There's absolutely no need to hit that notification bell my friend because I always know that you always upload videos on Sunday... Every Sunday evening I open RU-vid app and voila there is your video on top of my feed. Now I've no connections with electronic/electronics but man I like watching your videos. Love from India... Keep up your great work GreatScott
Maverick PT Well, it’s not like I’m going to use them for production. For one or two PCBs, it’s usually cheaper, because you don’t need 10 of them for prototypes, and it’s much faster, which allows you to advance in your project. Not to mention what happens if you screw up... That happened to GreatScott! once, and he gave up on the DIY or Buy!
@@GRBtutorials In that you're correct but I like to have a proper PCB on my final versions of my projects. It brings the overall quality up. Different tools for different ends right? PS: You can order just 5
If you're a maker, every maker has to go through a design that when connected to mains power, goes kaboom to become a real maker. It's like the coming of age for us.
Hi Scott. I assume you're aware, that the circuit with the ATTINY is not isolated from mains - it's ALL connected through GND. You could replace the 4N35 by a simple transistor, and have probably better switching behavior of the mosfets. I'm also wondering if R2 and R3 don't get hot (they have to dissipate approx. 1/2W on 230VAC) ...
This is just another "Only 2$ + 20$ shipping!" comment... Keep commenting about this nonsense until they support option for low cost & long time shipping.
Hi @GreatScott! Would you mind make new video about Sandevices E6804 assembly kit, like (e.g. Assemble, testing & and how this thing work) and can you give us about the schematic diagram and pcb design. Pls
It is a pixel controller that has parallax micro processor (i dont think if this is use for ic for rc cars, rc boats, etc Sandevices Pixel Controller sandevices.com/product/e6804-kit/
Hi, We bought a house and these lights were half connected but when I measure this led transformator it says that both pins of the 12v are connected to each other... Is this normal?
How does a dimmer circuit like this work with a non sinusoidal ac waveform? For example a square wave, or a "modified sinus wave" that some inverters uses. Would the triac activate at the zerocross region even if the change is nearly instantaneous? Just wondering for learning purposes only :)
Would this solution be suitable for dimming an inductive load? - almost totally inductive - as I faced lots of problems while trying to connect a 24Vac Contactor to the main 220V using the ordinary dimmer circuit
The final circuit diagram has a connection from between the two N Channel MOSFETs to GND. That connection was not in the initial diagram at about 7:15 into the video. Does that circuit then not connect AC Live through the load to GND and AC Neutral straight to GND. Perhaps GND is not Earth which would imply Earth leakage and thus trip an RCD? I think that's how and RCD trips, if the current going into Live doesn't come out the Neutral it must be leaking to Earth and thus trips. I'm sure your circuit is probably correct, but why is it correct? Even if you're only connecting AC Live to the ground reference of your DC Circuit it still seems a bad idea? What am I missing?
It's outlined in the FL5150 datasheet on how the different configurations work. Mainly, GND is a floating reference for the FL5150 so it can do things like measure voltage drop across the MOSFETS to monitor current limits and siphon energy for itself from the AC line to charge itself with a DC bias to neutral. If neutral wasn't available, they would have to use chassis ground. Neutral is also used as the zero-crossing reference to monitor when to switch. This circuit only switches the hot line. It doesn't do any control with neutral besides monitoring the zero crossing. When Great Scott attached two terminal blocks to connect two neutrals, that is purely for convenience so that he doesn't need to use an in-line crimp connector or solder and heat shrink to connect the load's neutral connection to the neutral coming from a power socket.
Honestly, with the cheap prices of these chargers on eBay, Aliexpress, etc. it wouldn't be worth the hassle to get the windings just right. Not even considering the prices of the individual parts.
Why on earth are you using an opto-isolator to drive the MOSFETs? The circuit ground could easily be live anyway if AC input is connected backward, and you have the high voltage side of the opto connected to +12v. Arguably you'd be better off removing the opto and driving the MOSFETs via a transistor as the only thing the opto is doing is giving the illusion of saftey.
