Activity 3 in Industrial Electronics

INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
ECE412L1 JULY , 2018

Thyristor: The DIAC and QUADRAC
ALTURA, CASINILLO, CELESTINO, CHAVEZ,
SBEE - 4A DELA CRUZ, LOPEZ PROF. JOSELITO A. TRINIDAD
I.Objectives
II.Theoretical Framework
DIAC:
A DIAC is a full-wave or bi-directional semiconductor switch that can be turned on in both forward and
reverse polarities.
The name DIAC comes from the words DIode AC switch. The DIAC is an electronics component that is
widely used to assist even triggering of a TRIAC when used in AC switches and as a result they are
often found in light dimmers such as those used in domestic lighting. These electronic components are
also widely used in starter circuits for fluorescent lamps.
Although the term is not often seen, DIACs may also be called symmetrical trigger diodes - a term
resulting from the symmetry of their characteristic curve.
DIACs come in a variety of formats. As discrete components they may be contained in small leaded
packages, they can be obtained in surface mount packages, in large packages that bolt to a chassis, or
a variety of other packages. As they are often used as a DIAC TRIAC combination, they are often
integrated into the same die as a TRIAC.
DIAC symbol
The DIAC symbol used to depict this electronic component in circuit diagrams can be remembered as a
combination of what may appear to be two diodes in parallel with each other but connected in opposite
directions.
DIAC circuit symbol

Owing to the fact that DIACs are bi-direction devices the terminals cannot be labelled as anode and
cathode as they are for a diode. Instead they may be labelled as A1 and A2 or MT1 and MT2, where
MT stands for "Main Terminal."
The DIode AC switch, or Diac for short, is another solid state, three-layer, two-junction semiconductor
device but unlike the transistor the Diac has no base connection making it a two terminal device,
labelled A1 and A2.
Diac’s are an electronic component which offer no control or amplification but act much like a
bidirectional switching diode as they can conduct current from either polarity of a suitable AC voltage
supply.
In our tutorial about SCR’s and Triacs, we saw that in ON-OFF switching applications, these devices
could be triggered by simple circuits producing steady state gate currents as shown.
When switch, S1 is open no gate current flows and the lamp is “OFF”. When switch S1 is closed, gate
current IGflows and the SCR conducts on the positive half cycles only as it is operating in quadrant Ι.
We remember also that once gated “ON”, the SCR will only switch “OFF” again when its supply voltage
falls to a values such that its Anode current, IA is less than the value of its holding current, IH.
If we wish to control the mean value of the lamp current, rather than just switch it “ON” or “OFF”, we
could apply a short pulse of gate current at a pre-set trigger point to allow conduction of the SCR to
occur over part of the half-cycle only. Then the mean value of the lamp current would be varied by
changing the delay time, T between the start of the cycle and the trigger point. This method is known
commonly as “phase control”.
But to achieve phase control, two things are needed. One is a variable phase shift circuit (usually an
RC passive circuit), and two, some form of trigger circuit or device that can produce the required gate
pulse when the delayed waveform reaches a certain level. One such solid state semiconductor device
that is designed to produce these gate pulses is the Diac.
The diac is constructed like a transistor but has no base connection allowing it to be connected into a
circuit in either polarity. Diacs are primarily used as trigger devices in phase-triggering and variable
power control applications because a diac helps provide a sharper and more instant trigger pulse (as
opposed to a steadily rising ramp voltage) which is used to turn “ON” the main switching device.
The diac symbol and the voltage-current characteristics curves of the diac are given below.
Diac Symbol and I-V Characteristics
We can see from the above diac I-V characteristics curves that the diac blocks the flow of current in
both directions until the applied voltage is greater than VBR, at which point breakdown of the device
occurs and the diac conducts heavily in a similar way to the zener diode passing a sudden pulse of
voltage. This VBR point is called the Diacs breakdown voltage or breakover voltage.
In an ordinary zener diode the voltage across it would remain constant as the current increased.
However, in the diac the transistor action causes the voltage to reduce as the current increases. Once
in the conducting state, the resistance of the diac falls to a very low value allowing a relatively large
value of current to flow. For most commonly available diacs such as the ST2 or DB3, their breakdown
voltage typically ranges from about ±25 to 35 volts. Higher breakover voltage ratings are available, for
example 40 volts for the DB4 diac.
This action gives the diac the characteristic of a negative resistance as shown above. As the diac is a
symmetrical device, it therefore has the same characteristic for both positive and negative voltages and
it is this negative resistance action that makes the Diac suitable as a triggering device for SCR’s or
triacs.
DIACs are widely used in AC applications and it is found that the device is "reset" to its non-conducting
state, each time the voltage on the cycle falls so that the current falls below the holding current. As the
behaviour of the device is approximately equal in both directions, it can provide a method of providing
equal switching for both halves of an AC cycle, e.g. for TRIACs.
Most DIACs have a breakdown voltage of around 30 volts, although the exact specifications will depend
upon the particular type of device.. Interestingly their behaviour is somewhat similar to that of a neon
lamp, although they offer a far more precise switch on voltage and thereby provide a far better degree
of switching equalisation.
Structure
The DIAC can be fabricated as either a two layer or a five layer structure. In the three layer structure
the switching occurs when the junction that is reverse biased experiences reverse breakdown. The
three layer version of the device is the more common and can have a break-over voltage of around 30
V. Operation is almost symmetrical owing to the symmetry of the device.
A five layer DIAC structure is also available. This does not act in quite the same manner, although it
produces an I-V curve that is very similar to the three layer version. It can be considered as two break-
over diodes connected back to back.
The structure of a DIAC

