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Published By
Zach Wendt
Zach Wendt
Solid state relays are switching relays that do not require the use of any
mechanical parts. This usually gives them the advantage of having a lifespan
longer than that of a common electromechanical relay, and although solid
state relays are magnitudes faster than electromechanical relays, they do have
some design stipulations.
Solid state relays have taken the world by storm, revolutionizing power distribution in every industry
from agricultureautomation to aerospace. But you may be wondering… “How exactly do they work?”
This article will cover everything from solid state relay basics to optoisolators and optocouplers,
photodiodes, and PN junctions.
Relays can be designed and used in either an AC or DC switching capacity, but the internal
configuration has to be modified to work for either scenario. DC relays can operate with a single
MOSFET, with the source and drain connected to power and load of the main circuit and the control
signal attached to the passgate. The control signal can be very low power, which enables the relay
(and the massive load circuit) to be controlled by something as small as an Arduino. Solid state relays
can have multiple transistors aligned in parallel to allow for a higher current flow potential, which can
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be rated into the 100s of amperes. AC switches require at least two transistors because one MOSFET
cannot inhibit current in both directions when the relay is in an off state. Two transistors, with their
sources connected, are used to block current when off and then pass power when the control signal is
switched on within the relay.
Figure 1: This is a sample diagram of a typical photodiode. The diagram depicts an LED
shining onto a photodiode transistor. This action is what allows current to flow through the
transistor.
Optoisolators are crucial in solid state relays as they are what separate the two or more circuits of the
relay. Since relays use small voltage signals to control very large voltage signals, it is extremely
important to keep these signals separated. The beauty and revolutionary trait of optoisolators is that
there are no moving parts. For example, in electromechanical relays, this circuit separation is made
possible by an electromagnetic field, which is also what is used to ultimately complete the large load
circuit.
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In a solid state relay, the photodiode is what makes the connection within the load circuit complete. So
what in the world is a photodiode? It is a very specialized transistor that uses photons to power the
gate, rather than a typical electrical signal. How in the world does that work? It uses a highly
specialized silicon PN junction.
Figure 2: This image is an artistic depiction of a PN junction that illustrates the depletion
region of the photodiode.
Light consists of photons, or energy carrying particles, that are the “bread and butter” of photodiode
physics. Typically, the light that photodiodes best respond to is around 200nm (ultraviolet) or 1100nm
(infrared). These photons create electronhole pairs in the silicon photodiode’s depletion region. The
depletion region is formed when the ptype doped silicon comes into contact with the ntype silicon and
the electrons and holes flow into lower potential areas. When light hits the silicon, the photons are
absorbed, creating electronhole pairs. When the electronhole pairs begin drifting apart, they are
swept away by the electric field of the depletion zone. This movement of electronhole pairs is what
creates the flow of current in the photodiode as long as the PN junction is operated in a reverse bias
direction.
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Now that there is a signal being generated at the output end of the optoisolator, a transistor or series of transistors can
be used to amplify that signal to eventually output very large signals, a method mentioned earlier in the article. The
ability to use a very low power signal as the input of the optoisolator and conversely turn that signal into a very large
output signal is the ultimate purpose of a solid state relay.
Want to know more? Go in depth on Solid State vs. Electromechanical Relays.
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