Hi, I wanted to know what is the point of using an optocoupler (U5) in the ATTiny version? The ground is common between the two sides and therefore the logic circuit is either riding on the neutral wire (not very safe) or on the live wire (well, not safe at all)
Thank god someone here is paying attention!! Everyone needs to read this!! This a terrible designed circuit! Use a photovoltaic MOSFET driver like a VOM1271T for the love of god. It will fully isolate the high from low voltage with no tie to GND. Also the MOSFET choice here is crappy. RDSOn of .85 ohms? At 60v, half the the waveform, you are expelling a lot of energy as heat! Also from Vishay, SUD80460E-GE3, something like RDSOn of .0447. That would be a lot better just to start!
I have a little doubt on the schematic front. How is the ground connected to the midpoint of both the MOSFETs? Won't it destroy the circuit as mains supply flow through that point.
Yeah, they are trying to take a chunk out of the home etched PCB hobby market. The advantage of DIY is the speed of iterations, so they are deliberately marketing against the idea that they are too slow. If you want to etch your own board with all of the features they have on a board, 2x layers, through hole plating, vias, soldermask, and silkscreen, it will take you 3-4 days to make (or more), unless you have the space to keep all of this stuff setup and dialed for production. If you're ordering stuff like small quantities of Dupont Riston ~$20(x2 meters), Dynamask ~$15(x1 meter), and quality copper clad FR4, the price difference between keeping a fresh setup and just ordering a board with a $22 total becomes very competitive. I just make most designs single sided and DIY, but for larger stuff with a double design, the Chinese board houses are hard to beat. I would still recommend etching a few boards yourself though. I learned a ton from the experience, like make a paper and cardboard prototype of all of your boards before etching, or ordering anything. A paper/cardboard prototype with everything checked/attached/installed is priceless. Putting together all of the stuff to etch also adds up, takes up a good bit of space, means dealing with and storing hazardous chemicals etc. They just advertise the fast shipping because their biggest hurtle is how fast you can make your own boards at home. For instance, I made a LCD breakout board 2 days ago in just under 1hr, but I've been developing my setup and routine for a year now. -Jake
Very Nice, This raise some questions though : -Why is there two mosfets and not only one ? -Why is the 12V power supply so big and how is it done in the commercial version which appear to be compact ?
Or we could go caveman and use a isolated switch that powers a chandelier. High, medium and low. Low powers two bulbs, medium powers four and high powers six bulbs so a total of twelve bulbs.
Pfff, let's go back to the ape years. Don't enclose any circuitry anywhere - just put it on the wall where it's visible and make people change resistors by hand in order to dim a breadboard LED
@@ornessarhithfaeron3576 If it works, don't fix it. I had a 1979 Mint Condition Camaro Z28 so easy to work on, rarely needed a part and it didn't cost a arm and a leg to fix. Now they have sensors known to go bad in the middle of the engine that cost you 3k if you're lucky to replace a $10USD part. Oh I forgot to mention the 3 or 4 computers that love to glitch causing the engine to malfunction. Recalls all the time...Let's figure out which one will be a headache? Pfff.
Faster soldering method for SMT: Instead of adding solder when you add the parts. Apply solder to all of the pads first, than just place the part & reheat using an iron or hot air workstation. Use tweezers to place and hold the part when you solder.
Not many RU-vid creators are worth subscribing but you are exceptional. The topics (at least to me) peak my interest and are well plus throughly explained. I always learn something practical. Keep inspiring.
Why optos and not just a bipolar? Your low voltage side isn't isolated anyway, so why bother? The previous one made sense as you were able to isolate the two but here... just seems like a waste.
Which type of dimmer is more suitable and power efficient for inductive load such as fans? Also is it possible to drive single phase ac motor as energy saving dc inverter motor?
I really appreciate your hard work and dedication to serve your knowledge with rest parts of your country. Dear I'm struggling with research of reliable AC dimmers. How can I use these both pcb with esp32 + alexa/Google Assistant? Please reply if you're reading my comment.