For most applications a three layer version of the DIAC is used. It provides sufficient improvement in
switching characteristics. For some applications the five layer device may be used.
Diac Applications
As stated above, the diac is commonly used as a solid state triggering device for other semiconductor
switching devices, mainly SCR’s and triacs. Triacs are widely used in applications such as lamp
dimmers and motor speed controllers and as such the diac is used in conjunction with the triac to
provide full-wave control of the AC supply as shown.
Diac AC Phase Control
As the AC supply voltage increases at the beginning of the cycle, capacitor, C is charged through the
series combination of the fixed resistor, R1 and the potentiometer, VR1 and the voltage across its plates
increases. When the charging voltage reaches the breakover voltage of the diac (about 30 V for the
ST2), the diac breaks down and the capacitor discharges through the diac.
The discharge produces a sudden pulse of current, which fires the triac into conduction. The phase
angle at which the triac is triggered can be varied using VR1, which controls the charging rate of the
capacitor. Resistor, R1 limits the gate current to a safe value when VR1 is at its minimum.
Once the triac has been fired into conduction, it is maintained in its “ON” state by the load current
flowing through it, while the voltage across the resistor–capacitor combination is limited by the “ON”
voltage of the triac and is maintained until the end of the present half-cycle of the AC supply.
At the end of the half cycle the supply voltage falls to zero, reducing the current through the triac below
its holding current, IH turning it “OFF” and the diac stops conduction. The supply voltage then enters its
next half-cycle, the capacitor voltage again begins to rise (this time in the opposite direction) and the
cycle of firing the triac repeats over again.
Triac Conduction Waveform
Then we have seen that the Diac is a very useful device which can be used to trigger triacs and
because of its negative resistance characteristics this allows it to switch “ON” rapidly once a certain
applied voltage level is reached. However, this means that whenever we want to use a triac for AC
power control we will need a separate diac as well. Fortunately for us, some bright spark somewhere
replaced the individual diac and triac with a single switching device called a Quadrac.
The Quadrac
The Quadrac is basically a Diac and Triac fabricated together within a single semiconductor package
and as such are also known as “internally triggered triacs”. This all in one bi-directional device is gate
controlled using either polarity of the main terminal voltage which means it can be used in full-wave
phase-control applications such as heater controls, lamp dimmers, and AC motor speed control, etc.
Like the triac, quadracs are a three-terminal semiconductor switching device labelled MT2 for main
terminal one (usually the anode), MT1 for main terminal two (usually the cathode) and G for the gate
terminal.
The quadrac is available in a variety of package types depending upon their voltage and current
switching requirements with the TO-220 package being the most common as it is designed to be an
exact replacement for most triac devices.
Quadrac
The Quadrac is basically a diac and triac fabricated together within a single package and as such are
also known as “internally triggered triacs”. This all in one bi-directional device is gate controlled using
either polarity of the main terminal voltage which means it can be used in full-wave phase-control
applications such as heater controls, lamp dimmers, and AC motor speed control, etc
Like the triac, quadracs are a three-terminal semiconductor switching device labelled MT2 for main
terminal one (usually the anode), MT1 for main terminal two (usually the cathode) and G for the gate
terminal.
The diac is the triggering device for the triac. Thyristors are four-layer (PNPN) semiconductor devices
that act as switches, rectifiers or voltage regulators in a variety of applications
OPERATION
When triggered, thyristors turn on and become low-resistance current paths. They remain so even after
the trigger is removed, and until the current is reduced to a certain level (or until they are triggered off)
