system
like DMX or DALI. In newer systems, these protocols are often used in conjunction
with Ethernet.
In the professional lighting industry, changes in intensity are called fades and can be fade up
or fade down. Dimmers with direct manual control had a limit on the speed they could be
varied at but this issue has been largely eliminated with modern digital units (although very fast
changes in brightness may still be avoided for other reasons like lamp life).
Modern dimmers are built from semiconductors instead of variable resistors, because they have
higher efficiency. A variable resistor would dissipate power as heat and acts as a voltage divider.
Since semiconductor or solid-state dimmers switch between a low resistance "on" state and a
high resistance "off" state, they dissipate very little power compared with the controlled load.

Principles of Dimming
There are several types of dimmers generally available. Those employing triac or thyristor
devices operate in a very similar fashion. These are used for resistive and inductive loads, such
as incandescent, cold cathode and low voltage (inductive) lamp sources. Note that not all
electronic transformers used for low voltage lamps are suitable for dimming by triac or thyristor
dimmers. Specialist electronic transformers (for example those manufacturing by IBL Lighting
and Mode Electronics) are required.

Triac and Thyristor Dimmers

Triacs and thyristors are similar components; a triac is essentially two thyristors combined in one
package. Thyristors tend to be more expensive but more robust. Triacs have the advantage that
they are less likely to half wave on failure and so the opportunity for headache induced (50Hz)
flickering and subsequent damage to transformers is greatly reduced. Furthermore, when triacs

are over-rated, they offer a technically more elegant solution than thyristors. Both act as highspeed switches and in a dimmer are used to control the amount of electrical energy passing to a
lamp. They do this by chopping the sinusoidal mains voltage waveform. A trigger or firing
pulse dictates at what point the device starts to conduct. The later the device is fired the later it
starts to conduct and hence less power is transmitted to the lamp.

Components
1 pc. TRIAC BT136
2 pc. SCR BT151
1 pc. Variable Resistor (500k)
1 pc. Capacitor (0.1uF)
1 pc. 220 candle lamp
1 pc. Candle lamp socket
1 pc. Male plug 1 m #22 wires

1 pc. Resistor (3.3k)