With a light sensor you can also measure how well a lamp (dimmed or otherwise is producing light... I use a s9067-01 from Hamamatsu with a bias supply and a resistor connected to my oscilloscope. Allows me to see the lux levels hitting sensor at high frequency to discover just how much of the light output is flickering and how much is smooth. Worst bulbs/led drivers I found has almost 100% flicker and not surprisingly the best have almost 0%. Most are unfortunately closer to the 100% range. Not fun if you are an epileptic.
Could you review those gadgets so called “wifi booster / wifi repeaters”? They all look sketchy and not sure if they are really boost wifi signal/speed or just plain old scam
WiFi repeaters are a real thing. First of all, due to their enlarged antennas they will get a better connection to your original access point than a laptop in the same place. It's possible to get dexent speed even near the edge of the range. Then they act as another access point with the same SSID so your devices will automatically jump between the two. To sum up, they extend the range of your WiFi router at the cost of speed and latency when you're closer to the extender than the router.
If I'm reading the FL5150 datasheet correctly, it has a built in 5V linear regulator that is used between pin 3 & 4 to select TE vs LE dimming. I wonder if that regulator could power a small microcontroller like an Raspberry Pico? The FL5150 can be controlled with a 0-10V signal, which again I'm assuming we can pull off the VS pin connected to the 17V shunt regulator. All this means we can control this over WiFi
Hi scott I have a non dimmable led pendant light and would like to change the existing driver model: 30-50w input AC 85-265V 50/60Hz +- 15amps Output DC 108-160V 240ma =-5% Ta 45C-Tc70C to a dimmable one. Is this doable? if yes, I need to know where to get this
You noticed? RU-vid does not have anything an 48vDC or 60vDC. You also don't have on DC high voltage. the electronic parts also stops at 30vDC, eg transistor. These problems are handled by the e-bike lovers.
hello man first of all connects you to the video is very good quality of your narration style and I want to get to know you greatscott dude I'm a Turk and I'm reading electricity and electronics step ABDULLAH AKBAŞ 11th grade so I want to meet you in high school 2 anyway I want to go back to baybay anyway i hope
The 5150 data sheet says you can control the circuit with an external 0-5 volt signal referenced to ground, but the ground connection on the 5150 is connected to the point where the MOSFETS join, which looks like mains voltage. Can you make sense of this? The company's customer service rep seems not to understand my concern. Perhaps there is no problem, but I don't want to blow one up just to prove I was right.
WOW - thanks for including normal mortals who can follow along - this used to be what is the word - pretty esoteric to say the least. Dedicated hobbyists only - and we never got cutting edge circuits - unlike Wozniak in the day (whose dad was an HP engineer.) So for most of us, we are looking how to spec an inexpensive effective dimmer, and not in parts for the hobbyist, so that we can quickly solve the issue and move on, unfortunately - time being limited. Now at least I can interpret dimmer schematics.
Hey Mr. Scott! why is R5 connected to the DC GND and the Neutral of the AC in the trailing edge circuit?????? Dosn't that pulls AC current to that DC Ground
What about 1000watt load at 110v Could you please help me about my this query! Firstly, i tried bta139 but that didn't work fine then after i used bta41-600b that worked quite good but still facing one problem when i turn on my circuit and connect my 10ohms resistive with apply 110v the mains voltage is decreasing from 244 to 220 or 222 all the lights are minor dimming because of high load connection my mains rating is near about 3kv.I'm using snubber circuits with bta41 zero crossing detector is okay everything is working fine, should i connect pf to output side to it will give me constant voltage?
Love your videos.. but all examples show how to REPLACE an existing dimmer.. I can't replace mine.. what's the best way to convert from anti parallel scr to pwm?
is there a way to make this work with a touch dimmer module? I have been looking for a dimmer switch with a low, medium, high, and off, when you touch the lamp housing but the majority of the switches, don't support led bulbs or only support 40w, I'm looking at installing 60w.