Diacs are bi-directional diodes that switch AC voltages and trigger triacs or silicon-controlled rectifiers
(SCRs). Except for a small leakage current, diacs do not conduct until the breakover voltage is
reached. Triacs are three-terminal, silicon devices that function as two SCRs configured in an inverse,
parallel arrangement. They provide load current during both halves of the AC supply voltage. By
combining the functions of diacs and triacs, quadracs eliminate the need to buy and assemble discrete
parts.
Quadracs are a special type of thyristor which combines a "diac" and a "triac" in a single package. The
diac is the triggering device for the triac. Thyristors are four-layer (PNPN) semiconductor devices that
act as switches, rectifiers or voltage regulators in a variety of applications. When triggered, thyristors
turn on and become low-resistance current paths. They remain so even after the trigger is removed,
and until the current is reduced to a certain level (or until they are triggered off). Diacs are bi-
directional diodes that switch ACvoltages and trigger triacs or silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs).
Except for a small leakage current, diacs do not conduct until the breakover voltage is reached. Triacs
are three-terminal, silicon devices that function as two SCRs configured in an inverse, parallel
arrangement. They provide load current during both halves of the AC supply voltage. By combining the
functions of diacs and triacs, quadracs eliminate the need to buy and assemble discrete parts.
Quadracs are used in lighting control, speed control, and temperature modulation control applications.
They carry performance specifications such as peak repetitive off voltage, peak repetitive reverse
voltage, root mean square (RMS) on-state current, and temperature junction. Peak repetitive off voltage
is the maximum, instantaneous value of the off-state voltage that occurs across a thyristor, including all
repetitive transient voltages and excluding all non-transient voltages. Peak repetitive reverse voltage is
the maximum peak reverse voltage that may be applied continuously to the main terminals (anode and
cathode) of quadracs. RMS on-state current is the maximum RMS current allowed for the specified
use-case temperature. Temperature junction for quadracs is expressed as a full-required range.
Quadracs are available in a variety of integrated circuit (IC) package types with different numbers of
pins. Basic IC packages types for quadracs include discrete packaging (DPAK), power packaging
(PPAK), and in-line packaging (IPAK). Other IC package types include diode outline (DO), transistor
outline (TO), and small outline transistor (SOT). Quadracs that use metal electrode leadless face
(MELF) packaging have metallized terminals at each end of a cylindrical body. Other available package
types for quadracs include thin small outline package (TSOP), thin shrink small outline L-leaded
package (TSSOP), and thin small outline J-lead (TSOJ) package.
III. List of Materials/Tools/Equipment
IV. Methodology/Procedure
1.
V. Experimental Circuit Set-Up
DIAC Circuit 1
DIAC Circuit 2
QUADRAC Circuit 1
QUADRAC Circuit 2
VI. Data/Table/Results/Computation
DIAC Circuit 1
Capacitor
DIAC
Load
DIAC Circuit 2
Capacitor
DIAC
Load
DIAC and the LOAD DIAC and the Load

Capacitor
Load
The Load and Capacitors Output
QUADRAC Circuit 2
Capacitor
Load
Load and Capacitors Output

VII. Observation
VIII. Analysis
IX. Conclusion
X. Recommendation
1)
XI. References
 https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/electronic_components/scr/what-is-a-diac.php
 https://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/semicond/diac/diac.php
 https://prezi.com/6jcnocjjdf0v/thyristor-quadrac/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrac

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Activity 3 in Industrial Electronics

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Copyright:

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INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS

ECE412L1 JULY , 2018

DIAC circuit symbol

Diac Symbol and I-V Characteristics

The structure of a DIAC

III. List of Materials/Tools/Equipment

V. Experimental Circuit Set-Up

DIAC and the LOAD DIAC and the Load

The Load and Capacitors Output

Load and Capacitors Output

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