High scott tks for your explanation regarding your project. I bought one module SCR voltage regulator from internet and I will try to use it as a dimmer for LED lamp. Is it work or not. Need your help.
I need to make a dimmer for a 50-meter string light that consists of 50 8w led bulbs, powered off mains. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to dim that load (400w)?
Very good Congratulations. I am an electrician and one of the major problems I face when using dimmers with led lamps is when I turn on more than three lamps on the same circuit. For some unknown reason, grouping multiple light bulbs always causes unwanted flicker during dimming. Any ideas on what causes this problem?
Lol. “Hang on babe let me dim the lights”. Busts out a tiny screwdriver and proceeds to take off the switch cover and turn those tiny adjusting screws for 5 mins ….
Hi Ivan. Did you ever visit the JAL Website, see: justanotherlanguage.org/ ? I even made an Arduino like board so that you do not need a programmer to program it. See: www.instructables.com/id/JALPIC-One-Development-Board/
I have designed the dimmer board..but after doing connection with my dimmer board bulb gets flickering..and at 0% the bulb shows little bit light in it..what is the problem can you help me
Hey Scott, if you connect the terminal blocks to each other before soldering, they don't move as much when you screw the wires in. And look slightly more professional :)
This is why I still use incandescent bulbs. I have over a dozen dimmers in my home controlling upwards of 60 bulbs. Over 40 are in the basement alone on six different switches. I tried numerous brands of LEDs over the years and they all have different cutoff voltages. Some will dim great while others on the circuit go out entirely or are brighter than the others. Back in 2016, I bought over 1,800 60 Watt bulbs which should last over 20 years.
@@talesmaschio -- Probably only down 40 or 50 by now. Still have close to what started with. Was a really stupid idea. Basically I heard they were "gonna ban the bulb" and I freaked out and overbought. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@pmgodfrey I don’t see it as a stupid ideia. What impressed me at first was how many you bought at once. Anyway, you made a decision based on info you had at the time. Also, LED lights used to be very high quality, today most manufacturers make cost oriented pieces of crap which main function is to quickly turn into electronic waste. Your incandescent bulbs may consume a bit more energy but they show a much nicer color temperature and impose zero harmonic distortion to the electric grid. So, you’re not that wrong.
@@talesmaschio -- One of the biggest issues is how well they dim. Since most are built with low cost components, you can't expect much from a switch mode power supply, especially when they have such a wide operating voltage range. So they dim to a certain point and then some go out, others don't. Plus ones I've used in our rentals seem to be of horrible quality. They're they basic ones you find at any Home Depot. Might have just been a bad batch because I have had a few here and there that still work from 10 years ago.
You are a beautiful mind! 🤘🏼 Is it possible to buy a smart dimmer that can have smart bulbs attached to it that will not cause flicker in let’s say a multi bulb chandelier?
ehhh.... this is fine for applications where you can tolerate a switch mode power supply, but there's times you want a light source to be always on, rather than simply strobing faster than human eyes can perceive.
I've been trying to put one together for over a year, my skills are nothing like tgis guy though! I think I'll give another attempt after this video though.
You can use an attiny with software I2c and connect to ESP controller to make it to your home assistant. The advantage is you can give it your own I2c address and hookup a lot of dimmers to your same ESP. I even made it esphome compatible 😊
Incredible! JaguarTrials loves you Scott! Keep doing your thing and let us know if you need any Netflix or Hulu accounts for a giveaway to your subscribers!
Hello, i am a begginer in electronics. Is there any situation where I have to take in mind that electricity actually goes from the negative pole to the positive one? or can I always think of it as if it flew from positive to negative?
@@gman9275 Trying to teach someone about electricity and kicking off with an analogy using "entropy" is plain stupid, also irrespective of sign assignment it was simply the action of Benjamin Franklin rubbing wool against wax and noting what moved. The understanding of the structure and nature of an atom's composition was in its infancy and assumptions were made...simple.
